WINNER OF FIVE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS Capture the Moment Shares Visions of John Lewis Page 37 Vol. 55, No. 41 • July 23 - 29, 2020
The World Mourns the Death of John Lewis
5 Councilmember Trayon White joins Rev. Michael Bell on Saturday’s Peace March. (Hamil R. Harris/The Washington Informer)
Peace March Honors Legacy of Lewis, Vivian
A True Icon and Freedom Fighter (1940-2020) By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Somewhere it’s raining. Somewhere the heavens have opened up, reflecting the tears which continue to fall across the globe as news of the death of civil
JOHN LEWIS Page 16
By Hamil R. Harris and members of Allen AME Church as they lead a peace march through WI Contributing Writer Southeast on Saturday, July 18. Bell organized other faith leadThe activist spirit of two fallen civil rights icons reigned heavy on the heart of the Rev. Michael Bell PEACE Page 38
Heatwave Continues to Wallop East Coast, U.S.
Humidity Makes Temps Feel Like 110 Degrees By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir You don’t need the weatherman or a thermometer to tell you that the Greater Washington Area remains in the throes of a record heatwave. Stevie Wonder, with his messianic perspective, lamented on the state of the world, describing it as “hotter than July.”
Martha Reeves admitted that whenever she was with “him” it was like a “heatwave.” And the old folks, in very simple terms would observe, “it’s so hot outside you could fry an egg.” Despite the references, power outages, sudden thunderstorms, pools and spraying centers shutdown due to
HEATWAVE Page 44
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Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence County’s Businesses Warned to Police Talk, Search for Chief, to COVID-19 Protocols Ongoing in Prince George’s law enforcement. She saidAdhere they threat,” she said.
By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer
had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow George’s County continuesareto combat Prince George’s sense of uniformity in the As wayPrince wants to see implemented coronavirus, County Executive Angela AlsoWhen L.Y.ExecuMarlow's 23-year- domestic violence victimstheand County stricter restraining order policies, brooks announced the creation of a 70-member old daughter told her the father tive Angela Alsosurvivors are treated. more rights for victim's families ofbrooks her daughter threatened her COVID-19 Ambassadors Compliance “She's using her own personal promised to intervene on behalf of a vic-Team. It’s life, the life of their child, story, her own personal pain goal:tocheck to amake sure businesses are following tim, domestic violence assessthe andcommunity she something county and stateunit protocols eliminate ment coupledtowith furtherthe spread to knew become in- had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens done. her frustration said about Marlow. of the coronavirus. A first will provide infortraining for lawvisit enforcement volvedOutin of the with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone a Child's Life Protec-social dismational agencies, material explaining adequate search for a new ofpolice the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will measures, tion Act and counseltancing face mandatory coverings and hand sanitizer chief. Resstart the Saving Promise cam“get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. and hand-washing stations for patrons and emidents can get paign. case in such a way, the average “If we arenot everingoing to eradi-A second ployees. to business compliance. their chance by “It seems to be at the we will mustresult in a with cate a baddomestic result forviolence, a business participating in aa vicious cycle person can get it.” She saidvisit that won't turn my family end of the day, the book will fine. look at both of the coin. $1,000 A third andsides final visit with a non-comsurvey to identify loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a diaWe need to address both the vic- until it pliance mark means a business must close characteristics, shared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. the batterer,” Marlow achieves atim goodand standing status. Besides the county skills and traits to ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. contracting the most confirmed cases Maryland, lead the departDomestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the would to see halfexare nowMarlow people ages 35also andlike younger. ment. Part of the on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise “The young people have to understand they are eight-question Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children in not exempt from getting COVID, getting sick survey asks level of satisfaction between the communisium was sponsored by the utive life terms without parole public and private schools. She from it or dying from it, or passing it along to ty and police, of up to three top public safety Family and selection Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to be educatsomeone they care about who may become sick or issues and type of experience such as managing a deCenter of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. die,” Alsobrooks said. “It’s about protecting the rest partment of similar size and working with other law Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being pasof us.” enforcement agencies. The surveythe alsofounder requests per-the Trauma, Up of Black Women. of aAfter sive-aggressive with poor chilson’s residential or business zip code. Participants can Marlow has written a book, an organization that helps the dren about domestic violence,” voluntarily provide demographic information about violence Marlow said. “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic theirabout race. The at https://bit.ly/2OFrH0V will story four survey generations of and their children. Marlow has worked to break be available through retained domestic violence. The Aug. book 14. is The“Icounty lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, Polihirebyofher Northwest to lead in years the search inspired own experiences, in fearafter is a forlong time. It is and is confident the policies she merthose PoliceofChief Stawinski resigned last month. and her Hank grandmother, not an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that Meanwhile, a police reform task of,” forceshe established by her mother and her daughter. said. process. She said every readslistening Alsobrooks willtime host she a virtual session Muhammad at 5:30 Mildred said “I plan to take these policies to excerpts from her July book, still23-member p.m. Thursday, 23.sheThe groupwant seeks to help a Congress and implore them to people who can not believe the words to review and assess policecame department policies that in-victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. domestic violence from “Colorhiring Me Butterfly” cludeher. training, and use of force. be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poliwon the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI Elaine Davis-Nickens, presi- on Tuesday signed a President Donald Trump dentmemo of thethat National aims toHook-Up bar undocumented immigrants of Black said there no counted in the 2020 livingWomen, in the U.S. from isbeing consistency census. in the way domestic violence issues dealt with byclear how undocumentIt was notareimmediately ed immigrants would be identified in order to omit them from the census count, NBC News reported. The census questionnaire, which was distributed in March, did not require respondents to indicate whether they or others in their household are citizens. The administration attempted last year to add a citizenship question on the 2020 census for the first time in 60 years, but the Supreme Court blocked the Department of Commerce, which oversees the census. In that decision, Chief Justice John Roberts joined the four-member liberal wing of the court and said the administration’s rationale for adding it was “contrived.” The census results are used to determine the number of seats in the House of Representatives each state is allocated and impacts the dispersal of billions of federal dollars. Omitting undocumented immigrants has been criticized as an effort to reduce aid to states with large immigrant populations and to reduce the political clout of those areas, which are heavily represented by Democrats. Trump’s order is likely to prompt legal challenges from Democratic-controlled states that brought the previous lawsuit challenging the citizenship question as unconstitutional.
Trump Signs Memo that Omits Undocumented Immigrants from Census Count
“
We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.
“
SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY
COMPILED BY WI EDITOR, D. KEVIN MCNEIR AND WILLIAM J. FORD,WI STAFF WRITER
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L.Y. Marlow
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Kappa Alpha Psi Leads March for Black Lives
WI Staff Report
Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. organized a march Sunday, July 19 in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. About 60 members of the fraternity participated in a rally that began in front of the historic Kappa fraternity house in Northwest before dozens marched to Black Lives Matter plaza. Other members of the nine Black fraternities and sororities joined the march who are part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, also called the “Divine Nine.” Even in the blazing heat, attendees heard remarks from the Rev. Howard-John Wesley, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and pastor
of Alfred Street Baptist Church of Alexandria, Virginia. Councilmember Robert White, Jr. (D-At Large) also offered a few words. “We wanted to state that Black lives matter and that we needed to stand up and send that message,” said Presley R. Reed, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi’s D.C. alumni chapter and an attorney who practices energy law. “Protests are obviously important, but policy is also important for voter registration drives, mentoring young people and Black economic power to support Black businesses. This is all important for our community.” For more information on the work of the D.C. chapter, go to www.flagshipkappas.com. WI
5 Presley R. Reed, Jr., Esq., with his Greek brothers at Black Lives Matter Plaza on Sunday, July 19 in Northwest. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
Proposed D.C. Advertising Tax Draws Strong Opposition By James Wright WI Staff Writer @Jamesdcwrighter The D.C. Council voted Tuesday to delay its plan to impose a 3 percent tax on advertising and to come up with alternative cuts to its $16.8 billion budget for a final vote when it reconvenes on Thursday. Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) inserted the ad tax expected to generate $18 million in revenue to the 2020-2021 budget through an amendment sponsored by D.C. Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) aimed at benefiting libraries. The council vote to reconvene was split 8-5 with concerns that the process would violate transparency and that in the end, “everyone’s going to be unhappy” about the final vote, Mendelson said. The proposed ad tax drew tremendous fire from local media organizations concerned about the disproportionate impact on them. “Small, community and Blackowned publications never get their fair share of advertising. And, now, to impose a tax while we are al-
ready suffering due to COVID-19, is unsettling. We are all struggling just to keep our staffs employed and to keep our doors open,” said Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of The Washington Informer. Ad campaigns denouncing the tax and urging businesses to contact their council members to vote against it are running on local television and radio stations. If passed, the District will be the only jurisdiction to impose such a tax. In other jurisdictions, similar proposals were passed and repealed. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser presented her budget to the council in May with no new taxes or tax increases despite the coronavirus-ravaged economy that produced a nearly $800 million deficit for the fiscal year. Bowser’s plan includes suspending hiring of District government employees and mandating no salary increases, curtailing government travel and using the city’s reserves and moving money around to produce a balanced budget. She does not support the council’s proposed advertising tax, urging that
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black facts
JULY 23-29, 2020 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
JULY 23
1891 – Louis Tompkins Wright, famed surgeon and civil rights activist, is born in LaGrange, Georgia. 1962 – Baseball great Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the major leagues, is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 1984 – Vanessa Williams (right below) is forced to give up her Miss America title amid a nude-photograph scandal. She is replaced by Suzette Charles.
JULY 24
1954 – Civil rights activist and founding NAACP member Mary Church Terrell, who was the first African-American to serve on the D.C. board of education, dies in Annapolis.
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1943 – The USS Harmon, the first warship to be named after an African-American, is launched in Quincy, Massachusetts 1972 – After the Associated Press breaks the story, US. government officials admit to the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, where Blacks were used as guinea pigs in syphilis tests under the ruse of receiving free health care. 1990 – Black Enterprise publisher Earl Graves and basketball legend Magic Johnson sign an agreement to purchase Pepsi-Cola of Washington, D.C., becoming the nation’s biggest minority-controlled Pepsi franchise. 1992 – Gen. Colin Powell dedicates the Buffalo Soldiers monument at Fort Leavenworth.
JULY 26
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1847 – Liberia becomes the first African nation on the continent to gain its independence.
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2004 – Then-Sen. Barack Obama delivers an acclaimed keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, putting him on the national politics radar and launching him on the path to the White House four years later.
JULY 28
1868 – The 14th Amendment, guaranteeing to African Americans citizenship, and all its privileges, is ratified.
JULY 29
MAGIC JOHNSON 6 - JULY 23 - 29, 2020
1895 – The first National Convention of Black Women is held in Boston. 1909 – Crime novelist Chester Himes, author of “Cotton Comes to Harlem” and “A Rage in Harlem,” is born in Jefferson City, Missouri. WI
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Two positive Black men activist standing up for their people. Thank you for your service, may you both rest in peace. We must never forget them and tell our children how amazing they were.
GWEN COLEMAN / DALLAS, TEXAS
Drum majors for full equality. I’m speechless. My heart moans because I know the sacrifices these men made for people that look like me. I hope we make you men proud. Rest, my fearless brothers, you did your jobs well.
GWENDOLYN STREETER / WASHINGTON, DC
It’s sad, two strong men of God have passed. Their voices and their work will be missed. Well done gentlemen. God bless you both, now take your rest.
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God has called home two of his best soldiers! Rest in Heaven Rev. C.T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis. You have paved the way and helped open doors for so many. Thank you for your service to America and mankind. We will continue to march on!
WILLIE WELLS / MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
Young people let your voices be heard. We are behind you 100 percent. Our great elders are leaving us to go home. It is time!
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AROUND THE REGION Tribute to Congressman John Lewis
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Imam Dr. Talib Shareef (Retired-U.S. Air Force) of Masjid Muhammad, The Nation’s Mosque located in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., and dating back to the mid-1930s, released the following statement: We join those in our nation and around the world in offering our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Congressman John Lewis, such an iconic civil rights activist and leader, a hero, a man of faith who stood on the front lines of the fight for justice and equality, fighting for a better America. He was a pillar for civil rights, but a bridge connecting us all to the human rights issues still being fought today in America and around the world. He said, “…be courageous, be strong, and don’t give up.” He was called the bravest person in the civil rights movement. As a young man, he exemplified great courage, commitment and determination confronting racism, injustice, and violence during the lunch counter sit-ins, as a Freedom Rider, and on the Edmund Pettus Bridge where he survived a brutal bloody beating. He came face to face with his mortality, his humanity, his faith in a higher authority and country, he followed his good conscience, his heart, and took a stand against cruel and systemic opposition to freedom, justice and equality for all Americans. Our
Creator commands us to “Be a people standing up for justice and fairness…” (Qur’an 4:135). Rep. John Lewis said, “When you see something that’s not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to say something, do something, stand up, say something, speak up, speak out.” A statement that resembles a saying of Prophet Muhammed (saw), “when you see something wrong you are to oppose it with your hands, and if you are not able to do that then speak out, and if are not able to do that then at least hate it in your heart, which is the weakest.” Prior to but certainly from the Age of 18 to 80, he went the distance in the fight for justice and in advancing a vision to enhance the critical circumstances affecting the future of African Americans and America at large. The incredible impact that his life and legacy have on society serve as a testament to the fact that “one person can make a difference.” He helped to uplift his people, not just blacks but all Americans. He reflected the best of human life and became not only a healthy powerful resource to his people and humanity, but also to the nation where he claimed citizenship. We are losing him at a pivotal time in our country when we are losing and seeing an erosion in rights for which he sacrificed. But, for all the trials and sacrifices he made on behalf of this country, he remained optimistic. He believed in this country, he believed in the American people, he believed in our capacity to do good, he believed the good high-reaching spirit has always been in the life of the great majority of American people and he saw himself as a small part of the efforts to make us live up to the ideas in our founding documents. The proponent of “service before self,” we see spiritual strength as his foundation, regardless of whether he is seen as religious or not. Spiritual strength is what drives us to make sacrifices for others, for our Nation, and for the greater good. Such a dynamic human soul, we remember the life, service, sacrifice and spirit of
Rep. John Lewis, the son of sharecroppers, who got into “good trouble” and emerged from protester to politics as one of our nation’s finest leaders. In examining his life, we find that at its core, his life contains aspirations that all of us can accept, identify with and share. When interviewed while still incredibly young, he said, “There was something deep down within me, moving me, that I could no longer be satisfied with, go along with an evil system.” Deep inside of him was his inherent goodness, the dynamic soul of an oppressed people, and the genes of all the ancestors who struggled for freedom, justice and equality, and they are in all of us who respond and pick up the mantle, which now includes him. We inherit his hope, his spiritual needs, his social yearnings, his economic and political ambitions. Those who have inherited the aspirations of their upright and courageous ancestors—in them our ancestors rejoice! We hope that he, through his legacy, his life’s work, continue in us, to inspire young and old to be great, do great things, and look past themselves and add value to the lives of others. May we remember, continue and build upon the principles he stood for, what motivated him to have the courage or to make the sacrifices he made, what kind of principles were operating in his life, and the work he did for the society, for his people, and the country. This is more important than just remembering his name. His soul can rest in peace after witnessing the next generation pick up the torch and continuing the fight for equality and justice on a global scale. As his body rest, his record and reputation for keeping America’s best interest at heart STAND, and it echoes our pledge, “One Nation, under G-d, indivisible with liberty and justice for ALL. We salute him and pray that Almighty G-d, the Creator of all, forgive his sins and grant him eternal peace as he rests upon his labor of great works. WI
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Diversity Defines Independent At-Large D.C. Council Race By James Wright WI Staff Writer @Jamesdcwrighter Twenty residents have picked up petitions to qualify for the D.C. Council’s citywide independent position in the General Election as of July 17 and with the exception of three male candidates, Ed Lazere, Rick Murphree and Will Merrifield, the field consists of people of color. The petitions are due to the D.C. Board of Elections Aug. 5 and after a challenge period, a lottery for the candidate’s ballot positions will take place on Sept. 11. The General Election takes place Nov. 3. The seat became vacant after D.C. Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) decided not to run for re-election. Grosso has endorsed a former Black staffer, Christina Henderson. Other African Americans seeking the position include: former D.C. Councilmember and two-time candidate for District mayor Vincent Orange; D.C. State Board of Education Rep. Markus Batchelor (Ward 8); former D.C. Young Democrats President Marcus Goodwin; former Ward 5 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Kathy Henderson; former Ward 6 Commissioner Keith Silver; political activists Eric M. Rogers and Calvin H. Gurley; and newcomers Jeanne Lewis and Michangelo “Doctor Mic” Scruggs. Batchelor notes that while he’s aware that should an African American win, the council would become majority Black, that’s not the motivation for his entering the race. “I want to fight for those who have been left behind,” he said. “Representation on the council does matter and an example of that is how COVID-19 has hurt Black communities, especially those east of the river, as far as health disparities and the economic downturn.” “White incomes in the District have skyrocketed in the last decade while Blacks are doing worse than they were in 2008. We need leadership that is committed to closing the racial divide and a government that is representative of the city and I am committed to that.” Goodwin, a millennial like Batchelor, said the council needs an African-American at-large councilmember
who represent the age demographic of his contemporaries. “We need more young leaders who will bring new ideas to the city because we’re facing challenges that are unique to our generation,” Goodwin said citing issues which include police harassment, employment discrimination, housing bias and burdensome student loan debt. “I’m running so that every D.C. resident can have access to economic mobility.” Silver says he likes the energy of young candidates like Batchelor and Goodwin but notes that as a 66-yearold activist and former elected official he looks to represent the District’s overlooked and ignored residents. “When I was a commissioner in Ward 6, I had to tell some of my residents that dog parks aren’t my priority – jobs are,” Silver said. “We need a councilmember who will help Black people find and keep jobs and improve the quality of life for all people in D.C.,” he said. If a Black woman wins in the fall, she’ll join African-American D.C. Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-AtLarge) and Ward 4 Democrat prohibitive favorite Janeese Lewis George for the 2021-2022 cycle, raising female representation from five to six – one member shy of the majority. Lewis says Black women are needed on the District’s legislative body. “We currently have one Black woman on the council and that is Mrs. Bonds but Black women have been active in the city for a very long time and we deserve representation,” she said. When Mario Cristaldo looks at the D.C. Council, he sees just two races represented – something he says, as a Latino, he hopes to change. “The council should reflect what is out there in the community,” Cristaldo said. “Our city is a collaborative vision of a world-class city made up of different people. Whether we are Latino, African American or white, we can unite to fight for living wages, affordable and senior housing. I can lead those fights with my 25 years as an activist and I just happen to be a Latino.” Other Latinos and a South Asian have entered the race including: former director of the D.C. Office of Human Rights Monica Palacio; D.C. Shadow Representative Franklin Gar-
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5 Independent at-large candidate Claudia Barragan. (Photo courtesy Claudia Barragan)
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cia; Ward 6 Commissioner Alexander Padro; former D.C. Council staffer Claudia Barragan; and Ward 6 Commissioner Chander Jayaraman. Padro says that if he’s elected, D.C. would welcome both its first Latino on the council as well as the first openly-gay member since David Catania left in 2015. Both Barragan and Palacio highlight that if elected, the victory would mark the first Latina chosen to represent a major office in the District. Barragan says a new political dynamic would emerge. “D.C.’s population according to the 2018 census is 10 percent Latino and we would still be underrepresented with a 13-member council with just one of us,” Barragan said. “As a Latina female, I can represent immigrants and their families. I will not only represent Latinos but African and Asian immigrants as well. The immigrant community needs a voice on the council.” WI
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AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT KEEP KIDS SAFE CARAVAN
Members of the Washington Teachers Union want to start the school year on-line. They organized a car caravan starting at Ballou Sr. High School in Southeast on Monday, July 20 passing the homes of DC councilmembers and stopped at Mayor Muriel Bowser’s home to let city officials know they are concerned about the safety of teachers and their students. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
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“As the sun set on the life of Congressman John Lewis last Friday, it rose on a new movement in America.” – Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC)
commenting last weekend on the death of his friend and colleague, John Lewis who lost a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer, Friday, July 17. THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
ADVERTISING from Page 5 it won’t be needed. “We don’t need to raise taxes for D.C. values and priorities,” Bowser said at a July 15 news conference. The Maryland/Delaware/DC Press Association (MDDC) opposes the tax, saying it will harm local media organizations. “This new tax would be levied on the planning, creation, placement and display of advertising in print, broadcast and digital media,” the association included in a July 7 position paper “Support News Media & Reject DC Tax on Advertising & Personal Information.” Fearing a public outcry, the council released the new $26 million annual tax less than 18 hours before unanimously voting in favor of it.” MDDC asserts the tax would have a crippling effect on the District’s news media noting newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations depend primarily on the sale of advertising and “profit margins are razor thin.” Businesses have to make tough decisions to reduce their advertising dollars to survive, the paper said, and those choices influence the ability of media companies to be “first informers.” The MDDC report also said the regulatory and enforcement
components of the tax would be a nightmare, saying “this tax will threaten the survival of small agencies and media companies as they struggle to operate with limited resources.” Small businesses and consumers, not publishers and news outlets will pay for the tax, the report said, as media organizations will pass the costs on and that may affect future business relationships. Plus, the report stated sales and use taxes are supposed to be consumption-oriented, imposed on an end product “not a tariff on an intermediate service such as advertising.” Dr. Ben Chavis, the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association agrees with MDDC, telling the Informer he doesn’t favor an advertising tax, saying it would hurt Black newspapers and businesses. “I think the District of Columbia Council should find other ways to raise revenue for the city during this COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “The advertising tax would have an overall negative effect on minority owned businesses that depend on advertising dollars. The city council should find other ways of raising revenue without injuring African American media companies and find ways to sustain minority businesses during these tough times.” WI
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Stay Informed! 5 DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)
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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Food Drives Become Essential Part of Prince George’s Fabric By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
Betty Daniels calmly sits in her car waiting her turn to drive up and receive boxes of food that contain broccoli, packaged salad and non-perishable items. Although the retired Capitol Heights resident lives with her husband and a son, receiving free food during the coronavirus pandemic can help her family for several days at a time. It’s even more beneficial when Daniels only has to open her trunk for volunteers to place the food in it. Daniels joined hundreds of other residents who drove to Creative Suitland on Friday, July 17 to receive hot meals, vegetables and other food – part of Prince George’s Coun-
ty’s “Stand Up and Deliver” program. “For some reason, the stores are not stocking stuff, or it’s not there,” she said. “You can come out and you get fresh vegetables. This is wonderful.” Stand Up and Deliver which began in late May has distributed more than 7,000 meals in the majority Black jurisdiction where about 125,000 residents have filed for unemployment. Friday highlighted the growing need for food with 1,600 boxes distributed. The program, which takes place three days a week at various sites in the county, also helps boost businesses such as Henry’s Soul Café in Oxon Hill which provide hot meals. Residents received similar amounts of food at four other locations Friday. “That gives you an idea of the
need and the volume we are distributing,” said County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who helped load boxes of food into vehicles Friday in Suitland. “[Food is] the most basic need from housing that any family has. It is really our hope to support families as they are recovering from COVID.” The program emerged due to COVID-19 which has stymied Prince George’s with the most confirmed cases in Maryland, exceeding 21,000. And there’s more troubling news. After providing tens of thousands of meals in the county over the last four months, World Central Kitchen will be leaving by month’s end. The nonprofit organization co-founded by world-renowned chef José Andrés and his wife helped provide hundreds of thousands of meals throughout the D.C. area. County and nonprofit officials hope the Stand Up and Deliver program will help supplant what World Central Kitchen offered. The United Way of the National Capital Area will help administer the program. Meanwhile, nonprofit organizations, local businesses and residents can volunteer and also donate at https://bit.ly/3hagBwV. “The issues that have been there during this time have been exacerbated,” said Rosie Allen-Herring, United Way president and CEO. “This is an opportunity for us to come together and bring all of the partners to the table. We want to ensure that as we engage with the
5 Willitta Hawkins, left, loads a box of vegetables inside a vehicle July 17 at a food distribution drive outside Creative Suitland as part of Prince George’s County’s “Stand Up and Deliver” program. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
public, we’re able to show them how they can support this effort.” Another partner will be the Capital Area Food Bank that will help coordinate volunteers, stock non-perishable items and other needs. In April, Bank of America announced it will donate $500,000 and another $500,000 from the county to the food bank. Residents can view other COVID-19 food distribution locations on the county’s interactive map at https://bit.ly/2CtNypo.
FOOD INSECURITY CONCERNS ABOUND
Although residents continue to receive free food options, demand and longer lines could increase starting as early as next week. According to a letter from the Maryland Department of Labor, the
additional $600 unemployment benefits from the federal government’s Pandemic Unemployment Compensation expires Saturday, July 25. “Please note that the Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland’s General Assembly and Maryland’s governor do not have the authority to extend the program beyond July 25,” according to the letter emailed to claimants Friday. “Only the federal government has the ability to extend the payment of additional benefits.” Feeding America, the nation’s largest non-profit organization based in Chicago focused on hunger relief with 200 food banks, created an interactive map https://bit.ly/3fEUpLj last month to highlight how COVID-19 affected the country in
FOOD Page 13
Many Support Prince George’s Schools to Educate Youth Virtually By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
Ninah Jackson summarized her peers’ feelings on returning to school in the fall, especially for seniors such as herself to be with friends and celebrate
the final year of high school. “You have a lot of mixed reactions. You have students wanting to get back in the hallways…but safety comes first. Safety is a number one priority,” said the rising senior who attends Oxon Hill High School and newest student member on the Prince George’s Coun-
5 Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson announced no in-person education will be offered for the 2020-21 school year between Aug. 31 and Jan. 29. (Screen grab: PGCPS)
12 - JULY 23 - 29, 2020
ty school board. Ninah joined dozens of other parents, school employees, staff and residents on a virtual community session hosted by board member Belinda Queen. The discussion held Thursday, July 16 happened one day prior to public schools CEO Monica Goldson announcing the school system will conduct virtual and online instruction for the entire first semester from Aug. 31 to Jan. 29. Although school buildings will be closed for students due to the coronavirus pandemic, teachers will be provided the option to teach from their classrooms at least two days per week. Goldson’s decision also comes when about 46 percent of 18,000 people who participated in a PGCPS survey preferred to continue learning at home full-time. Another 42 percent wanted a hybrid
form of distance learning and in-school instruction, according to the district survey. About 12 percent want students back in the buildings five days a week. In the meantime, students will receive distance learning five days a week. Small group instruction will be offered for English language learners and special needs students. The school system with 136,500 students and 206 schools plan to offer meals at least twice a week, based a similar plan offered in the final months of the previous school year. The goal would be come up with a strategy to offer meals five days a week. Goldson said teachers will receive professional development to utilize various technology and digital platforms. One example of distance learning may look like this: a teacher presents a 10-minute, pre-recorded warmup. Then returns for a live, 30-minute lesson. The students can watch a 20-min-
ute video. Students would receive breaks and time for lunch, but how long and number of breaks remains undetermined. In terms of parents currently unemployed and may return to the work when school starts, Goldson said officials are communicating with nonprofit organizations and other groups to offer slots for younger children to learn during the day while parents are at work. Prince George’s plans to operate parent support centers to assist families for technology support and other aspects of distance learning. Wi-Fi hotspots would be provided to certain residents. Activities that won’t take place in the fall are interscholastic sports. The list of fall sports include football, soccer and volleyball. Goldson said a hybrid model will be
PG SCHOOL Page 44
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Report: Prince George’s Paid $6.3M to Fight Police Department Suit By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Police training in Prince George’s County has been “deficient” when it comes to a hostile work environment, lacks an outline for supervisors to address racial discrimination and ignores state law protections such as accommodations for employees including those pregnant, according to a new report. The lack of training comes from unredacted information made public Thursday, July 16 based on a report compiled by Michael E. Graham, a former 33-year veteran with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The new unredacted information allegedly highlights Prince George’s officers received no discipline in racial profiling, Black and Latino officers twice as likely to receive disciplinary
charges compared to their white counterparts and senior officers failing to track whether a disciplinary system “was discriminatory.” Graham’s report, filed at U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, comes in connection from an ongoing lawsuit filed in 2018 led by former county police officer and retired Capt. Joe Perez, president of the Hispanic National Law Enforcement Officers. Dennis Corkery, counsel with Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs working on behalf of the former and current county officers, said Prince George’s officials are permitted to decide what information remains confidential. Some of the report remains redacted. “We can still let the judge ultimately decide what is not confidential,” said Corkery who added another hearing
on the case hasn’t been scheduled. Graham’s services have been retained by the Lawyers’ Committee, Arnold & Porter Kay Scholer, a legal firm in Northwest and the ACLU of Maryland. According to a bill summary, the county has spent $6.3 million to challenge the suit as of April 30. “This is a lawsuit that was filed days after I took office in December 2018 regarding allegations that occurred in the years prior. As the executive of Prince George’s County, I have the responsibility to defend lawsuits against the county,” County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said in a statement. “This is a responsibility shared by all executives, and in this case, answering our liabilities is no different. We look forward to resolving this, in a court of law, in a way that is fair to the county and fair to the parties involved.” In terms of the unredacted informa-
Maryland Lawmakers Assess Nationwide Police Reform Policies By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill State lawmakers in Colorado approved legislation for its police officer standards and training board to revoke officer certification for inappropriate use of force or failure to intervene within an incident. Law enforcement in Oregon cannot use force that limits the person to breathe. These and other pieces of legislation enacted this year represent those which Maryland lawmakers seek to adopt when they convene in January. The state’s work group on police reform and accountability held its second virtual meeting Thursday, July 16 to review policies, regulations and data on rubrics utilized across the nation. Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Montgomery County), who chairs the group, said concerns in Maryland include law enforcement agencies currently allowed to refrain from generally adopted training policies. “What we know is we don’t have a statewide collective system for training. Everyone is not on the same page,” she said. “It’s up to this body to determine whether or not we want ev-
eryone to be on the same page.” The death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, who kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes, sparked nationwide protests of other Blacks killed by police such as Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky; Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, Georgia; and Eric Garner in New York City. Before the Maryland task force held its first session, all 98 Democrats in the House of Delegates signed a letter last month to request Republican Gov. Larry Hogan sign an executive order to require officers to ban the use of chokeholds and for officers to intervene when another one uses excessive force among other measures. State Sen. William Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery County) has proposed similar police reform proposals for the Senate to review. On Thursday, the work group heard four presentations on police reform legislation, recommendations from former President Barack Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, a prosecutor’s role in improving the justice system and data collection. Del. Darryl Barnes (D-District 25) of Upper Marlboro asked one of the
5 More information has been released July 16 on alleged racist and retaliatory practices inside the Prince George’s County Police Department. (FILE: William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
tion in the report, it highlights figures released publicly. For instance, the omission of records from internal affairs investigations from 47 of the 59 charges filed by officers and employees to the Equal Employment
FOOD from Page 12
presenters about a suggestion on one of the most talked about topics in defunding the police. Laurie O. Robinson, a professor of criminology, law and society at George Mason University in Fairfax, based her response on several questions: What kinds of behavior do you want to use the power to arrest for? What kinds of behavior do you want to use criminal law for? What kinds of things do we want the police to be used for? “I would certainly not recommend abolishing police departments because serious and violent crime cannot be dealt with by social workers and people who have no training,” said Robinson, who became appointed as cochair of Obama’s task force in 2014. “I think these are very important conversations to be having.” In terms of transparency and making information public, Maryland remains one of 15 states with a Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights. Within the law, officers are granted up to five days from being interrogated after an incident. Samuel Sinyangwe, policy analyst and data scientist with the Human
POLICE Page 28
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terms of food insecurity. It estimates an additional 17 million people, which would increase the total to more than 54 million people that includes 18 million children, may experience food insecurity this year because of the virus. The group projects six counties in Mississippi are among the top 10 jurisdictions that would encompass the highest food insecurity rates in the nation. Jefferson County, with the highest figure at 34 percent, houses Alcorn State University where the late NFL quarterback Steve McNair matriculated in the 1990s. In Maryland, Baltimore City projects to have the highest need for food at 23 percent. Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties tied for 14th with a nearly 16 percent rate this year, compared to about 10 percent in 2018. Feeding America recommends Congress pass pieces of legislation such as a 15 percent increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps and also invest $543 million in food banks to purchase coolers, freezers and trucks. In the meantime, Prince George’s residents such as Mark Stewart of Suitland appreciate the free groceries for their families. “It’s a wonderful thing,” he said. WI
Opportunity Commission. “In other words, over 85 percent of complaints of discrimination or harassment did not result in a formal investigation,” according to the report. Portions of a disciplinary chart show the following: • Terminations or resignations: 71.4 percent of Black officers, compared to 21.4 percent of white officers. • Suspensions and leave without pay: 65.5 percent of Black officers, 3.5 percent of Latinos and 29.3 percent whites. • All punishments: 54 percent of Black officers, 10.5 percent Latinos and 33.2 percent whites. The overall makeup of the police department highlights Blacks at 42.8 percent, Latinos at 9.1 percent and whites at 44.5 percent. Another part of the report notes a department draft quiz provides questions limited to sexual harassment and contains questions about North Carolina rather than Maryland law. The report by Graham released last month shows more than two dozen incidents of white officers who used racial and retaliation practices against Black and Latino officers. Because some of the information remains edited, certain dates when and what incidents took place remain unknown. Several hours later after the release of the report, former Police Chief Hank Stawinski resigned. Alsobrooks appointed Assistant Chief Hector Velez as interim chief during a nationwide search for a permanent leader. Meanwhile, Alsobrooks established a police reform task force to review police department policies and procedures. The group must submit a comprehensive report to the county executive by Oct. 30. WI
JULY 23 - 29, 2020 13
BUSINESS Beauty Brand Bridges African Diaspora, Pushes Gender Equality By Brigette Squire WI Writer @SquireBrigette A beauty company that seeks not only to bridge West African heritage, but also help those in the African Disapora. Alaffia, co-founded by Olowon’djo Tchala and based in Olympia, Washington, uses products that are handcrafted, fair trade, organize and merges indigenous recipes with modern science. Olowo-n’djo Tchala (pronounced “Oh-loe-in-joe Cha-la”) grew up in Togo, a country that borders Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso, also seeks to expand help to those in his native West Africa. “I am profoundly excited about the future to see us starting to
build a bridge together,” said Tchala, whose company has received awards for social enterprise including one from the U.S. State Department. “From what we are experiencing today, that bridge will only continue to be built because we need that.” Beside its beauty products, the company inspires to become a productive global citizen through community service efforts. It has built 15 schools, planted 90,000 trees, funds maternal health, donates thousands of bikes, eyeglasses and school supplies while keeping their ingredients whole and unrefined. In addition, Alaffia employs more than 14,000 women worldwide. It’s goal: build communities to
reduce poverty and increase attendance of young Togolese girls in grade school. “Knowing that a company gives back to our community and supports women definitely makes me want to buy the product more,” said Alaffia consumer Janan Saalakhan. “Anyone that takes an active role in bettering the community deserves to be supported wholeheartedly.” With some store shelves absent of certain items, consumers such as Halima Dark of Prince George’s County shop online for natural products. Dark has ordered online goods such as shea butter and coconut oil-based products for more than 10 years out of convenience and because she believes organic is better for the body. “I order essential oils like Egyptian Musk online and use it as a deodorant. Every once and a while, if I feel like I’ll be sweating a lot, I may dab some Secret under my arm but for the most part, I stick with all-natural,” Dark said. “I’m particular to what I put inside and outside my body. I like to recognize the ingredients and know that I can restore moisture to my skin without the use of harsh chemicals.” Even though the pandemic has closed some borders, Alaffia continues to produce high-quality products and support the African community. “We use traditional ways to handcraft our ingredients working in a group/family setting,” Tchala
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0013-2020 ABATEMENT/LEAD RENOVATION, REPAIR AND PAINTING (RRP) SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires certified and professional firms to provide Abatement and Lead RRP services throughout various DCHA properties. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations” beginning Monday, July 13, 2020. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Monday, August 3, 2020 at 12:00 PM noon. Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for inquiries or additional information.
14 - JULY 23 - 29, 2020
5 Olowo-n’djo Tchala has distributed nearly 10,000 bicycles to young women in Togo to help decrease dropout rate in grade school. (Courtesy photo)
said. “Corona made us have to reorganize how we traditionally do business because of social distancing which is the opposite of our entire setup. “My mother [Agbanga Ina] inspired me to start the product line. She is the anchor of this enterprise,” he said. “It was of utmost
importance that her sons grew up to respect women, community and learn hard work by pulling your own weight.” To find out more about Alaffia’s social enterprise model, projects, or shop for beauty products, go to www.alaffia.com. WI
Despite Funding Bill, Postal Service Mail Delivery Slowing to ‘Halt’ So, What or Who Are the Causes and Moreover, Why? By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Already frustrated with late, delayed, or lost mail? Well, brace yourself. Residents who depend on the U.S. Postal Service can expect even more frustration. As first reported by the Associated Press [AP], mail deliveries could be delayed by a day or more under cost-cutting efforts being imposed by the new postmaster general. “The plan eliminates overtime for hundreds of thousands of post-
al workers and says employees must adopt a different mindset to ensure the Postal Service’s survival during the coronavirus pandemic,” The AP reported, citing a confidential memo circulated throughout the postal service. Late trips will no longer be authorized. If postal distribution centers run late, “they will keep the mail for the next day,” Postal Service leaders wrote in a document. “One aspect of these changes that may be difficult for employ-
POSTAL SERVICE Page 15
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POSTAL SERVICE from Page 14
Trump has voiced strong opposition to mail-in voting. Additionally, many say the slowdown impacts minorities more than anyone else. “As a small business owner who utilizes USPS to ship many of our products to customers, this will significantly affect us,” said Calvin Harris, the founder and managing director of Reveille Trading Company, a coffee importing operation that offers specialty coffee and single-origin by partnering directly with farms around the world. “It is my opinion that it will disproportionately harm minority businesses. Black-owned businesses often have harder times securing financing and we generally secure financing at higher rates than white-owned companies,” Harris opined. “This means that we run on tighter margins, so many businesses will be forced to either have slower shipping or decrease our already small margins if possible, to offer faster shipping.” Harris added that USPS priority mail had enabled his company to
ees is that – temporarily – we may see mail left behind or mail on the workroom floor or docks,” another document says, the AP reported. In a livestream interview, Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) told BlackPressUSA that Congress had approved new funding for the U.S. Postal Service and hoped to do more, authorizing a $10 billion loan to the postal service as part of a coronavirus relief package. Still, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has steadfastly refused to hand over the money until the USPS turns over control for much of its operations to him. Reports of significant problems at the postal service under newly-appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major Trump donor, has exacerbated claims that the slowdown’s intentional. “The Week,” an online publication, called it “yet another example of how Trump’s authoritarian rot is dissolving the American state – and raising the possibility of interference with the 2020 election.”
offer free shipping on all orders. He noted that UPS and FedEx are more expensive options and are much slower. “For many minority businesses, we have to compete with much larger companies and we need every advantage that we can get. If I can at least offer free shipping, then it’s one less customer objection that we have to overcome,” Harris said. Elizabeth Weatherby, who works for the integrated marketing development company, Youtech, recanted a recent move across the country from Massachusetts to Arizona. She said she sent her security deposit overnight via the post office and expected it to arrive long before her week-long journey. “By the time I had arrived in Arizona, the check was still not delivered to my housing management company. What’s even more strange is that when I called USPS, no matter what number, what office or what location, I could not get through to anyone,” Weatherby stated.
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NATIONAL JOHN LEWIS from Page 1 rights icon John Lewis reverberates. The congressional genius and justice warrior, famously beaten and bloodied at Selma and across the Jim Crow South in the mighty battle for racial equality, was 80. His death came just hours after another civil rights warrior, the Rev. C.T. Vivian, died at the age of 95. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, National Newspaper Publishers Association President/CEO and comrade in arms with both Vivian and Lewis, expressed the devastation of losing two revered giants. Chavis, who like Vivian and Lewis, worked with and was a disciple of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said the world would miss the “good trouble,” for which Lewis will forever be known. “The Honorable John Lewis was a longtime master freedom fighter who set the eternal example of how and why we all should fight for the freedom and equality of all humanity,” Chavis said. “May Lewis now have his rest in peace while we who worked and marched with him must now keep on fighting for freedom and equality with renewed vigor, courage and energy. Black Lives Matter.” As he’d done earlier to honor Vivian, former president Barack Obama expressed his sorrow. “John Lewis – one of the original Freedom Riders, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the youngest speaker at the March on Washington, leader of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Member of Congress representing the people of Georgia for 33 years – not only assumed that responsibility, he made it his life’s work,” Obama observed. “He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise. And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice but
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inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example.” The former president recalled his last meeting with Lewis. “It’s fitting that the last time John and I shared a public forum was at a virtual town hall with a gathering of young activists who were helping to lead this summer’s demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death,” he said. “Afterward, I spoke to him privately.” “He could not have been prouder of their efforts – of a new generation standing up for freedom and equality, a new generation intent on voting and protecting the right to vote, a new generation running for political office.” “I told him that all those young people – of every race, from every background and gender and sexual orientation – they were his children. They had learned from his example, even if they didn’t know it. They had understood through him what American citizenship requires, even if they had heard of his courage only through history books,” he said. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who served more than three decades on Congress with Lewis, declared Lewis’ death as one of the saddest days in American history. “He dedicated his entire life to what became his signature mantra, making ‘good trouble.’ Despite being one of the youngest leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, John Lewis galvanized and inspired hundreds of his peers to join in the fight for equal rights,” Waters said. “Very few people could have been harassed, arrested more than 40 times, beaten within inches of their lives, and still espouse Dr. King’s and Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings of nonviolence, peace and love. However, these principles were core philosophies to John Lewis and our nation is forever indebted to him for his humble sacrifices,” she said. Lewis routinely credited King and Rosa Parks for inspiring his activism, which he famously called
“good trouble, necessary trouble.” He also referred to his participation in the Civil Rights Movement as a “holy crusade.” At the 2020 NNPA Virtual Convention earlier this month, visitors enjoyed a screening of the newly-released documentary, “John Lewis: Good Trouble.” Lewis joined a Freedom Ride in 1961, organized by the Congress of Racial Equality [CORE]. He suffered one of many beatings at the hands of authorities when he and other CORE members attempted to enter a whites-only waiting room at a bus station in Rock Hill, South Carolina. “If there was anything I learned on that long, bloody bus trip of 1961,” he wrote in his memoir, “it was this — that we were in for a long, bloody fight here in the American South. And I intended to stay in the middle of it.” Lewis counted as the last surviving speaker of the famed 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The world will also remember Lewis for leading hundreds of people in one of the most famous demonstrations for civil rights ever – Bloody Sunday. On March 7, 1965, as Lewis and others journey across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, a mob of state troopers dressed in riot gear attacked. The authorities began their assault on Lewis and the marchers using tear gas before brutally assaulting them with bullwhips and rubber tubing that had been wrapped in barbed wire. One of the officers attacked
5 John Lewis and President Barack Obama in an embrace of mutual respect. (Athony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
Lewis with a nightstick, fracturing his skull and knocking him to the ground. In the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, Lewis praised today’s generation of freedom fighters. “This feels and looks so different,” he said of the Black Lives Matter movement and the demonstrations that continue. “It is so much more massive and all-in-
clusive. There will be no turning back.” Lewis announced late last year that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. However, the stalwart warrior refused to quit the struggle. “I have been in some kind of fight — for freedom, equality, basic human rights — for nearly my entire life,” he said upon disclosing his health challenge. WI
Millennials Reflect on John Lewis’ Legacy By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins The death of Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) has evoked a flurry of emotions among Black people of various ages and professional backgrounds, but perhaps none more so than millennial organizers and politicos who saw the late congressman’s trajectory as the promise of their potential. Charis Goff, an Urban League member for the last 10 years, reiterated this point as she recalled a conversation with the civil rights legend during a conference several years ago. She said Lewis encouraged her and her colleagues
to continue their work in political advocacy while remaining close to the masses. “John Lewis didn’t ascend to elected office because he was looking for celebrity status. It was the next step in his process,” said Goff, a board chair for Black Millennials for Flint, MI. “With him being [so] young, he was able to develop that consciousness that led to his work and made him available to folks. He started off at a young age the same way those of us did. Having direct confirmation that we were doing the same work was so meaningful,” she said. Lewis, who died July 17 at the age of 80 leaves behind a legacy
focused on justice and equality that continues to inspire legions of youth. In the early 1960s, he served as one of the 13 original Freedom Riders, taking an integrated bus from New Orleans to the District, arrested and assaulted by mobs of white people along the way. Because of his rapport as a proponent of nonviolent resistance, Lewis later became chairperson of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. This opportunity allowed him to participate in the planning of the 1963 March on Washington and, at the age of 23, serve as its youngest speaker. Two years later, Lewis led more
LEGACY Page 43
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‘Good Trouble:’ A Reminder That John Lewis Still Matters A Documentary That America Needs Now More Than Ever By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer ‘Good Trouble’ remains the phrase most associated with Congressman John Lewis. He flipped what his parents told him not to do into something that became his life calling, working toward justice for all by getting into good trouble. “John Lewis: Good Trouble” serves as the documentary that lays out Lewis’ life – from preaching to chickens on the family farm to being a student activist in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s peaceful band of justice crusaders to running for elected office against his friend Julian Bond to leading a non-violent sit-in on the House floor of Congress in 2016. This film covers it all while leaving its viewers wanting to spend more time at Lewis’ feet. Dawn Porter, the producer/director of “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” met the congressman while preparing for her Netflix series “Bobby Kennedy for President.” “He was the star of the show,” Porter said about Lewis. “He then came
to me and asked if I would like to do something on him. Of course, I leaped at the chance because who wouldn’t want to do something about John Lewis?” The film follows Lewis on a rigorous schedule going from speaking engagements to meeting with constituents at his Capitol Hill office. Everywhere he went, he was joined at the hip to his dedicated Chief of Staff Michael Collins reflective of a connection undergirded by mutual respect – a father-son relationship. The film includes interviews with his colleagues in Congress: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Minority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Another highlight features comments from the late Rep. Elijah Cummings whose words cemented the view that Lewis had earned the high esteem of all with whom he worked. “It was important to have his contemporaries as well as these elders who not only were working in Congress with him but who also were
activists,” Porter said. “They understood.” Cummings says while being interviewed in the film, “I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been mistaken for John Lewis in the airport.” Lewis’ siblings say their brother always stood out as their feelings of love and admiration seem to leap from the screen. “They did worry a lot about him,” said Porter recalling the perspectives gleaned from Lewis’ siblings as they recounted his contributions. The production shows Lewis on a
sound stage offering his perspective on his life as seen through archival news footage from the Civil Rights Movement. Porter said she reminded him to reflect on the young John Lewis so he could tell his own story. At one point as he’s being prepared for his commentary on a scene he had just viewed, Lewis says about the footage, “I’ve never seen that before.” “John Lewis: Good Trouble” is a Magnolia Pictures and Participant Media release in collaboration with CNN Films, Trilogy Films and Color Farm Media founded by actress/producer Erika Alexander, best known for her role as Maxine Shaw on the
series “Living Single.” Lewis appeared in the film even after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and while clearly losing weight, he reportedly moved through his schedule at a high-energy pace. The timing of the documentary remains critical as weeks of peaceful protests continue. When Lewis and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser appeared together at Black Lives Matter Plaza on Sunday, June 7, the dots would be connected. It seemed Lewis sought to encourage today’s generation’s nonviolent protests as he similarly did in his early 20s, getting into ‘good trouble.’ WI
5 The late Rep. John Lewis (left) chats with Del. Gabriel Acevero at a nearby Starbucks on Capitol Hill in 2017. (Photo courtesy of Del. Gabriel Acevero)
5 John Lewis confronts COVID-19 with his mask. (Athony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
Lewis also showed love and admiration for young adults such as Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery County). Although Acevero’s much younger at age 29, both shared three common bonds: members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., began their careers as activists and later became elected officials. Acevero recalled a 2017 conversation with Lewis while at a Starbucks down the street from Capitol Hill which helped spark and influence Acevero’s decision to run the following year for the Maryland House of Delegates. During that time, Acevero served as a Black Lives Matter activist and organizer on several statewide topics that included the Marriage Equality Act and Maryland Dream Act which allowed undocumented immigrant high school students to attend college at in-state public tuition rates. Both laws marked Maryland as the first state in the nation to approve the measures through voting.
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“Our conversation spanned on the Civil Rights Movement. It spanned on activism. It spanned on Black liberation, running for elected office and being true to oneself and one’s values,” Acevero said Sunday, July 19. “It was an enlightening conversation but also an enjoyable one. To be able to listen and learn from someone who experienced and seen so much, it really centered on the work I was doing at the time. It was so invaluable.” Acevero said one major aspect must happen to keep Lewis’s legacy alive: intergenerational conversations. “We must listen to our elders when talking about their strategy [and] talking about improving our community but making sure the younger generation is being heard in this conversation,” he said. “We are going to be taking over the fight for our elders. We need to listen and make sure we continue that good fight.” Staff Writer William J. Ford contributed to this report. WI
JULY 23 - 29, 2020 17
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Mandela Biggest Influence for Young Africans with Obama a Distant Second, Survey Concludes
Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s fight for freedom and human rights makes him the most influential person among Africa’s youth, according to a survey conducted across the continent, AfricaNews reported July 19. Mandela’s legacy is alive seven years after his death, according to the poll of young people in 14 African countries in which 86% of respondents said his values are still relevant today. Former US President Barack Obama came in a distant second with 12%, according to the survey. The results of the survey were released Friday, July 17, on the eve of Mandela’s birthday, by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation. Mandela’s stand against inequality is pertinent in helping Africans combat COVID-19, which is surging across South Africa and the continent, said the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which welcomed the findings.\ “The pandemic has exposed the gross inequalities around the world, the glaring gaps between the haves and the have nots, and many in Africa are finding their survival under threat because of lack of access to health care,” said Luzuko Koti, the foundation’s spokesman. According to the survey’s findings, 55% of respondents said Mandela more than anyone had the greatest impact on Africa. The poll asked 4,200 young men and women aged 18 to 24 in Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Separately on Friday there were commemorations for Mandela’s daughter Zindzi, who died in a Johannesburg hospital earlier in the week. Although her cause of death was not announced, her son told South Africa’s state broadcaster that she tested positive for COVID-19 on the day of her death. President Cyril Ramaphosa praised her family for disclosing it. “This is a virus that affects us all, and there should never be any stigma around people who become infected,” he said in a statement. In disclosing her status, “you are helping encourage social acceptance for sufferers.” As of July 19, South Africa had the world’s sixth largest confirmed virus caseload with nearly 325,000 infections. WI
caribbean now Grenada to Reduce Taxes on Airline Tickets
Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell has disclosed that Grenada will soon be reducing taxes on airline tickets as part of measures aimed at encouraging intra-regional travel within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He said that this is being done as the Government implements various strategies to encourage travel within the region. Speaking on the pending liquidation of regional carrier LIAT July 17, Mitchell said that there are other airlines which will be filling the void left by LIAT, which suspended its service in April after most regional states shut down airports as part of measures aimed at containing COVID-19. LIAT which has served the region for more than 40 years has been experiencing financial challenges before the onset of COVID-19 and the closure of the airports around the regions placed in the airline states in a more difficult position. Most airports in the region re-opened as of July 1 for commercial passengers since closure in late March, but since then there has been little or no regional commercial air traffic as only a few airlines are offering services. The Eastern Caribbean is significantly affected by the non-availability of LIAT. “There are a combination of opportunities that will be available to ensure that we have, not just to replace what LIAT was bringing if it has not returned, but to have expanded opportunities,” the Prime Minister said. “We expect with the additional transport to the individual countries in the region and the reduction of taxes in general and airport fees, in general, we will see further development of inter-island travel.” Naming One Caribbean, SVG Airways and InterCaribbean as airlines which are about the include Grenada and other Eastern Caribbean territories to their routes, he said the reducing airline taxes has become a necessity. Tourism Minister Clarice Modeste has already confirmed that InterCaribbean airline, which is known for its services in the northern Caribbean, is one of the airlines with which the Government has finalised an agreement. WI
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HEALTH A CONTINUING SERIES
COVID 19 UPDATE Strategies to Survive, Sustain and Succeed
Masks: To Wear or Not to Wear ‘That is Not the Question’ By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. announced an
order this week that residents must begin to wear masks or face coverings beginning Thursday, July 23 at all indoor spaces. Hours after Olszewki issued the mask order Tuesday, July 21, Presi-
dent Donald Trump urged Americans to wear masks. “We are asking everybody when you’re not able to socially distance, wear a mask,” he said during a White House press briefing after months of not saying whether they benefit in curbing the coronavirus. “Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact, they’ll have an effect, and we need everything we can get.” The debate on wearing a mask continues nationwide as parts of the country’s confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to rise. As of Tuesday, data compiled by John Hopkins University shows America with nearly 3.9 million and about 142,000 deaths. Florida health officials reported 9,440 confirmed cases Tuesday, which marked the 29th straight day cases exceeded at least 5,000. The state’s total confirmed cases stood at nearly 370,000, which ranks third in the nation. Locally, the confirmed cases stood around 79,545 in Maryland; 79,371 in Virginia; and 11,427 in the District of Columbia. The positivity rates in Maryland and D.C. are below 5%, but nearly 8% in the Commonwealth. Officials in all three jurisdictions
5 Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has made it clear masks help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Residents are required to wear them in public spaces. (FILE: Rob Roberts/The Washington Informer)
have said there’s been a recent spike in cases with data starting to trickle in from the 4th of July weekend. That’s why County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said wearing masks, based on the advice of health officials and scientific data, helps prevent the spread of COVID-19. “I want to ring the alarm that we are concerned that the infection rate is beginning to rise and we do not want this virus to pick up steam in terms of spreading throughout our community,” she said. “The best way to stop the transmission is to wear
your mask and social distance and to stay out of large crowds.” According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update from Thursday, July 16, the health agency “recommends” people ages 2 and older wear cloth face coverings in public settings. “Cloth face coverings are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the
COVID UPDATE Page 43
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HEALTH Is President Trump Attempting Genocide on African Americans?
Report, Studies, Show Constant Environmental Attacks on Blacks By Stacy M. Brown, WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia President Donald Trump announced what he called a top to bottom overhaul of the regulations that govern one of the nation’s most significant environmental laws. Trump said he wants to speed up approval for major projects like pipelines and highways. The NAACP and others said the move could sideline the concerns of poor and minority communities impacted by those projects and discount their impact on climate change. A report from the NAACP, Clean Air Task Force, and the National Medical Association found that Black Americans are 75 percent more likely to live in “fenceline communities” that border oil and gas refineries.
Officials Climate Power 2020 said that worsens when communities are robbed of the right to protest pipelines, refineries, or chemical plants displacing their homes. “Not only will Trump’s attack be a big win for oil and gas CEOs, but it will silence communities of color, who are most impacted by toxic pollution and have historically been ignored in favor of major polluting projects,” Climate Power 2020 officials noted in a news release. “Removing these protections is just the latest example of Trump’s corrupt attacks on communities of color in the United States. Black and Brown America are suffering under the weight of Trump’s incompetence on health care, discriminatory housing policies, police brutality, and climate injustice,” the statement continued. “Eliminating environmental reviews is just the latest, devastating,
example of Trump prioritizing the wants of Big Oil over the right to clean air and clean water for Americans of color” Climate Power 2020, a campaign dedicated to changing the politics of climate in 2020, has highlighted many incidents of what they said are Trump’s environmental assaults on communities of color. They said the president advanced a rule that would stop communities of color from having any say on federal projects that would bring pollution and chemicals to their neighborhoods Further, Trump gave his “chemical cronies and open license to pollute in Black and Brown towns,” using the COVID-19 pandemic as cover to waive environmental rules that directly connect to air quality and respiratory health, Climate Power 2020 officials stated. In Houston’s most heavily in-
5 (Photo courtesy of GoldmanPrize.org)
dustrialized areas, air pollutants surged as much as 62 percent after Trump’s rollback, according to a Texas A&M analysis of air monitoring stations. Scientists have warned that soot pollution disproportionately affects communities of color and can cause cancer, heart disease, and asthma, killing Black children at ten times
the rate as white children. Soot in the air was linked to higher death rates from COVID-19 around the same time that Black Americans were dying at three times the rate as whites from the disease, Climate Power 2020 officials noted. Still, Trump overruled calls from
HEALTH Page 43
Virginia: Open with care. COVID-19 isn’t over. We’re making progress, but we can’t leave behind all the safety measures we’ve been taking. They’re working! That’s why, when you visit your local stores, restaurants, and places of worship, they’ll only allow in half as many people as before. And they need all of us to do our part to keep them safe. Please continue to:
6 ft.
Wear a mask in public.
Stay 6 feet away. from others.
Wash your hands often.
Get tested if you’re sick!
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JULY 23 - 29, 2020 21
EDUCATION Bowser, Ferebee Delay Announcement about Reopening Schools By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins By the end of the month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee are scheduled to announce instructional plans for the 2020-2021 school year they said will reflect the realities of an ongoing global pandemic and allow school officials ample time to prepare school buildings for in-person instruction. However, not even that assurance, and the rollout of various instructional models under consideration, have eased the concerns of teachers who’ve completely shunned in-person learning out of fear of contracting the coronavirus. Members of this contingent said virtual learning makes more than enough sense at a time when states are experiencing a resurgence in cases. “Young people are at the age when they’re more defiant. They might disregard [wearing masks] because they feel like if they’re going back to school, then they might be safe in the District,” said Samantha Brown, an English teacher at Coolidge Senior High School in Northwest. “I fear that going back gives false messages of hope and security, and students won’t be cautious,” Brown continued as she alluded to sewage and other environmental safety issues she said plagued Coolidge before the pandemic started. “I know that D.C. Public Schools isn’t ready to prepare buildings. They haven’t talked about how they would solve those problems and provide a safe environment.” Finalized plans notwithstanding, D.C. public schools are scheduled to
22 - JULY 23 - 29, 2020
reopen on August 31, while its Summer Bridge program has been moved online. In the weeks leading up to July 16, the original date of Bowser and Ferebee’s much anticipated announcement, District public school teachers received “Return-to-In-Person Work” guidelines prompting them to indicate whether they felt comfortable returning to school buildings in the fall. The guidelines caused an outcry among Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) leaders who have since demanded Ferebee’s engagement with teachers and the embrace of the union’s ReOpening Schools report released last month. That document touted the need for balance between virtual learning and in-person instruction, recommended an infusion of $11 million to expand student laptop access, and criticized a local advisory council’s call to reopen schools during Phase 3. In a statement emailed to The Informer, the DCPS central office said that officials concluded two weeks of professional development where teachers reflected on their spring distance learning experience and brainstormed ways of supporting a successful school year. WTU President Elizabeth Davis has since rebuffed any notion that teachers had direct involvement in how the schools would operate this fall. During last Thursday’s press conference at 441 4th Street NW, Ferebee confirmed that all students in need of a device would receive one. He also provided an overview of plans that aligned with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, organized students by cohorts, and
facilitated in-person instruction, virtual learning, or a mixture of the two, depending on parents’ preference and staffing demands. Though plans haven’t been solidified, and the impact of COVID-19 fully assessed, Bowser stressed that the ideal situation places students in front of their teachers again. “We are driven by this value -- children do better in person, face-to-face learning with teachers in their school buildings and their peers,” Bowser said last week. “We have worked hard to make sure that we had options for families where that could happen as long as our experience with the pandemic allows it,” she continued. “What we’re saying is that we need more time to observe what’s happening and we will make that determination on July 31.” Neighboring Prince George’s County will fully implement distance learning for the 2020-2021 academic year, while Montgomery County officials are exploring a proposal for an incremental return of students between August 31 and November. In Virginia, Alexandria Public Schools is hosting community discussions about its reopening, scheduled for early September. As of Saturday, the District has experienced 578 coronavirus-relat-
5 Parents walk children to school in days before the virus. (Courtesy photo)
ed deaths and 11,261 confirmed cases. While the D.C. Department of Health (DOH) has reported a sustained decrease in community spread, areas of concern, as expressed by DOH Director LaQuandra S. Nesbitt, include a rate of transmission that has hovered above 1 percent, new cases expected to come within the next few days, and the possible formation of clusters. With uncertainty about the nature of the coronavirus pandemic, and what has been described as people’s ambivalence toward the virus, local parent and educator Crystal Herre-
ra said she doesn’t want to return to school, or place her son in that environment. “Parents are not preparing young people for the reality of [what going back to school] would be like,” Herrera told The Informer. “My son wears his mask every time we are out, and he thinks it’s cool because I’ve gotten him in the habit,” she continued. “It’s not up to teachers to do that. It makes no sense to rush schools opening. It’s not fair to the educators and it’s not fair to the students either.” WI
The Lasting Legacy of Madam C.J. Walker By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
dreds of women of my race.” She backed that up, providing jobs for 20,000 by 1916 – four
This is part of an ongoing Washington Informer series about the Women’s Suffrage Movement and an initiative that includes Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes that will use the lens of history, the fabric of art and culture and the venue of the public square to shine a light into dark places, equipping all with a compass to chart the way forward. The initiative lives in the institutional home of the Washington Informer Charities. Like most other hard-fought endeavors, the suffrage movement needed an infusion of cash and a willing and like-minded spirit. Enter Madam C.J. Walker, who used her growing fortune to fight for civil rights and famously said, “I am not merely satisfied in making money for myself, for I am endeavoring to provide employment for hun-
Enter Madam C.J. Walker, who used her growing fortune to fight for civil rights and famously said, “I am not merely satisfied in making money for myself, for I am endeavoring to provide employment for hundreds of women of my race.”
years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment. “I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there, I was promoted to the washtub. From there, I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there, I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations. I have built my own factory on my own ground,” Madam C.J. Walker proudly stated in 1912. Sarah Breedlove would later become known as Madam C. J. Walker. Born on December 23, 1867 on the same Delta, Louisiana plantation where her parents, Owen and Minerva Anderson Breedlove, had been enslaved before the end of the Civil War, she transformed herself from an uneducated farm laborer and laundress into one of the 20th century’s most successful, self-made women entrepreneurs.
SUFFRAGE Page 23
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EDUCATION
5 Madam C.J. Walker/ Wikimedia Commons/National Museum of American History)
SUFFRAGE from Page 22 According to her official biography, Walker was left orphaned at the age of seven, and often said, “I got my start by giving myself a start.” She and her older sister, Louvenia, survived by working in the cotton fields of Delta and nearby Vicksburg, Mississippi. At 14, she married Moses McWilliams to escape abuse from her cruel brother-in-law, Jesse Powell. Walker went on to create a multi-million dollar African-American hair care industry, inspiring those in the civil rights and suffrage movements and generations to come. “The daughter of a licensed beautician, I grew up hearing about Madam CJ Walker, who was a role model to my mother as both a beautician and entrepreneur,” said Carol Gee, owner of “A Fest of Words, LLC.” “As such, while also working a full-time civil service job, my mother, over 40 years, rented a booth at beauty shops throughout the District of Columbia, saving money until she could afford her own one-woman beauty shop upon retiring from the government,” Gee stated. Entrepreneur Emeka L. Anyanwu called Walker a great inspiration. “Growing up, I have been inspired by her entrepreneurial spir-
it and business acumen, which led her to become the first American woman to become a self-made millionaire,” Anyanwu stated. “As a beauty entrepreneur and retailer of brands founded by Black entrepreneurs, I also look to her legacy to remind me of the importance of supporting and creating opportunities for other Black entrepreneurs and giving back to the community,” she said. Shakera Thompson, a business and intellectual property attorney, offered praise to Walker’s lasting legacy, who died in May 1919. “Aside from being a phenomenal entrepreneur, she was also very intentional in promoting women’s advancement. She was also quite the philanthropist and donated to various causes, particularly those that advanced the Black community and education,” Thompson said. “Put quite simply; Madam C.J. Walker is goals – as the younger generation of today would say – for all women. I remember being intrigued when learning about her as a child. While it may seem cliché, she and other influential women entrepreneurs inspired my decision to pursue entrepreneurship and launch my own law firm. I certainly hope to impact my community and the world that is similar to that of Madam C.J. Walker.” WI
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL Lessons from John Lewis - ‘The Boy from Troy’ Since the death last week of John Lewis, the civil rights legend who also served as a Congress member for the past 33 years, words of sympathy are continuously pouring in from admirers near and far. Still, not enough can express appreciation for his years of tireless leadership and faithful commitment to human rights and social justice for all. Lewis, 80, was born in 1940 in Troy, Alabama, the third of 10 children. He desired to become a preacher, practicing his gift of storytelling with the chickens he would gather around him on his family’s farm. This son of sharecroppers came from humble beginnings, and it can truthfully be said that despite his rise in politics and social justice fame, Lewis remained humble until he took his last breath. He shared fond memories of his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who he heard about and met at 16. He joined the “movement” and was mentored by King and many others. He followed them into violent confrontations in which he was taught to respond with peace. Lewis said King often called him “The Boy from Troy,” an endearing reference and lesson that reminded him to never forget from whence he had come. Lewis said he didn’t see a white person until he was six years old. Despite what his parents taught him about staying out of trouble, he didn’t learn to hate those he didn’t know. Lewis believed that hate is not born in us; it’s taught through exposure and experiences. The hate-mongers today were not born that way; they were shown to be that way. John Lewis understood this and told us, “…we must lay down the burden of hate. For hate is too heavy a burden to bear.” And, “Not one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves until we end hatred and division.” John Lewis was a rock-star. He loved people and never shunned an opportunity to speak to an individual or a crowd. He had a message to share, whether it was in the halls of Congress or from the pew of a little Baptist church, in an elementary school or on a street corner with a stranger who, by chance, recognized who he was. Even to the chickens on his parent’s farm, his message was meant to motivate, inspire and offer hope in a world that greatly needs it. WI
Trump’s Admission of ‘Worse Before Better’ Comes Too Late
After months of railing against the impact and seriousness of COVID-19, Donald Trump has finally admitted that the situation in the U.S. will “get worse before it gets better.” We’re not sure what his base of voters will say or whether they’ll agree. What is crystal clear is that by politicizing a health pandemic, the president has allowed this virus to weave through every part of American society – impacting families, businesses, schools – our lives. In his warning to the nation, he has even relented to the urgings of more learned officials, admitting that wearing masks in public when social distancing is more difficult to achieve is the best approach to employ. Now, as hospitals face full capacity rates and the numbers of infections break records on a daily basis, the future appears bleak. As we approach the fall, several challenges await. First, the Census count continues and while this periodic process is vital, especially for Blacks and other minority communities, it has been all but forgotten. Second, the General Election is just over three months away. But with states and the District considering rolling back restrictions, it’s unclear whether absentee voting and mail-in ballots will allow for the full participation of registered voters. Finally, as schools find themselves all but forced to move toward virtual learning, we fear that children whose families already live in poverty and who are already at a deficit when it comes to the digital divide, will fall further behind in their education. Frustration and anger seem to have overtaken our nation in cities like Chicago where homicide has surged to 51 percent over the past year, mostly Black-on-Black crimes. Here in the District, we have not been spared by futility. The recent drive-by shooting on the Fourth of July at a cookout in Southeast which resulted in the death of 11-year-old Davon McNeal – “collateral damage” – remains but one example of our troubling homicide rate where over 100 deaths have already been recorded. These are the times that try our souls. We need to look beyond Donald Trump for wisdom, guidance and truth. Just follow the path taken by our ancestors. If they could overcome horrendous travels on the Atlantic Ocean, being stripped of their very humanity, then surely we can find our way. We must! WI
TO THE EDITOR Biden’s Choice
I wasn’t aware that Joe Biden said he will pick a Black woman as his running mate until I read your paper. I guess I must’ve been under a rock. I wonder is this a genuine move or more symbolism that really has no impact on everyday Black people? Oh well, we shall see. Ramona Benny, Washington, DC
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Just dropping by to say as a longtime reader I am continuously impressed at the quality of work and stories that we as a community get for free week after week. I’ve recently become a supporter of the Washington Informer, I encourage others to do the same! Theresa Gatlin, Washington, DC
The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer. com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you.
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Clayola Brown
From Young Troublemakers to Legends: Celebrating the Legacies of CT Vivian and John Lewis Bayard Rustin, the co-founder of the A. Philip Randolph Institute and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, once said, “We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.” The lives of these two giants, Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian, and Congressman John Lewis, were shaped by their belief in the value of all people, regardless of the color of their skin, or their
economic standing. In fact, it was the historic struggle for racial justice that powered their commitment to fight oppression no matter the sacrifices, and no matter how long the battle. Both began their lifelong work as young men. In 1947 at age 23, Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian participated in his first nonviolent protest at a lunch counter sitin in Peoria, Illinois. He continued his work during the sixties fully engaged with the Freedom Riders from
Montgomery, Alabama, to Jackson, Mississippi, registering Black folks to vote in Selma; and working alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during a series of campaigns against segregation in Memphis, Tennessee. His voice echoed a constant message, “In no way would we allow non-violence to be destroyed by violence.” It was his mantra throughout his entire life. Also, at age 23, John Lewis made history in 1963 as the youngest
Guest Columnists
speaker during the historic March on Washington, standing beside giants Asa Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With fire in his belly, he continued his fight at marches across the state of Alabama, including the most brutal march in Selma crossing the Edmund Pettis Bridge, where he was beaten nearly to the point of losing his life. He later became the congressman from Georgia and the longest-serv-
ing member of the Congressional Black Caucus. But he never forgot what he was fighting for Americans’ rights. He fought for the marginalized communities throughout the nation. And, he never forgot what he was fighting against, racial and social injustice. One of his last public appearances outside of Congress, was him standing on the freshly dried, boldly em-
BROWN Page 45
By Marc H. Morial
Our Children’s Lives Are Too Precious To Risk Reopening Schools Without A Safety Plan “Common sense and intelligence can still determine what we do, even in this crazy environment. We’re not going to use our children as guinea pigs.” – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Of the many questions the deadly coronavirus pandemic has forced the nation to confront, the question of
whether to reopen schools is one of the toughest. Experts agree that the shutdown is widening the racial achievement gap. Black parents are far more likely to work in jobs that can’t be done from home, so they’re less available to supervise at-home learning. More than a third of low-income households with school-age children don’t have high-speed internet access, compared
Guest Columnist
to just 6% of affluent households. One in four teenagers in a low-income household don’t have access to a computer. Getting students safely back in school should be a top priority. But the Trump administration keeps ignoring the “safely” part. It’s true that children seem less susceptible to infection, but scientists aren’t sure why. Children under 19
represent 22 percent of the population, but only 5 percent of coronavirus cases. And 90 percent of children who contracted the virus experienced mild or non-existent symptoms. But children with underlying conditions such as diabetes, congenital heart disease, seizures and obesity are at higher risk for serious symptoms. And far too little is known about a rare but serious complication of the virus
known as multi-symptom inflammatory disease, or the role children might play in spreading the virus to adults. Rather than devise a comprehensive plan do deal with the risks, the Trump administration wants to ignore them. The Centers for Disease Control has issued guidelines for schools, but both President Trump
the N word. They call you just what they’re thinking, we must stop acting like saying the N word somehow softens the blow of what they mean when they call you nigger. Whichever paper prints my article and chooses to put n….r, that’s on you. We’ve already done too much explaining and excusing the behavior of our so-called allies of another race or culture. Those allies we see in the street now aren’t the people we’ve known and worked with all of our lives. They’re mostly young people who have no fear of treating you like
the human being you are. Many of them already have Black spouses and Black babies and truly want a world of equality for them. Where’re those so-called allies we’ve worked with for years on what they cared about? We often worked with some of them because often they were just the lesser of two evils—but we helped them to get what they wanted. Where are they when it comes to what we care about? Well, have you been looking at these polls in the Presidential race
MORIAL Page 45
By E. Faye Williams
Why Do We Need to Be Convinced?
Jane Elliott said, “If we didn’t have all those years when Black lives didn’t matter, we wouldn’t have to have a Black Lives Matter Movement now.” Questioning whether we should support Black Lives Matter is like questioning the Civil Rights Movement that brought us thus far or like working against voter suppression because we think one vote won’t make a difference or whether we should
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support Black businesses or deposit our money with a Black Bank or support Black elected officials who are working overtime against great odds to just keep our heads above water! Isn’t the answer obvious? Don’t these questioners understand how we got to where we are today? Don’t they understand the sacrifices so many of our people made to bring us out of slavery, through Jim Crow, through segregation and so much more? If we knew our history we would not have to be convinced of the necessity to do business with each other and to be the
first in line to vote on everything from dog catcher to President. If you’re a Black person, I don’t care how much money you have, where you live or work, who your non-Black friends are, whether you attended Harvard or Howard, whether you have dark skin or light skin, to those 35-40 percent who still support the current person in the White House and any number of his cronies who are Senators, Governors, House Members, state and local officials, you’re still a nigger. I didn’t intend to say “the N word.” They don’t call you
WILLIAMS Page 45
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Sam P.K. Collins
A United African States: The Final Frontier of Our Liberation Struggle
Once again, much of the world has its attention on Black America and the ongoing movement for police reform that, along with the coronavirus pandemic, has dominated the news cycle and social platforms in the ensuing weeks since George Floyd drew his last breath. With several overtures made by
corporations and the passage of laws defunding and dismantling police forces at the local level, many people on the frontlines of what’s been characterized as the Black Lives Matter movement anticipate a significant changing of the tide – or at least a shift in the national consciousness. However, given the complexity and global reach of systemic racism, that couldn’t be further from the truth, especially for Black Ameri-
Guest Columnist
cans, a group trapped in a colonizer nation without self-determination, what’s defined as the total control of one’s social, political and economic affairs. That’s why Black Americans, who Martin Delaney defined as a “nation within a nation” in the 19th century, deserve the opportunity for self-governance. Part of realizing that goal requires solidarity with the African continent and Black America’s un-
equivocal support of its political unification and that of other majority-Black nations under a United African States. Once in existence, a United African States could exert an untold amount of diplomatic pressure on the U.S. to facilitate systemic change that truly benefits Black Americans and results in the acquisition of power – not platitudes and sympathy. In the 1960s, Malcolm X at-
tempted to execute such a plan when he, acting as a diplomat for Black America, met with several African leaders and spoke before the newly-formed Organization of African Unity. At the time of his death, at least six African countries had signed on to a campaign to bring the U.S. before the United Nations for its crimes against humanity.
COLLINS Page 46
By A. Peter Bailey
When John Lewis Met Brother Malcolm X in Kenya
In his book, Malcolm X: The FBI Files, Clayborne Carson wrote about an October 1964 first time meeting between Brother Malcolm and John Lewis while both were traveling in Africa. The goal of Lewis and his fellow civil rights warrior Donald Harris was to make African students more aware of what the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was doing in the ongoing war against white supremacy in the
United States. After they secured a meeting with Brother Malcolm, Carson recalls Lewis as saying “....He felt that the presence of SNCC in Africa was very important and that this was a significant and crucial aspect of the ‘human rights struggle’ that the American civil rights groups had too long neglected. He pointed out (and our experience bears him correct) that the African leaders and people are strongly behind the Freedom Movement in this country; that they are willing to do all they can to support, encourage and sustain the Movement, but they will
Askia-At-Large
not tolerate factionalism and support particular groups or organizations within the Movement as a whole. It was with this in mind that he formed his Organization of Afro-American Unity. Discussion also centered around Malcolm’s proposed plan to bring the case of the Afro-American before the General Assembly of the United Nations and hold the United States in violation of the Human Rights Charter. The question was at that time (and ultimately was evident) that support from the civil rights voices in this country was not forthcoming and the American black
community was too plinted (sic) to attempt such a move without looking like (complete) asses and embarrassing (our) most valuable allies. We departed with Malcolm giving us some contacts and the hope that there would be a greater communication between the OAAU and SNCC.” On February 21st 1965 the Sunday he was assassinated, Brother Malcolm told several of us who were backstage with him, that he had accepted an invitation to speak at a SNCC rally in Jackson, Mississippi during the upcoming week. I strongly believe that invitation resulted from his meeting
with John Lewis in Kenya. John Lewis, in the 1960s, was not an “American” hero as cited repeatedly by cable news hosts and their guests. He was an African American warrior who, in the 1960s, put his life on the line in the ongoing war against white supremacist terrorists; especially in the former Confederate states of America. During that time the lives of John Lewis and other warriors were as much in danger as those of soldiers who were fighting in the Vietnam War. That’s what we should teach our children. WI
By Askia Muhammad
Don’t be Bluffed by Donald Trump
Donald J. Trump is a tin-horn riverboat gambler living in the presidential mansion who would have people believe he’s a big winner and a bad-ass-guy, so you better not mess with him. In the cowboy movies I watched growing up, some gamblers were known as “four-flushers” – that is poker players who, in a “five
card stud” game, with four cards visible and one card down, appear to have a nearly unbeatable hand, because the four visible cards were all in the same suit. Five cards in the same suit amount to a “flush” which is a pretty strong hand. Unless you knew your hand was better than a flush, most gamblers would not bet against a four-flush because the other player just might have that fifth card of the same suit. The four-flusher wins when the opponents throw in their
hands, and the winner never has to show whether he had it or didn’t. That’s Trump’s modus operandi. He claims to be a billionaire but won’t reveal his tax returns. We already know (keeping with the riverboat gambler theme) that he owned a casino and bankrupted it. How can anyone possibly lose money in an operation where suckers come in every day to give away their money, hoping for a chance to beat the house, knowing that the house always wins? But
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The Donald managed to actually lose a casino. He ran a university which was shut down for scamming the public while offering absolutely no education. He says he’s smarter than everyone but refuses to reveal any of his school transcripts. Now, his niece, a Ph.D. psychologist reveals that he even paid someone to take his college entrance examination. He claims now to love the U.S. military so-o-o much but he paid a crooked doctor to claim that he
had bone spurs and was physically unfit to serve in the armed forces during the Vietnam War. He’s a draft dodger. In fact, no one in his family, from his father, to his siblings, to his children have ever served one day in uniform. And yet he comes off the Marine One helicopter and salutes the guard at the bottom of the ramp, who is required to salute him given his current role as com-
ASKIA Page 46 JULY 23 - 29, 2020 27
LIFESTYLE Michelle Obama Debuts New Podcast
Former First Lady’s Media Ventures Continue By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer Former first lady Michelle Obama has added another notch to her media enterprise with the launch of a new podcast. “The Michelle Obama Podcast” will go live on Spotify on Wednesday, July 29 as part of an ongoing partner-
ship between the streaming service and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company. The Obamas formed Higher Ground after leaving the White House to produce powerful stories to entertain, inform, inspire, and to lift up new, diverse voices in the entertainment industry. Since then Mrs. Obama’s memoir
hit number one on The New York Times Best Seller’s list — followed by the subsequent release of the ‘Becoming’ documentary on Netflix. Now, as for her venture into the world of podcasts, Michelle Obama says listeners will find candid and personal conversations with a focus on relationships and health. “My hope is that this series can be a place to explore meaningful topics together and sort through so many of the questions we’re all trying to answer in our own lives,” Michelle Obama said. “Perhaps most of all, I hope this podcast will help listeners open up new conversations—and hard conversations—with the people who matter most to them. That’s how we can build more understanding and empathy for one another.” Spotify says an array of special guests include Dr. Sharon Malone MD, Craig Robinson, Valerie Jarrett, Conan O’Brien and Michele Norris for conversations ranging from sibling relationships, raising children to girlfriends, women’s health, mentorship and marriage.
5 The Michelle Obama Podcast. (Photo Courtesy of Spotify)
“At Spotify we seek to connect listeners with the world’s most authentic and compelling voices,” Spotify Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer Dawn Ostroff said. “We believe that audiences across the globe will be inspired by these most candid, most human and most personal conversations between First Lady Michelle Obama and her guests.” In 2018, the Obamas also formed a long-term partnership with video streaming giant Netflix. The former first couple will produce a diverse mix of content, including the potential for scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries and
features. The first of their films to roll out was ‘Becoming,’ in May, which captured Mrs. Obama up-close and personal in a rare behind the scenes look at her life, as she embarked on a 34city book tour. “Barack and I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others,” said Mrs. Obama. “Netflix’s unparalleled service is a natural fit for the kinds of stories we want to share, and we look forward to starting this exciting new partnership.” WI
POLICE from Page 13
“Under this police bill of rights law in Maryland, the vast majority of evidence…is being systematically purged because of state law. That has to be addressed,” Sinyangwe said. “If you believe those protections are essential to preserving the accuracy of that investigation, then those protections should be provided to every person in the community regardless if you are a police officer or not.” Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery County) asked how states might pay for police misconduct settlements. Sinyangwe said cities such as Chicago use money from the police department budget to pay for them. Some jurisdictions, led by a police union, he said will create a separate fund to specifically for those payments and replenish it later. “The money should be coming out of police department budgets. It shouldn’t be coming out programs and services that the community vitally needs,” he said. “Police should be held accountable financially for the damage they cause.” The work group will hold a public hearing Aug. 6. WI
Rights Data Analysis Group based in San Francisco that analyzes information on criminal justice and mass violence in the U.S. and internationally, said Maryland has one of the most extreme bill of rights laws in the nation. He explained the data through “Campaign Zero,” a study to end racism and police violence in America, saying police wrongdoing can happen through five of six factors: disqualifies complaints, restricts or delays interrogations, gives officers unfair access to information, limits oversight or discipline and erases misconduct records. The only provision not connected with Maryland mentions a city pay for police misconduct. According to a portion of the state statute, an officer may have a formal complaint expunged if the law enforcement agency exonerated all charges and determined the charges “were unsustained or unfounded.” A criminal record or complaint can also be removed if a “final deposition by the law enforcement agency or hearing board” occurred at least three years prior.
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JULY 23 - 29, 2020 29
LIFESTYLE
Michael Tubbs Tackles Challenges to Raise Up His Hometown Millennial Mayor’s Innovative Concepts Yield Positive Results
By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer It is a typical opening voiceover when examining a major city. Viewers hear those statements in opening scenes in “Stockton on My Mind” a documentary from HBO debuts on July 28. Stockton, Ca. is presented as one of the “worst of the worst.” The city was ground zero for the 2008 subprime mortgage meltdown and became the first major U.S. city to declare bankruptcy in the wake of the Great Recession. “Who is going to be interested in Stockton,” said Marc Levin, producer/director of the film. In a recent interview the award-winning filmmaker wondered where this movie would fit during a time when the focus would be on the Olympics and political primaries. The pandemic changed all of that. “Now with the COVID-19 sit-
uation, with the new racial justice movement, and with the economic crisis, all of a sudden this movie has moved front and center,” continued Levin who has been at the helm of more than 20 projects with HBO.
HOW IT BEGAN
The draw for “Stockton on My Mind” is Mayor Michael Tubbs, Jr. who was 26 years old when he became one of the youngest mayors in America. Tubbs was born and raised in Stockton. He served on the Stockton city council before running for mayor. He is up for reelection this year. Tubbs is also in a group of millennial elected leaders who are intent on using their activism and education to make change starting back home where they were raised. That night in 2016 that Tubbs won the mayor’s race was the same night that President Donald Trump was elected. “It was a direct conflict in what
they were both running for,” said Tubbs’ wife Anna Malaika NtiAsare Stanford, a Stanford University graduate where she met her husband. When Tubbs was born his mother was 16 years old. For most of Tubbs’ life, his father has been incarcerated. Many of his best friends from childhood are either in prison or dead. Tubbs knows he is the exception. He received a full scholarship to Stanford. After graduating, he worked in the President Barack Obama administration. He met Oprah Winfrey who donated to his mayoral campaign. Tubbs says his success has been motivated by a central question. “How in the world did I make it,” said Tubbs in the film at a Ted Talk presentation. “How do I empower other people with backgrounds like mine to upset the set up.”
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) SOLICITATION NO.: 0023-2020 BASELINE SERVICE PROVIDER The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is accepting applications for Baseline Service Providers for services available throughout various DCHA properties. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations” beginning Monday, July 13, 2020. DCHA will accept proposals on a rolling quarterly basis, beginning August 2020 through November 2021 for as long as DCHA has capacity. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE 12:00 p.m. noon on the first Thursday of the quarter as follows: Thursday, August 13, 2020 Thursday, November 5, 2020 Thursday, February 4, 2021 Thursday, May 6, 2021 Thursday, August 5, 2021 Thursday, November 4, 2021 Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for inquiries or additional information.
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5 Marc Levin, producer/director of “Stockton on My Mind” a documentary that debuts on HBO on July 28. (Photo courtesy Marc Levin)
5 “Stockton on My Mind” billboard graphic. The documentary debuts on HBO July 28. (Photo courtesy Marc Levin)
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MAYOR
This documentary does not duck sad scenarios. There are penitentiary interviews with Tubbs’ father Michael Tubbs, Sr. Death by gun violence of a young man on the right path is heartbreaking. Juvenile detention of another student who had successfully applied for the “Stockton Scholars” program is not what you want to see. The film also lifts up the mayor’s success with his Universal Basic Income program where private funds have been raised to give Stockton residents financial help for day-today needs. The program has been adopted by 15 mayors and Tubbs is founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI). Major corporations like Twitter are financial supporters to this initiative. Overcoming systemic problems that all cities encounter is what this film delivers. “What are the solutions? How do we break the school to prison pipeline, end mass incarceration, root out police violence and corruption? Levin asks. “How do we reform our criminal justice system and fundamentally change our economy to create a fairer distribution of the nation’s wealth?” “Stockton on My Mind” has a game plan for those who have the heart to lead. Link to “Stockton on My Mind” movie trailer: https://youtu.be/4nVqsNtOZOI WI
The documentary follows Tubbs through his exhausting schedule. Meetings with his small staff in their small city government office space and walking the streets of Stockton offering services to the homeless is just the start. Town hall meetings are a necessary to meet with the diverse Stockton population. Meeting with corporate leaders to reinvest in Stockton is paramount to the city’s economic development. It is visiting schools to be the example of what can be that energizes Tubbs. It is where he tells his story to kids. It is where he promotes his “Stockton Scholars” to provide money for kids to attend college. Tubbs received start-up funds for the “Scholars” program from his Stanford dorm hallmate Evan Spiegel, co-founder of Snapchat. “I am no different than each and every one of you,” says Tubbs to a group of eighth graders. “Oppression exists. Things are just unfair, just unequal. Your ancestors conquered all of that and more. It is our responsibility to live out their wildest dreams and to be uncomfortable as well.”
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LIFESTYLE Shaquille O’Neal Comes to the Rescue WI Staff Report During his 19 NBA seasons, Shaquille O’Neal scored 28,596 points and 3,026 assists. But he recently provided an assist of another kind, staying with a stranded motorist who had a blown-out tire on a Florida highway. The incident occurred Tuesday on Interstate 75 near Gainesville, after O’Neal, 48, saw the driver pull over to the side of the road. On a Facebook video posted by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department, the driver can he heard telling deputies that her tire blew out, forcing her to stop. The 7-foot-1-inch retired basket-
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ball icon pulled over to offer help to the woman and her family, and stayed with them until sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene. In video shared by the Alachua County Sheriff, O’Neal can be seen standing on the side of the road and he tells the officers the woman’s tire had blown out, with the officer saying, “I appreciate you stopping.” The police wrote on Facebook: “Yesterday, Shaquille O’Neal was travelling through Alachua County on I-75 when he witnessed a crash. He stopped to check on the welfare of the driver and remained with her until law enforcement arrived.” The post adds that O’Neal fist-
bumped the two deputies on the scene “before going on his way. Hey, Basketball Cop Foundation, you’re not the only one that knows Shaq.” The foundation the sheriff’s office refers to is a Gainesville, Florida-based organization that connects law enforcement agencies across the country with the kids in their communities. His interaction with the nonprofit foundation is just one of several ways O’Neal shows support for law enforcement. The ex-player, who lives in the Orlando area, previously went through the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Reserve Academy and became a reserve officer with the Los Angeles Port Police during his time
5 NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal helps a stranded motorist. (Courtesy photo)
with Los Angeles Lakers, which saw him win three NBA championships alongside the late Kobe Bryant. After being traded to the Miami Heat, O’Neal became a Miami Beach
reserve officer, and since his retirement 2011, he has launched a successful media career, as well as becoming a sheriff’s deputy in Jonesboro, Georgia. WI
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LIFESTYLE
“Always Rejoice”! Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses Moves to Streaming Platform By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia For more than 100 years, the annual convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses packed venues like the old FedEx Field and RFK Stadium in the District, Yankee Stadium in New York and Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the religious organization’s Governing Body canceled the annual gatherings and, for the first time, moved the event to a virtual platform. Congregations, families, and guests can now view the convention titled, “Always Rejoice!” during July and August on the or-
ganization’s website, www.jw.org. “The convention will continue to teach us that joy is a quality of the heart. It is something that we have inside even when things around us maybe crumpling,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “This message for our community is absolutely vital.” Hendriks added that the two Christian principles that guided the Witnesses’ historic decision to cancel their annual convention are respect for the sanctity of life and love of neighbor. “As much as we long to meet together, life is far too precious to put at risk,” Hendriks stated. “Life trumps a place, and a building. Life transcends our desire to meet
together. Life is paramount and we recognize that even if one life was taken because of a public meeting, that would be one life too many. We love our brothers, and we love our communities so when you think of carrying the virus, that is contrary to love of neighbor. The principles that move us to knock on doors and talk to our neighbors about the gospel and to invite people to our public gatherings, are the very principles we used to stop the convention and hold it virtually.” In 2019, more than 14 million people in 240 lands attended conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including roughly 2 million in the U.S. “Our worship is centered on our
5 Participants at previous conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Photo courtesy Jehovah’s Witnesses)
mutual love for our God and for each other, irrespective of where we are physically,” Hendriks said. “This year’s convention program underscores the unity of our international family and the joy that people can have against a back-
Ward 4 Senior Citizens Expose Lack of Quality Building Management By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer Although Abrams Hall Senior Apartments in Northwest underwent notable improvements in December, some tenants have expressed concerns with lighting in and outside the building, lack of security and other substandard living conditions. “The bathroom, the small hallway, and the closet have lights. The living room, dining room, the kitchen, the bedroom – you have to bring a lamp.” said Abrams resident Barbara Franklin. “I fell in my bathtub, so I need bars in my shower. And for that, I go downstairs if not every day, every other day. I’m not the only one, and we don’t see anything getting resolved.” Another complaint comes from loud music and inappropriate remarks about women from the nearby HELP Walter Reed Veterans Apartments. The Walter Reed apartments, built in the southern portion of the Abrams complex, share a courtyard with the middle portion of the building. Although HELP USA operates as
the company overseeing the veterans complex, the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Agency rests as the authority figure who honored HELP USA’s RFP proposal in hosting the Veterans building, along with non-profit programs run simultaneously with its placement. However, some Abrams residents say the veteran’s building remains too close to Abrams. David Cleghorn, chief officer for HELP USA, said the affordable housing are for veterans who pay rent and served the country. “They are mothers, fathers, daughters and sons and should be treated with respect and compassion,” Cleghorn said. “There is no reason to isolate veterans from the larger community and they should enjoy the same amenities that the greater campus covers as everyone else.” A representative from Edgewood Management, which supervises the Abrams building, didn’t respond to requests for comment last week and this week. After receiving complaints from multiple Abrams residents, Ward 4 council member Brandon Todd stepped in to organize a group of
agencies to assess the situation led by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Panning and Economic Development. As DMPED directed developments on the Walter Reed property, other groups joined in to help that included Hines, Urban Atlantic, HELP USA, Edgewood Management and Fourth District Metropolitan Police station. A conference call spawned a “public safety walk” held last month with dates to repair light fixtures, evacuation plans, restructure the positioning of mailboxes and other repairs. So far, Edgewood Management installed light fixtures in the parking lot. Specific repairs and fixes to a parking garage and the building remain unknown. “We’ve just tried to share every concern that the seniors have because we want them to feel comfortable, safe, and happy to live there,” said Todd’s Deputy Chief Dolly Turner. The city held a groundbreaking in July 2018 at the 80-unit development, which 64 dedicated to seniors. Although the numerical housing projections may be met, elderly living developments residing in less
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economically affluent wards around the District seemingly reflect subpar maintenance living conditions compared to their counterparts. Senior housing properties such as the Chevy Chase House located in Ward 3 of Northwest and Asbury Dwellings Senior Apartments, housed in Ward 2 in Northwest, require front desk security at all times, secured entranceway prohibiting stragglers from access to the units, and a 24/7 emergency response system. Additionally, on-site parking lots and garages are provided for each facility. City officials continue to push a message affordable housing for seniors and low-income residents remain a high priority. “Just as we recognized with our DCHOPE budget, investing in the production of affordable housing is an essential way to move our city forward by giving more residents the opportunity to live and thrive in the District,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement May 28 when the city announced $11.4 million for affordable housing in Wards 2 and 4. “In these uncertain times, we’ll keep using all of the tools at our disposal to close deals that bring affordable housing to all eight wards.” WI
drop of stress and despair.” The conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses are usually held over three days – Friday through Sunday, with a morning and afternoon session each day. Witness officials said they would release the program on their website in six installments, each corresponding to a morning or afternoon session. Many congregations and families have already viewed the first convention session, which debuted July 11. The final weekend of the virtual event takes place August 29 and August 30. Hendriks noted that this year’s program explores questions that include: What contributes to finding and sustaining joy? How can you cultivate joy in the family? How can you remain joyful in difficult times? A key feature of the program includes a Bible-based drama that considers Nehemiah’s life and how he helped the ancient nation of Israel find joy in their worship of God, available under the “Library” tab on the above-cited website. There is no charge for viewing the convention and sign-ups, or email addresses are not required. Each year many who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses attend the annual conventions, Hendriks said, adding that there are more than 8.6 million active Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide. Yet, the 2019 conferences had a peak attendance of more than 14 million. “With the program available online in hundreds of languages, this may be the most attended convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses to date,” Hendriks stated. WI
JULY 23 - 29, 2020 33
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5 May’s Lick Rosenwald School, in Maysville, KY has received one of 27 preservation grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. (Photo courtesy African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund)
New Grant to Preserve, Restore 27 Historic African-American Sites By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer
Wash. Informer | 1/2 pg V | 5.85” x 9.5” | 4c | New | July Scratcher Wash. Informer | 1/2 pg V | 5.85” x 9.5” | 4c | New | July Scratcher
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From Paul Robeson’s home in Philadelphia, the Clayborn Temple in Memphis, to the Clifton House in Baltimore these historic sites will receive $1.6 million in grants to preserve African-American history and culture. The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced last week the funds will go to 27 sites and organizations through its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund [AACHAF]. “The recipients of this funding exemplify centuries of African American resilience, activism, and achievement, some known and some yet untold, that tell the complex story of American history in the United States,” Brent Leggs, executive director of the Action Fund said. “With urgency and intention, the nation must value the link between architecture and racial justice, and should fund these and other cultural assets to ensure their protection and preservation.” Leggs says over the past two years, the National Trust has funded 65 historic African American places and invested more than $4.3 million to help preserve landscapes and buildings imbued with Black life, humanity, and cultural heritage. This year’s funds, provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation were awarded to key places and organizations that help protect and restore Black historic sites.
Some of the historic sites: Association of African American Museums in Washington, DC: With 625 members in 41 states, AAAM is the premier organization for African American museums nationwide. Funding will enable AAAM to strengthen their board and create training for its members about the preservation, identification, and evaluation of African American historic sites. AACHAF Vision Grant: City of Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minn.: The world has reacted and responded to the tragic murder of George Floyd in the city of Minneapolis, which will receive funding for documenting the history being created there now as well as for uncovering the stories of Minneapolis’ African American past. Lewis Latimer House Museum in Flushing, N.Y.: The museum interprets the life of African American inventor Lewis Latimer, who improved electric lighting and drafted the telephone’s patent. This will help the museum with their promotion efforts and ability to engage with the public and their constituents. The Commonwealth Planning Project in Chicago: This visionary project will develop a community-led plan to reimagine and revitalize ten blocks in Chicago’s South Side into The Commonwealth by restoring historic structures and transforming vacant spaces
SITES Page 45
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LIFESTYLE
wi book review “The Magical Yet” By Angela DiTerlizzi, art by Lorena Alvarez c.2020, Disney Hyperion $17.99 / $23.49 Canada 40 pages
You can’t. That’s what everybody says to you, all the time. You can’t ride your bike anywhere but the driveway. You can’t go to the store by yourself or go to bed whenever you want. So many things you can’t do but in “The Magical Yet” by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez, maybe it’s not quite the right time. Some days, nothing goes right. You try and try to do something that everybody else in the whole world seems to be able to do and.... you can’t. So depressing. So sad. It makes you just want to quit. You’re never going to do that again. You won’t even try. “No way. Not never.” But wait a minute. There’s this “major game changer – a most amazing thought re-arrange-er” that you have, and you don’t even know it. You have “The Magical Yet!” When you were a baby, you went from drooling to talking to walking, all because of the “Yet’s magic.” You learned to dress yourself because the Yet was with you. You learned to help Mom and Dad, to draw pictures, to play ball and fly a kite and run fast, jump high, sing a song, and have a dream – all because of the “Magical Yet.” With the Yet around, anything’s possible because the Yet is okay with mistakes and oopies and do-overs. Your Yet doesn’t care if you have to keep trying; in fact, trying is what your Yet likes best because by trying, “you’re sure to get over” any problems you might have. And then soon, you’ll be doing what you wanted to do all along. So keep practicing. Keep “leaping, dreaming, wishing...” “Be patient.” Everything you wish for will all work out. “... with Yet you can get where you want to be.” It’s the middle of summer and your whole family has been on some sort of not-normal for going on six months. Tempers flare. This isn’t easy. “The Magical Yet” may be just what you need right this minute. If you know a child who needs an infusion of patience, this book may make a difference. Author Angela DiTerlizzi lets kids pretend that “Yet” is a sparkly creature they were born with, one that paces the trials and events in their lives and ultimately helps them accomplish their desires. With a cute, catchy, upbeat rhyme, the children in this book show that they can’t do things “yet” because they haven’t yet given it time. It’s like being reminded to be patient, but without the heavy parental sigh that often accompanies it. Even if that were all, your child would enjoy this book but what’s a picture book without pictures? Indeed, artist Lorena Alvarez keeps little page-turners occupied with appropriately-moody, sometimes-happy illustrations that are detailed, funny, and that make this book worth reading again. And that’s what you’ll be doing, so beware: 4-to-8-year-olds will surely be able to muster the patience to want this book on repeat. With a tale like “The Magical Yet,” your child can’t resist. WI
horoscopes
JULY 23 - 29, 2020
ARIES An opportunity opens up ahead and Aries have the courage to push forward. Your hard work is starting to pay off. There’s a slight divergence between the opportunities coming available to you and what you’re trained to do. This might take you out of your comfort zone. Now as it starts to rain, it’s time for you to be courageous enough to grab a bucket to collect the bounty. Lucky Numbers: 37, 17, 53 TAURUS Its movement and change that signals the Universe to bring you more resources. Now things are getting ready to change. Over the course of the next few months, you may be moving, renovating the house or things in your neighborhood are changing. While there are some budding opportunities where you are, it is worth some thought as your talents and abilities could translate into some great possibilities within other industries. Time to dust off your resume just in case. Lucky Numbers: 29, 36, 42 GEMINI Today’s a good day to meditate on where you’re heading with your life. You might want to make a list of your skills. Make a second list of the things that you’d like to learn. As you look over these lists you can see your life’s trajectory. Commit energy to the things you’re truly interested in. Lucky Numbers: 6, 30, 22 CANCER You are very noticeable this week and may receive compliments from people you admire. Sometimes opportunities present themselves that are bigger than you may feel ready for. It’s good to visualize how far you have come, how much you’ve grown, and in what an adventure a big opportunity would be. Picture positive thoughts. This helps you see the path ahead. Lucky Numbers: 40, 25, 2 LEO There is adventurous energy for you this week and you can express your true self to your friends and family. You may have had a dream or can now easily envision your future. It’s okay to go enthusiastically forward even though you’re not sure where you’ll end up. It’s the journey that counts. And while you can’t take a lot of action on this day, this is just the beginning. Lucky Numbers: 43, 3, 23 VIRGO You could be the recipient of compliments—and even cash from people around you. Open your arms and allow others to give to you. This would be a good time to gather some family members and talk about your long-term plans—especially your career trajectory, possible educational choices, or purchasing your own home. Think of this discussion as more informing rather than asking permission. It is important that you follow your heart. Lucky Numbers: 221, 29, 45 LIBRA If you want to meet someone new you have a great window this week. In fact, even those Libras in love relationships will be getting some attention. Today, you may be envisioning a different plan for yourself. Perhaps even a change of career. While you know that’s not possible to do in one week, just by thinking about this, you’re sending an affirmation to the Universe. Lucky Numbers: 35, 56, 19 SCORPIO You are highly productive with bursts of energy throughout the week. Pull out your list of things to do and add the truly important goals to that list. You may be pondering going back to school or returning to a previous type of employment. There are possibilities fanning out in front of you like roads in a roundabout. It’s good to be open to the options. Lucky Numbers: 30, 56, 6 SAGITTARIUS You could have a week of enormous fun and a little bit of adventure. You have a purpose and while it’s not always very clear, the Universe is continually stepping up and helping you stay on your path. Today you may receive messages through friends, snippets from TV shows, or lyrics from songs that help you find your footing on that path. Lucky Numbers: 19, 36, 50 CAPRICORN There is an enormous amount of activity going on at home. Cooking, cleaning, and repairs may have you rushing around getting ready for guests. You may see a documentary or a news clip, and suddenly be inspired by that person’s journey. A small alteration in your course could, in a few years, put you in an entirely different place. Lucky Numbers: 30, 33, 18 AQUARIUS You have a busy week with lots of communication. You love to take the road less traveled and yet today, as you look under your feet, you’re on the same old path. Now you have the opportunity to investigate something new. It may not unfold overnight, but by starting on a new road you could be in a very different place just six months from now. Over the next four weeks change daily habits to make yourself more productive. Lucky Numbers: 3, 45, 34 PISCES There is a lot of activity around finances over this week. At the same time, more money is coming in. A compliment is received. A talent of yours has been revealed. You feel inspired to explore this further. If you are looking for love, you have a positive window of opportunity for about four weeks. Check in with friends and family and get their support. Lucky Numbers: 20, 34, 40
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JULY 23 - 29, 2020 35
IN MEMORIUM
Civil Rights Icon C.T. Vivian Dies By Hamil Harris WI Contributing Writer
C.T. Vivian has been revered a civil rights icon who combated social in-
justice through nonviolent measure for more than six decades. Vivian, who helped shave the civil rights movement alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., died at Fri-
5 C.T. Vivian (Courtesy photo)
day, July 17 at his home in Atlanta at the age of 95. His work dates back to the 1940s with his first sit-in demonstration at a cafeteria in Peoria, Illinois. Vivian helped organize the Freedom Rides to integrate busing in the South through nonviolent methods, even when racists police officers attacked Vivian and others with bats and other weapons. He served as a major leader under King’s leadership on the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1961. Two years later in 1963, he worked as national director of affiliates with Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He also sparked thousands, along with the late Rep. John Lewis, to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. The day sought to register Blacks to vote became known as “Bloody Sunday “Martin King was the leader and without a doubt he had brought us a new method. Before [nonviolent di-
rect action] nothing was happening,” Vivian said during his acceptance speech in 2015 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2015. “We owe Alabama more than any place else. You have to go to the worst places to come up with the best stuff.” The Rev. Tony Lee, pastor of Community of Hope AME Church in Temple Hills, recalled when Vivian served on part of a voting rights campaign just a few years ago. Lee praised Vivian and Lewis as men of “consistency.” “Those guys went the distance even until their dying breath,” Lee said. “It wasn’t about them, but serving people.” Born Cordy Tindell Vivian in Howard County, Missouri, and raised in Macomb, Illinois, the city of Atlanta became his home after he became involved with King. According to various reports, Vivian’s funeral service will take place Thursday, July 23 at Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. He would’ve turned 96 on July 30. Bishop Jamal Bryant, pastor of
the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church of Lithonia, Georgia, said Vivian’s leadership opened the door for church leaders such as Lee, the Rev. Heber Brown, senior pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore, and the Rev. Mike McBride, pastor of the Way Christian Center in Berkeley, California. “They are working in silos and not in front of a camera,” Bryant said. “In CT Vivian’s hour, the church was leading the civil rights movement.” An archives and museum housed in Atlanta dons Vivian’s name and his wife of 58 years, the former Octavia Geans who died in 2011. The website posts a link of a video from “Curating the work of Black Writers” of CT Vivian recalling his visit as a boy to a library in Macomb, Illinois, and noticed only one book written by a Black author. “There was a couple of books about us, but there was nothing by us. I always wanted to know of any books that was written by African Americans,” he said. “I had a real concern for books about and by Black people. Now I’m surrounded by them.” WI
WHUR’s Patrick Ellis Succumbs to COVID-19 By Hamil Harris WI Contributing Writer
Patrick Ellis worked more than just a Sunday morning radio host on 96.3 WHUR-FM, but also a musical apostle for more than four decades who dropped off generations of listeners at church through hymns, a spiritual word and praise songs. Ellis, 77, died Thursday, July 16 at a hospital in Annapolis, according to his colleagues at WHUR who hosted a special segment of the station’s “Daily Drum.” Ellis served as the longest running host on radio in the region as a Sunday morning staple who read birthday greetings and church trips on the “travel log.” The station released a statement that said, in part, how “Patrick was part of the backbone of WHUR and the Washington, D.C., community.” Colleagues reflected on the contributions of a man who touched listeners across the D.C. region.
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WHUR anchor Harold Fisher called Ellis “a broadcast titan.” Another popular radio colleague, Jackie Gales Webb said, Ellis always respect the listening audience. “Patrick was dedicated to his listeners and he made sure that every request was played because he was part of their family and Sunday morning tradition,” she said. The station highlighted Ellis’ philanthropic efforts in the community that included helping to feed thousands of people, provide care for substance-addicted babies and assist in development of a shelter for domestic violence survivors and their children. Patrick Connery Ellis was born on May 30, 1943, in Freedmen’s Hospital. Although the hospital closed, it would eventually become home to what’s now the Cathy Hughes School of Communications and home to WHUR-FM. In an interview, Winston Chaney, the legendary gospel morning man
5 Patrick Ellis (Courtesy photo/WHUR Radio)
at 1340-AM WYCB, said Ellis ranked number one for decades because station officials understood the importance of staying connected to the listeners. “Patrick Ellis has been a staple in this community for the past 35 years,” said Chaney, who recently retired from Radio One after more than four decades. “In radio, people listen to people. The music is second nature.” Bill Carpenter, the publicist for many recording artists and author of the gospel music encyclopedia, “Uncloudy Days,” recalled recently talking to Ellis.
“I had just talked to him in June and he had built his own radio studio at his home in Annapolis so that he could be on the air and look at the water,” he said. “He has been on the air for 41 years and generations grew listening to that calming voice. He just didn’t play the top artist. He always played local artist like Rev. James and Flowers Family who also died of COVID-19.” Winfield Parker, a local gospel artist, credits Ellis for helping him to make it nationally. “I was trying to turn my life around and he paved the way with (the song) ‘Jesus is Everlasting…then
came ‘Sending Up My Timber.’” Rodney Ellis, a relative and physician who cared for Ellis, used the broadcast as an opportunity to challenge people to take the coronavirus seriously. “He was my patient for 15 years and he was very well cared for,” Ellis said. “We must take this disease seriously. We must stay vigilant.” As of Monday, July 20, funeral services for Ellis haven’t been announced. The station noted on its website people can send condolences to his family to WHUR at 529 Bryant Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20059. WI
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5 The Honorable John Lewis walks with Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick where Lewis delivered the opening convocation address in 2015. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
5 The Honorable John Lewis was the keynote speaker at a townhall meeting convened by Congressman Steny Hoyer (left) on the voting rights bill at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Md. Then Prince George’s States Attorney Angela Alsobrooks (right) was a speaker on the program in 2015. (WI File Photo)
5 Actor Stephan James (left) with the Honorable John Lewis during the screening of Selma a film in which James plays Lewis. (WI File Photo) 5 The Honorable John Lewis chats with Stedman Graham at the White House in 2011 before Lewis received the Medal of Freedom from then President Barack Obama. (WI File Photo/Shevry Lassiter) 3 Reps. Charles Rangel and Karen Bass share a laugh with the Honorable John Lewis during a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation event in 2011. (WI File Photo/Shevry Lassiter)
4 The Honorable John Lewis with three of his brothers at a reception on Capitol Hill in 2011. (WI File Photo/ Shevry Lassiter)
5 The Honorable John Lewis with Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes during an evening discussion at THEARC in 2011. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
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5 Residents of Southeast march for peace. (Hamil R. Harris/The Washington Informer)
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “We lost two giants of the civil rights movement,” Bell said. CT Vivian and John Lewis. “One of the things that we are doing is registering people to vote because John Lewis was beaten and brutalized for us to have the right to vote.” Lewis, 80, died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Funeral arrangements haven’t been released, but news reports note he could receive public memorials in the District, Atlanta and his birthplace of Troy, Alabama. Vivian, 95, died at his home in Atlanta and served as national director of affiliates for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. According to various reports, Vivian’s funeral service will take place Thursday, July 23 at Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. Vivian and Lewis confronted racist law enforcement and lawmakers, segregated institutions and sometimes violent confrontations. Because of their history using nonviolent methods to encourage racial equality, organizers of the event sought to instill a stop to black-onblack crime. “Last year an 11-year-old lost his life to gun violence and [July 17] Devon McNeal was buried,” said Ward 8 Council member Trayon White Jr. “We just keep going and going until we put God back into our community.” Those who joined the march included Assistant DC Police Chief Chanel Dickerson. “It is important for the church-
es to join in with the community to end this ongoing violence,” she said. “We have lost a lot of loves. This is the one-year anniversary of Coron Brown who lost his life to gun violence.” As the marchers walked through Ainger Placer Apartments, Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Paul Trantham expressed frustration things are not changing quick enough. “Before we deal with injustice and police brutality all over the world we must deal with the brutality in our community,” Trantham said. “We must deal with the issues that trouble our community day after day. How can we say that we love our brother when we take a life over something that immaterial?” The parking lot of Allen AME became filled with church auxiliaries and community groups. The Rev. Claritha Stewart, pastor of the Independent Church of God in Southeast, said even though Lewis and Vivian are gone, “we have a new generation raising up and that is what we need. The younger soldiers.” The Rev. Ronnie Fisher, also a member of Independent church, said Black men must help to inspire and raise the younger generation. “Too often young people are living in hopeless situations and we have to be that beacon of light for them,” he said. “So often they don’t have any black men. So often they are being raised in homes with single black mothers and no fathers and we have to be that bridge for them.” WI
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
Passing the Baton!
Sunday Morning Gospel Legend and Two Civil Rights Icons, Gone! “But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:24. What a week! We lost our beloved Patrick Ellis, host of WHUR’s Sunday Morning Gospel, of Howard University’s radio station. Ellis was the longest running radio show host in the Washington, DC Area, He died from complications of the coronavirus, Covid-19. Having built a new home, had moved to a home studio, Ellis was excited about life. He didn’t have to travel back and forth to the WHUR studio any longer, then came Covid-19! We will all miss that smooth voice that played gospel music on Sunday mornings for more than four decades. The next day, Friday, July 17, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s suffered two great losses. First, Rev. Cordy Tindell Vivian, an American minister, author, and close friend and lieutenant of the Civil Rights Movement of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Known as C.T. Vivian died, he was 95. Vivian drew national attention in Selma, Alabama. According to Time website, it was in 1965, when Rev. Vivian was attacked in Alabama’s Dallas County courthouse by Sheriff Jim Clark, who listened as Vivian argued for voting rights.
Sheriff Clark obviously couldn’t take another second, punched Vivian in the mouth, but that did not stop him. He stood back up and kept talking as the cameras rolled before he was stitched up and jailed. This incident happened on February 16, 1965. Historical records shows how Sheriff Clark had a fondness for military-style helmets and jackets and whose aggressively brutal use of a nightstick made him one of the most notorious law enforcement officials in the Deep South. But no, it didn’t stop there, to my dismay, around 10:30 PM, on Friday night, as I settled in to watch the evening news, continuous coverage was running on the life of civil rights legend, John Lewis, [D-Georgia 5th Congressional District]. It was unbelievable! Three huge icons gone in the span of two days. As a young man, John Lewis asked his parents about the signs posted during the 60’s. Those signs read ‘White’s Only’ - on restaurant windows and doors, water fountains, movie theaters. There were also signs directing Blacks to the back door to pick up food. Lewis was influenced by Rosa Parks and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. He felt a pull on his life to get involved. He became national chair of SNCC, he got elected to congress, and served seven terms. The official Congressional website
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
of Lewis says “John Lewis...a genuine American hero and moral leader who commanded widespread respect in the chamber.” -- Roll Call. Often called “One of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced,” Jailed 40 times, Lewis dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building what he called “The Beloved Community” in America. His dedication to the highest ethical standards and moral principles won him the admiration of many of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the United States Congress. He became known as the ‘Conscience of the Congress. I’m looking forward to the day when they rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge, no longer paying homage to the KKK leader, Confederate Officer, and Senator. I hope to be there when they unveil the new bridge name, the John Lewis Bridge. Rest in heavenly peace my brothers! Your work is done down here, but each of you have left your footprints for many generations. Black Lives Matter has got this now. It took off like a rocket, after the death of George Floyd, protests were sparked all across America; which soon became a world event. To the three of you, Patrick Ellis, Rev. C.T. Vivian, and John Lewis - “Your work is done now, Rest In Peace! WI
John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089
1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005
“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
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Mount Olivet Lutheran Church
Reverend John W. Davis Pastor
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.
(301) 864-6070
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
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JULY 23 - 29, 2020 39
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
Blessed Word of Life Church
Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Reverend William Young IV Interim Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com
40 - JULY 23 - 29, 2020
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
“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM “Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
Crusader Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor 800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”
Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax
Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church / Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org / emailus@gmchc.org
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM
Twelfth Street Christian Church Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion every Sunday: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 10:00 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 PM Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org / Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com
Mount Carmel Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor 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
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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com
Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion shall: Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, And Exalt our Savior. (Acts 2: 41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org
St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon
All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards
Israel Baptist Church
Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”
Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor
2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office / (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!
623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 / Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 / Fax (202) 483-4009
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor
Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor
1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288
1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org
5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005
Service and Times Sunday Worship 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
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"
Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42
New Commandment Baptist Church
Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor
Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor
1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964
8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240
13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM
Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM
Rehoboth Baptist Church
Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor
Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor
2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074
621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112
Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"
Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM
Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org
Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”
“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958
Shiloh Baptist Church
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
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 “
4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Christ Embassy DC
Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com
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
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor
Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor
9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288
602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595
2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon
www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor
Email Address: admin@pbc712.org
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor
Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “
Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.
JULY 23 - 29, 2020 41
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2020 ADM 114
2020 ADM 000336
Valton Reeves Decedent
Benjamin F. Wims Decedent
James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney
Joan M. Wilbon, Esq. 1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 1020 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Cherie A. Jackson, whose address is 1116 Hamilton Street NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Valton Reeves who died on November 8, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 12/9/2020. 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 12/9/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 7/9/2020 Cherie A. Jackson Personal Representative
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Juanita B. Wims, whose address is 1426 Sheridan Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Benjamin F. Wims who died on September 14, 2009 with a Will, and will serve with 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/23/2021. 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 1/23/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 7/23/2020
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Joniece Jamison Elessie, whose address is 23 Avenue Racine, Neuilly-sur-Marne, France 93330, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of John Wesley Jamison who died on February 13, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 9, 2021. 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 January 9, 2021, 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: July 9, 2020 Joniece Jamison Elessie Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
42 - JULY 23 - 29, 2020
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LEGACY from Page 16 than 600 marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama for an event that would later become known as “Bloody Sunday.” During that fateful day, he suffered injuries to his head that would remain apparent for the rest of his life. Lewis’ youthful activism not only opened doors for him during the presidency of his fellow Georgian, Jimmy Carter, but eventually led him to pursue a career in Congress. In the more than 30 years he represented the Atlanta metropolitan area, he not only spoke against the U.S. invasion of foreign countries, championed gun control and introduced legislation for the launch of the National Museum of African American History and Culture but encouraged young people to follow in his footsteps. Jevin Hodge, a candidate for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in Arizona, recounted such a moment when, as the youngest statewide Black Democratic official in the country, he engaged
Lewis in conversation about leadership during a 2016 convention. “John Lewis looked deeply in my eyes and told me to never let my passion fade and great things will happen,” said Hodge, 26, stressing that Lewis always gave his undivided attention. Later, Hodge drew parallels between Lewis’ professional path and his current campaign in what’s considered one of the nation’s most conservative states. “It’s one of those moments when someone I admired so much looked at me and said he was proud of me for what I was doing,” he said. “I truly understood what it meant to stand on the shoulders of giants. I felt that giant kneeling down so I could stand on his shoulders and carry the torch in that moment.” Since Lewis’ death, tributes and events across the U.S. have brought people together to celebrate his legacy and pivot their focus on current social justice movements and the 2020 presidential election. Mourners in Atlanta, for instance, converged in front of a large mural of the late congressional representative last weekend.
On Sunday, members of Occupy DC and Bartenders Against Racism opened an early morning group yoga session at Black Lives Matter Plaza with a tribute to Lewis. D.C. State Board of Education Vice President Markus Batchelor, a budding yogi, counted among several who participated in these activities. Batchelor, 27, one of nearly 20 candidates for a D.C. Council atlarge seat, said the moment served as the ideal reminder for what Lewis represented. “John Lewis was committed every single day to sharing love, expanding freedom and creating a more equal and just society for all of us,” Batchelor said. “More than that, he realized that this fight isn’t a finishing of a race, but a passing of the baton.” “He not only made his own impact, but worked to inspire a new generation of young people like me to take up the ministry of ‘good trouble.’ For that reason, his death is indeed a passing and not the end of a long legacy of struggle that [we] can and must overcome.” WI
HEALTH from Page 21
COVID-19 UPDATE from Page 20
scientists to set tighter air quality standards on soot pollution after disbanding the scientists advising him on the issue. Environmental activists also noted that Trump’s fight with California is killing people of color in that car exhaust counts as another significant source of the soot pollution that kills Black and Brown people. One study found that communities of color in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic breathe 66% more air pollution just from car exhaust than white residents – exposure made worse when Trump insisted on rolling back clean cars standards. “It’s well-documented that communities of color often live with the worst pollution problems, often as a lingering result of being redlined into neighborhoods near industrial facilities and other sources of toxic pollution, and there’s good reason to think this is making the impact of COVID-19 worse,” said Bruce Mirken of The Greenlining Institute. “These communities need more control over their future and the environment they live in, not less,” Mirken demanded. WI
cloth face covering coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice,” according to the CDC. “This recommendation is based on what we know about the role respiratory droplets play in the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, paired with emerging evidence from clinical and laboratory studies that shows cloth face coverings reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth.” One key word missing from the
CDC: requires. That’s allowed retailers such as Family Dollar and Dollar Tree to require workers to wear face coverings, but “request” customers also comply. However, masks must be worn if required by a state or local ordinance. The mask debate created a public rift in Georgia currently in court. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) filed a lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) because she allegedly overstepped her authority above state law and follow Kemp’s order to recommend face coverings and not require them. Lance Bottoms posted a tweet Sunday, July 19 on her Twitter page stating Kemp filed an emergency injunction to “restrain” her from issuing statements and speaking to reporters. “Far more have sacrificed too much more for me to be silent,” she said. Kemp responded to Lance Bottoms’ post Tuesday on the show “Fox and Friends.” “We have local mayors that start going either above or beyond the executive orders I have put in place and try to pull back on our economy and start shutting our economy and shutting businesses down with really a knee-jerk reaction,” Kemp said. “I just can’t allow that.” WI
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) filed a lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) because she allegedly overstepped her authority above state law and follow Kemp’s order to recommend face coverings and not require them.
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HEATWAVE from Page 1
some relief – at least temporarily. Last weekend, many cities either met or broke record including a few in Massachusetts where temperatures hit the mid-90s for the first time since 1930. Meanwhile, countless cities along the Eastern Seaboard either came close or exceeded the 100-degree mark, breaking records once again. Experts warn that high heat itself does not pose the greatest danger to humans and animals – it’s the extended periods of high heat which exacerbates potential health risks. “Temperatures need to drop to at least 80 degrees for your body to recover from the intense day heat,” said CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar in a recently published report. “People can lose up to 2 liters of fluid overnight through sweating if temperatures don’t dip below 85 degrees Fahrenheit.” Are you staying hydrated? Are you staying out of the sun during the day? Are you keeping your pets either inside or out of the excessive heat? You should. Meanwhile, 15 states from South Carolina to Maine remain under heat advisory and warnings. Again, as stated earlier, it’s now so much the heat as it is the humidity that can cause havoc on one’s health, particularly for children and senior citizens as well as those with compromised immune systems. As the heatwave maintains its brutal assault in the Northeast, in some parts of southern and central New Jersey it will feel like its near 114 degrees. And on Monday, the Philadelphia
Department of Public Health declared a Heat Health Emergency that continued for several sweltering days. These weeks of sauna-like temperatures won’t last forever, if that’s any consolation. Summer’s half way over and the meteorological fall begins September 1. But for now, we can expect temperatures to come close to 100 in the Greater Washington Area with a heat index near 110. It was so hot this morning, even at 9 a.m., D.C.’s Storm Team4’s Somara Theodore said she had to go pick her husband up, who bailed out of his bike ride early. It was already 90 by then. “These temperatures are no joke,” she wrote adding that if you must go out in the afternoon, be sure to have an idea of where you can seek some shade or some air conditioning. Additionally, beware of sudden, pop-up summer storms with the probability of more sustained rainfall occurring in the later part of the week. Many areas have cooling centers but people will be required to wear a mask for the entire time they’re in the cooling cite. Social distancing will also be enforced with attendees directed to open seats marked with tape. National Parks service officials have closed trails as hospitals have prepared for those suffering from heat-related illnesses. In a word: it’s going to be excessively hot, so be sure to drink plenty of fluids and never leave anyone including pets or children in a car where temperatures inside rise even faster. WI
PG SCHOOL from Page 12
“That left a lot on the parents. How can you give your child a Spanish immersion education without having Spanish instruction for a half-hour a day?” said Johnson, who supports beginning the school year through virtual learning. “From a parent perspective, the biggest thing that we need [are] teachers. I hope it will be much better in the fall.” School officials and parents in parts of the D.C. region would like that, too. Public schools to the south of Prince George’s in neighboring Charles County plan to being the school year through virtual learning. To the north in Montgomery County, superintendent Jack R. Smith released a letter Tuesday, July 21 that the state’s largest school system will mirror Prince George’s with only virtual learning through Jan. 29, “or until state and local health officials determine conditions in our county allow for students to return safely after the first semester.”
Smith said in the letter school officials will provide an update to the school board Aug. 6. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a decision wouldn’t be made on the city’s reopening plans until July 31. Arlington Public Schools in Virginia will also begin with a full-time distance learning model starting Sept. 8. However, a timeline for schools in Alexandria shows its school board may not decide reopening plans until next month. One universal question parents have wondered if in-person instruction returns during the 2020-2021 school year, are their children required to return? “Parents will have that option either to participate in the hybrid model or continue online,” said Kia McDaniel, coordinating supervisor of specialty programs in Prince George’s. “No one will be forced to come in [the schools] if they don’t want to…” WI
the ongoing impact of city rollbacks due to the coronavirus and several weeks of temperatures 90 degrees or above have become the norm here in DMV and across the U.S. Close to 70 million people along the East Coast continue to face heat warnings and advisories as heat indices soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Here in the District, it feels like 108 while Philadelphia’s heat index makes temperatures feel like 105. Norfolk recently faced new highs, well over 100 degrees while New York City’s residents wiped their brows and looked for bottled water as the temperature hovered at 100 degrees. To make it easier to understand, the heat index refers to how the temperature feels, as opposed to what it actually is. Heat indices are calculated using relative humidity percentage and temperature. So, humidity will increase what the temperature feels like and make it more difficult for the human body to take over its cooling process – that is, the evaporation of sweat. When the body cannot cool itself, then the temperature feels hotter. According to meteorologists, the last time the District and our neighbors here in the East faced weeks of temperatures 90 degrees or above at a consistent level goes back to 2016. But new records continue to be broken. Temperatures in the 90s have been predicted to remain through the middle of the week with high levels of humidity making it feel ever hotter. But there’s good news: cooler air should move into the northern part region later in the week providing
examined Dec. 1-18 to provide in-person instruction at least two days a week, but wouldn’t begin until Feb. 1. Parents and guardians will have the option to allow their children to attend school or continue online and distance learning for the entire school year. “The superintendent [did] a great job making this decision not to risk the health or lives of the children going into these buildings,” said Elsie Jacobs, president of the Suitland Action Team that helps support residents in that area. Susanne Johnson, whose daughter will begin the fourth grade at Legends Charter School in Lanham, hopes distant learning will improve after schools closed in March due to COVID-19. When her daughter attended Phyllis E. Williams Spanish Immersion School in Upper Marlboro the previous school year, Johnson said the school offered only 30-minute recorded lessons.
44 - JULY 23 - 29, 2020
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BROWN from Page 26 blazoned artwork in yellow words, “BLACK LIVES MATTER” on the newly named Black Lives Matter Plaza...just across the park from the White House. When asked what message he would give to the young protesters, Congressman Lewis said, “You must be able and prepared to give until you cannot give any more. Keep making good trouble.”
MORIAL from Page 26 and Vice President Pence have urged school districts not to follow them and have even pressured the CDC to change them. The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, an influential committee of scientists and educators, this week issued a report that stressed the urgency for younger children to attend school in person. But the committee recommended safety guidelines even more stringent than the CDC’s, experts went further than guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control
WILLIAMS from Page 26 where a majority of certain white people still plan to vote for #45 after all he has done not only to insult you, but to make life difficult for them? When #45 gets ready to disrespect us, he doesn’t leave some of them out. It’s clear he doesn’t even care about those
SITES from Page 34 and buildings into housing, urban agricultural, and cultural and educational spaces. Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park in Hilton Head, S.C.: Established in 1862, Mitchelville was the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States. Located on Hilton Head Island, the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park explores Gullah Geechee Sea Islands culture and African American history during Reconstruction and includes the Fish Haul Archaeological Site. Historic Brockway Center and Historic Lyons Mansion in Oklahoma City, Okla.: A demolition intervention success story, the 1915 Brockway Center was the headquarters of the Oklahoma City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs for almost 50 years. The Lyons Mansion property was constructed
He made enough good trouble until his last breath...which still sits on the desk of Senator Mitch McConnell for signature. Rev. C.T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis inspired a legacy of “troublemaking” for future generations to emulate. Both “trouble makers” were rewarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest honor, bestowed upon them by the first African American President Barack
Obama...who recognized and acknowledged, “that if not for them, he would not be.” Both men were lifetime friends to Asa Philip Randolph and remained friends with the A. Philip Randolph Institute until their death. We share with their families in mourning their loss and in celebrating their lives. Rest in Peace, “Angelic Troublemakers.” WI
and Prevention, calling for surgical masks to be worn by all teachers and staff members during school hours, and for cloth face coverings to be worn by all students, including those in elementary school. According to an alarming report by the Washington Post, “White House officials hope Americans will grow numb to the escalating death toll and learn to accept tens of thousands of new cases a day.” Simply put: we will not. President Trump himself has pointed toward the experiences of countries like Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, where re-
opened schools have not led to major outbreaks. But the virus is under far better control in Europe than it is in the United States. The U.S. has set new records for daily infections seven times in the span of 11 days. In the past two weeks, more than 692,000 new cases were reported in the U.S. The European Union, with a third more residents, reported about onetwelfth as many cases. We desperately need to send children back to school. And we desperately need to reopen our economy. But we can’t do either until we bring the virus under control. WI
poor whites who support him. If another white person tries to tell me about how much #45 has done for this country, how much he’s done for Black people, so they’re going to vote for him, I’m no longer interested in anything else they have to say. They need not ever ask me to give my vote to anything they think is important if
I don’t see it as important to my community. Why does any Black person have to wonder for whom they’ll vote this year? Just compare the records of the candidates on things that should matter to you, and you shouldn’t have to be still thinking about for whom you should vote for any office. WI
between 1912-1926 by a prominent local African American entrepreneur. Both sites need restoration and are two of only a few historically significant African American landmarks still standing in Oklahoma City’s urban core. Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center in Joseph, Ore.: In the early 1920s, 60 experienced Black loggers from the South were recruited to work in the logging town of Maxville, Oregon, during a time when the state itself still had Black exclusion laws. The Maxville Heritage Interpretative Center tells their story and more about African American rural life in the Pacific Northwest. Launched in 2017, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is a national initiative aimed at uplifting the largely overlooked contributions of Black Americans. From the protection of Shockoe Bottom in Richmond to Fort Huachuca Black Officer’s Club in Arizo-
na, the fund helps to support direct action needed to protect threatened sites of historic significance, address critical funding gaps for the preservation of African American historic sites, and help uncover hidden stories of African Americans across the nation. “There is an opportunity and an obligation for us to step forward boldly and ensure the preservation of places which tell the often-overlooked stories of African Americans and their many contributions to our nation,” Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said. “We believe that this fund will be transformative for our country, and we are committed to crafting a narrative that expands our view of history and, ultimately, begins to reconstruct our national identity, while inspiring a new generation of activists to advocate for our diverse historic places.” WI
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As Brother Malcolm said, what Black Americans are experiencing is not a matter of civil rights but human rights – what one could argue includes self-determination. Despite what has been conveyed in one often cited documentary about Malcolm X’s assassination, that fateful event in the Audubon Ballroom happened as a result of collusion between intelligence agencies in the U.S., France and other anti-Black colonizer governments that had followed a newly-Africanized Malcolm X on his travels abroad. The global assault against African unity continued with the opposition to Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of a politically unified Africa. In that situation, the U.S. exerted pressure on President William Tubman of Liberia to promote the gradual development of individual nations. Ultimately, other African leaders
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mander-in-chief. And he stands and salutes when the Star-Spangled Banner is played. How silly. He’s such a phony, four-flusher. Other, similarly military-deficient presidents have done the same thing, saluting when they shouldn’t so they might appear to be more soldier-like than they are. But Dwight Eisenhower, who was a five-star, General of the Army in combat (you can’t get any higher than that as the top rank is usually four-stars), never saluted when he hung up his uniform; nor did John F. Kennedy, a Navy PT Boat skipper; nor did Jimmy Carter, a Navy submarine commander. The proper protocol during those occasions is for civilians to place their right hand over the heart. And then Trump mocks the generals claiming to know more than any of them and scoffs at their intelligence. Two retired
would embrace Tubman’s philosophy to the extent that each newly-freed nation has been unable to prevent its former colonizers’ intrusion in their local affairs, similar to the situation faced by Black Americans today. Had the African continent fashioned itself as a strong political unit, much like what the European Union has accomplished today, that body would not only be able to determine its collective fate but better protect Black Americans experiencing police brutality, housing and food insecurity, health disparities and exploitation by foreign forces, i.e. the U.S. government. In June, more than a dozen African countries recognized the importance of this concept firsthand when they called for a debate on U.S. racism before the UN’s Human Rights Council. The governing body, in response to the group’s petition, said global racism must be tackled as opposed to abuses
suffered exclusively by Black Americans. Even as the powers that be discourage unity among the oppressed, they have weaponized that strategy to protect one of its own. That’s why Black people in the U.S. must adopt an internationalist, Pan-Africanist philosophy. That starts with identifying with Africa, more so than this nation’s colonizer society. Such a mindset change, as Malcolm so clearly articulated, would no longer make Black Americans a “minority” but part of a global majority supported by a politically unified African world. Trust and believe there’s nothing more that the American establishment would fear. Those who still haven’t been convinced need to look no further than at Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey and others who paid the ultimate price for espousing global African solidarity. WI
generals who served in top positions in his administration have denounced him. Four-star General James Mattis, who was his former Defense Secretary said he’s “a threat to the Constitution.” Fourstar General John Kelly, his former Chief of Staff, stood by Mattis, not Trump. Now, despite the fact that the top military brass have said that U.S. military bases should not be named after Confederate soldiers because the Confederate rebels committed treason, leading troops in war against the U.S., Trump has since threatened to veto the current defense authorization bill if it contains language requiring the names to be changed. He’s four-flushing. Pass the bill Congress! Make him veto the Pentagon funding. He won’t do it. He can’t do it. He’s chicken. He can’t get away with it if Congress stands up and does the right thing. Even Robert E. Lee, the venerat-
ed Confederate commander was considered a traitor and his U.S. citizenship was not restored for his betrayal until more than 100 years after his death. If Congress would just stand up to that tin-horn we would all see that he’s bluffing, with a lousy hand, just like everything he’s touched throughout his life which has turned out to be manure rather than gold. He will always remain an impeached president. He just fourflushed the Senate into not removing his rancid hull from office. He’s a hopeless narcissist who thinks his likeness should be on Mt. Rushmore instead of on a bathroom tissue roll, or on a wanted poster in the U.S. Post Office. Don’t be bluffed by that cheap grifter. Stand up to him. He’s a phony four-flusher who should be frog-marched out of the White House and out of the pages of U.S. history. WI
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