The Washington Informer - April 13 2017

VOL. 52, NO. 26 • APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

DCTAG Has Money for College.

Apply by June 30th!

Wizard's at Home Page 44

Medical Marijuana Bill Goes Up in Smoke

SECOND OF A TWO-PART SERIES

Juvenile Justice Reform Becomes Law in the District Landmark Bill Emphasizes Rehabilitation

Local Bills in Prince George's Get OK

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill In a surprising turn of events, legislation to revamp the Maryland medical cannabis commission flamed out at the last minute in the Maryland General Assembly.

Lawmakers did approve major bills such as the state becoming the first in the nation to fund Planned Parenthood if federal

MARIJUANA Page 11

5 Dancers perform "Celebrate" during the opening of the 2017 Cherry Blossom Parade. Photo by Lateef Mangum

Lawmakers Split on MD Domestic Violence Bill

One Piece of Legislation Passes, Second Part Does Not

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

5Attendees celebrate #DCRiverFest on a sunny day April 9 /Photo by Troy Donté Prestwood Story on Page 46

For a second straight year, Maryland lawmakers dismissed domestic violence legislation.

Bills from Prince George's County representatives Del. Angela Angel and Sen. C. Anthony Muse looked to redefine abuse with the addition of "harassment" and "malicious destruction of property."

The legislation also urged local school boards imple-

ment age-appropriate lessons in health education to explain ways to combat violence, but didn't make it out of committees in both chambers to even garner a full vote.

"I think a big push for us next year will be to try and get some concrete answers from legislators as to why they seem opposed to these bills," Prince George's State's Attorney spokesman John Erzen said in an email. "We will keep the

VIOLENCE Page 13

In the first part of this series (“Gun Sales in America Surging Among Blacks,” March 23-29), the Informer examined a recent surge among Blacks nationwide in gun club memberships as well as a significant increase in gun purchases, also among Blacks, reaching out to experts (Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie and D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine) in the District to help us understand these two unprecedented developments.

Both men also shared candid views on the recent spike in gun violence and homicides in parts of the District, including Ward 5 which McDuffie represents.

Now, we turn to landmark comprehensive juvenile justice reform, sponsored by Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie, that just days ago became law. Several of its more significant provisions include: ending the use of solitary confinement on children; restoring judicial discretion for sentencing juveniles; and ensuring children age-appropriate confinement.

McDuffie, who first presented the “Comprehensive Youth Justice Amendment Act” in 2016 while serving as the chairperson of the Committee on the Judiciary, said the new legislation will go a long way in keeping youth from be-

GUNS Page 39

Celebrating 52 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

Now Published by Dr. Charles Vincent

Her Legacy Continues.

In memory of Mickey Thompson Vincent, Founder and Publisher.

A Raisin in the Sun

By Lorraine Hansberry

Link Brenda Baldwins Marshall (Wash DC Fund. Comm), Link Yvonne Wright Carter (Wash DC Fund.

Comm), Link Cynthia Williams (W. Palm Beach)

Dr. Charles & “Mickey” Vincent

Rose Milton, Tiffini Greene, Benny Milton.

Directed by Tazewell Thompson The Links Incorporated sponsored a night at the Arena Stage for the performance of Lorraine Hansberry’s internationally acclaimed play, A Raisin in the Sun. The performance followed a reception in the theatre’s beautiful atrium.

(L-R) Joan Cilayne, Paula WhetselRibeau, Johanna R. Thomas, Brenda Baldwin Marshall, Dawn Ursula (Actress, Ruth in Raisin in the Sun), Link Sharon Gibson (Montrose, Md.)

Paul, Joyayah and Abdullah Muhammed.

Link Dr. Marilyn Brown, Dr. Franklin Smith, Gloria Smith

Guests of Dr. Marilyn Tyler Brown

Performance attendence.

Rev. Vernon and Mrs. Shannon (John Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church) and family

Oscar Lara and Jessica Perez

Dr. Deborah Evans, Councilman Brandon Todd (Ward 4), Dr. Linda Cropp, Atty Charles Baron, Dr. Marilyn Tyler Brown

Dr. Dorothye Bush, Mr. Bush, and Dr. Alethea Spraggins

Judge Eric Washington (DC Court of Appeals) and Mrs. Cheryl Washington

Social Sightings - THE MAGAZINE Subscribe www.SocialSightings.com Kendra Handy/Editor Dr. Charles Vincent/Photographer Brian Young/Graphic Designer l

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Social Sightings-The Column is published in the Hill Rag, DC Mid-City, East of the River Journals, The Washington Informer Newspaper and in the Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlingnton, Loudoun Woman Magazines 2003 © SOCIAL SIGHTINGS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — DUPLICATION IN ANY FORM REQUIRES WRITTEN PERMISSION | E-mail SocialSightings@aol.com

2 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

Professor Williams and Daughter Rachel

Oscar Lara and Jessica Perez

Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby (Chief Judge of the DC Court of Appeals) and Judge Robert Rigsby (Superior Court of the District of Columbia)

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Bill and Sheila Washington and guests.

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

PG County................................12-13 Business.................................... 14-15 National.....................................16-17

BLACK FACTS / PAGE 6

Around the Region...................5-11

International..................................18 Health .................................... 20-24 Education................................26-27 OpEd.........................................29-31 Lifestyle................................. 32-40 Capture the Moment........42-43

HEALTH / PAGE 24

Sports............................................. 45

FOLLOW US ON

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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 3

around the region

W I HBreak O T the T OCycle P I C of S Women Domestic Violence

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR AND WILLIAM J. FORD / WI STAFF WRITER

law enforcement. She said they threat,” she said.

New Bills Target District's Seniors Small Businesses had come together to bring aandAmong the programs Marlow

By Tia Carol Jones

www.washingtoninformer.com

WI Staff Writer

Visit our updated Web site and give us your comments for a chance to win a gift from The Washington Informer Email comments to: rburke@ washingtoninformer.com

sense of uniformity in the way wants to see implemented are Councilmember McDuffie, of the committee on business When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year-chair domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, anddaughter economic development, has introduced twotreated. pieces of legislation old told her the father survivors are more rights for victim's families to support seniors aging in place and offer Main Street organizations of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a victhe and samethe waivers fortheir somechild, permit fees now to Business life, life of story, herbeing ownoffered personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assessImprovement Districts.

“Managing Outdoor Work for Seniors ment unit coupled with further she knew something hadThe to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens Amendment provide outdoor yardMarlow. work services for se- training for law enforcement done.

Out ofAct” herwould frustration said about with enforcement's handling mowing niorslaw including lawn fertilization, and snow removal.

Davis-Nickens said McDufanyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecoffiethe decided to who reads Marlow's will tion Act and mandatory counselsaidsituation, about theshetwo bills: “Many seniors simply need a book little assisstart Saving Promise cam- “gettasks it.” around She said sheyards. “putsMain the ing for batterers. tancethe with some of the labor-intensive their paign. casebudgets in suchand a way, average “If we are ever going to eradiStreet organizations often run on tight everythe dollar saved seems to bebeaspent vicious cycle in person can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must is“It one that can reinvesting our retail corridors.” that won't turn my family end of the day, the book will look at both sides of the coin. loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicshared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said.

Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to sixCenters consec-for Disease awareness among children in The Control [CDC] has compiled sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without parolehuman public and private[HPV] schools. data on genital papillomavirus ratesShe among Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for for his the rolefirst in time. feelsPrevious childrenresearch need totargeted be educatmen teenage Center of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. girls and women. During a recent two-year period, almost Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “Weages have to59 stop 23 percent of U.S. adults 18 to hadbeing a type pasof HPV Up of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilthat put them at high risk of certain cancers.

During Marlow has written a book, an organization that helps the dren about domestic violence,”2013 to 2014, the prevalence was higher in men than in wom“Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. en, and sharply higherMarlow among Blacks compared story about four generations of and their children. has worked to with breakother racial and ethnic groups. domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, Thetime.

CDCIt estimates nearly 80the million people inspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long is and that is confident policies she are infected theher U.S.grandmother, and that about 14not million new infections occur annually teenagers as wellstart as adults. and thoseinof an easy thing to come out isamong pushing for will that The her mother and herHPV daughter.

CDC recommends vaccinations youth protected before potential exposure of,”forshe said.ages 11 to 12 so that they’re process.

She said every timesexual she contact. reads Mildred Muhammad said to the virus through “I plan to take these policies to excerpts from her book, peopleforwho wantwomen to help a and Congress andand implore As with genital HPV, she ratesstill were higher men than overall in all racial ethnicthem groupstowith can not having believethe thelowest words came domestic victim Asians rates and Blacks havingviolence the highest rates.must change our laws,” Marlow said. from her. “Color Me Butterfly” 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 The Addison Family, which settled in Prince George’s County in the 1600s, filed a civil lawsuit last my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going month against National Harbor developer the Peterson Cos. of Fairfax, Virginia.

The suit, filed by Adlips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI dison descendants Christina Carter and Tanya Lyle, wants to keep a family cemetery near the MGM Elaine Davis-Nickens, presicasino intact. The company praised its connection with the Addison family in a 2015 advertising dent of resort the National Hook-Up in the ofsupplement Black Women, saidWashington there is no Informer, more specifically in renovating the former Thomas Addison Elconsistency in the way domestic ementary School on Oxon Hill Road to house as an employment center. It will be later turned over to the violence are dealt with byMeanwhile, the developer filed plans in August with the Maryland-National county issues for a recreation center.

Capitol Park and Planning Commission to relocate the cemetery to a church in Temple Hills. The Historic Preservation Commission voted last month to allow the relocation of cemetery. However, the county’s State’s Attorney’s office has the final say. Spokesman John Erzen said the office has been in contact with both parties. “While there is not a formal timetable on the review process, once it has been completed, we will make a final ruling on whether or not the request will be approved,” he said. “Everyone involved will have an opportunity to have their voice heard.”

CDC: Cancer Agent HPV on Rise Among Adults

Wilhelmina J. Rolark In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Denise Rolark Barnes published on each Thursday.postage weeklyweekly on Thursday.

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Make checks payable to: Brooke N. Garner Managing Editor Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell,Will Ford Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Carla Peay Assistant Managing Editor Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, THE WASHINGTON INFORMER (Prince George’s County Ron Burke Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, JosephWriter), Young 3117Mable Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Bookkeeper Whittaker Hamil Harris, Tatyana Hopkins, Jade JamesWashington, D.C. 20032 LaNita Wrenn Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS Gist, D. Kevin McNeir, Lauren Poteat, Phone: 202De561-4100 John E. Freitas Sports Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Dorothy Rowley, Sarafina Wright Fitzgerald, (General Fax:Victor 202 Holt 574-3785 Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Maurice news@washingtoninformer.com Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Design Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert Assignment Writer) Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster www.washingtoninformer.com Ridley, Victor Holt

County Family Sue MGM Developer to Protect Cemetery

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4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com

4 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

“

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these Federal Judge Rules Texas Voter ID Law Intentionally Discriminatory policies to Congress and Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, recently implore themhostto change our spoke with NewsOne Roland Martin about a federal judge’s ruling that the controversial Texas voter ID law is will not stop until an laws. intentional I discrimination against minority voters. Civil rights advocates have been fighting against the law since its 2011these passing, and in February are the Department of Justice policies passed. requested that a federal court dismiss their claim that the

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“

In Memoriam The Washington Informer Dr. CalvinNewspaper W. Rolark, Sr.

law was created to discriminate against minority voters.

L.Y. Marlow “Yesterday’s ruling is a vindication of the position that we’ve long been taking, which is that this law is infected with discriminatory purpose at every stage and should be fully rendered null and void. This is not a matter of politics – it’s about locking African Americans and Latinos out of the process; there were more than 600,000 people in Texas who were registered voters and were disenfranchised when this law was put on the books.”

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AROUND THE REGION

Gray Pushes for New Hospital in Budget

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Contributing Writer

that would require construction of a new hospital on the grounds of St. Elizabeths to replace the outdated United Medical Center."

VINCENT GRAY / Former Mayor, D.C. health committee, said the money set aside in the Bowser administration's proposed budget for the effort was not enough.

The current budget sets aside $180 million to improve or replace the aging United Medical Center in Southeast, but Gray called for $300 million to build a new facility and find a private operator for it.

Bowser argued that an operator must be found before the city can commit to funding a brand-new hospital.

During his address, Gray also highlighted initiatives he introduced to address health disparities that would establish a loan fund and cutback on the medical listening process for medical physicians already licensed in several other states to encourage physicians to practice in Wards 7 and 8.

He said though the two wards have a collective population of nearly 140,000, only 120 primary care and specialty physicians practice in those areas.

"It's unbelievable," Gray said.

"We need to tackle that."

He also pointed out that there are currently no urgent care facilities in Wards 7 and 8.

"With all of the disparities that exist on the east side of the city, [chairing the health committee] is something I absolutely wanted to do," Gray said of his appointment to the health committee.

He said his goal is to create an "integrated system of health care on the east end."

WI

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5 Councilmember Vincent Gray. /WI file photo

KAYA SURVIVED! She was born 4 months early and spent more than 5 months in the hospital.

Sign up at marchforbabies.org Prince George’s March for Babies Saturday, April 29, 2017 Watkins Regional Park, Upper Marlboro, MD 8:00 a.m. Registration; 9:00 a.m. Walk Starts marchforbabies.org/event/princegeorges Š 2016 March of Dimes Foundation

Mayor Muriel Bowser has said that her proposed fiscal 2018 budget is a "road map for inclusive prosperity," but Councilmember Vincent Gray, her predecessor and political rival, disagrees.

Just hours after sharply disagreeing with Bowser in the council chamber during a budget presentation, where the Ward 7 representative called the budget a "path that leads to nowhere," Gray gave what he called the "State of Ward 7 Address" Thursday evening at Kelly Miller Middle School, where he continued his criticism.

Gray presented points from a 30-page action plan for Ward 7 composed of 53 initiatives to improve education outcomes, restore public safety, bring economic development and employment opportunities and improve overall quality of life in the ward.

Gray called for a larger police force, senior-citizen tax relief, raising D.C. TANF awards to the level provided in Maryland and grocery stores in Wards 7 and 8, but it was his remarks about health care east of the Anacostia River that garnered the largest applause.

"I will use [the budget] as a template and overlay to measure its potential effectiveness and its responsiveness to the people that I represent in Ward 7," Gray said.

"For example, are 'D.C. Values in Action' demonstrated in what the budget will do for health care on the east end? Is there evidence in this budget that will lead to construction of a new hospital on the east end?"

He said the answer to the questions is a "resounding no."

"I have a bill that would require construction of a new hospital on the grounds of St. Elizabeths to replace the outdated United Medical Center," he said.

He first proposed replacing the city-owned United Medical Center in Southeast with a new hospital on the grounds of the St. Elizabeths campus when he was mayor, but could not get the initiative supported by the city council.

"You can't build a hospital with what's in [the budget]," Gray said.

"You'd be lucky if you could build a hospital out of Lego blocks with [it].

Gray, who chairs the council's

""I have a bill

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 5

AROUND THE REGION

WEEK OF APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 1994 – Ralph Ellison, author of "Invisible Man," dies in New York City at 81 of pancreatic cancer.

APRIL 13

1873 – The Colfax Riot, the largest racial massacre in U.S. history, takes place in Colfax, Louisiana, where APRIL 17 approximately 150 black men are killed by whites 1983 – Alice Walker wins the Pulitzer Prize for fiction amid a highly contested gubernatorial election. for her novel "The Color Purple."

1964 – Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best APRIL 18 Actor for his role as a construction worker who helps 1966 – Basketball great Bill Russell is named playbuild a chapel in "Lilies of the Field." er-coach of the Boston Celtics, becoming the first African-American head coach in NBA history.

1977 – Author Alex Haley is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in journalism for his novel "Roots: The Saga of an American Family."

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1997 – Golf great Tiger Woods wins the Masters, becoming the the youngest and the first non-white player to win the tournament.

1775 – The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, the first American abolition society, is founded in Philadelphia.

1837 – Cheyney University, one of the nation's oldest black colleges, is founded in Cheyney, Pennsylvania.

1971 – Walter Fauntroy is sworn in as the first elected Congressional representative from the District of Columbia since Reconstruction.

1978 – Journalist Max Robinson is named as an anchor for ABC's "World News Tonight," becoming the first black to anchor a network news broadcast. WI

APRIL 15

1889 – Social and civil activist A. Philip Randolph, who organized and led the first predominantly black labor union, is born in Crescent City, Florida.

1896 – Booker T. Washington receives an honorary degree from Harvard University.

1915 – Walter Washington, the first mayor of Washington, D.C., is born in Dawson, Georgia.

1926 – Norma Sklarek, the first black woman to be licensed as an architect in the United States, is born in Harlem, New York.

APRIL 16

Law Office Nigel M. Atwell 1862The – The District of of Columbia CompensatSpecial Education Lawyer ed Emancipation Act, or simply Compensated Emancipation a law that ended slavery in D.C. by •Does yourAct, child have a learning or other disability? paying slave owners for releasing their slaves, is signed •Is your child failing in school, especially in reading?

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1864 Has – Internationally known singer Flora Batson, •Does it feel Double-Voiced like your child’s IEP is not known as "The Queen ofworking?

Song," is born in Washington, D.C. 1947Is–your Basketball Hall of Fame center Kareem Abchild’s school ignoring your questions or concerns? dul-Jabbar is born in New York City.

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WOODS

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VIEW P INT

By Sarafina Wright

President Trump's Supreme Court pick Neil Gorsuch has been confirmed despite political tensions. What are your thoughts?

AROUND THE REGION

3 simple words... changed my life forever.

NATALIE WILLIAMS - Breast Cancer Survivor

ROBERT MARSHALL /

JOIN THE MOVEMENT... Our

campaign goal is to screen over 1,000 women of color for breast cancer through October 2017. With your commitment we can help our sisters to survive and thrive.

DALLAS, TEXAS

We're witnessing the takeover of the Supreme Court. It is no longer a legitimate body. Our country has been taken over.

We will need a talk show so they can explain what just happened to us.

BRENDA D. PETERSON / WASHINGTON, D.C.

I cannot celebrate this new justice.

Merrick Brian Garland was denied even a hearing. The Republicans denied President Obama because he is a black man. This new Supreme Court judgeship is tainted.

GLENCIE RHEDRICK /

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

When you change the rules to win, it's not a win — it's abuse of power.

Nothing good comes out of corruption.

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This, moment to me, is the same equivalency as the inauguration of Donald J. Trump. This was my rally cry to protect the court. And together we rallied and made sure that this nation's court system did not fall off of the liberal left cliff.

SHARON HOWARD / WASHINGTON, D.C.

I think that it's a seat that Obama should have filled and because of this administration being under FBI investigation, they shouldn't not have even [been] allowed to [have] a Supreme Court nominee.

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 7

AROUND THE REGION

Gray Recognizes Special Olympics Gold Medalist

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer Ward 7 Council member Vincent Gray recently recognized a D.C. teen for his victories at the 2017 Special Olympics World Games in Austria last month.

At his State of Ward 7 address on Thursday, April 6, Gray presented 17-year-old D.C. native and twotime gold medalist Cornell Gray with a D.C. Council ceremonial resolution named after him: "Cornell Taron Gray Recognition Resolution of 2017."

"I want to congratulate [Cornell] for a job well done," Gray said. "On behalf of the Council of the District of Columbia, I want to present him with a resolution.

"The [council] congratulates Cornell for his perseverance and

achievement in representing the United States at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria, winning two gold medals for speed skating," Gray said as he presented Cornell with the reso Cornell had only been speed skating for two years before he snagged two gold medals in the sport at the Special Olympics World Games.

The H.D Woodson High School junior became involved with Special Olympics a few years ago, playing basketball, soccer and other sports.

He already has medals in volleyball, basketball and bowling.

Nearly 2,700 Special Olympics athletes, representing 107 countries around the world, competed in Austria for the 2017 World Winter Games.

Cornell was the only Special Olympics athlete from D.C. to

5 Cornell Gray /Courtesy photo represent Team USA in the World Games. The trip was his first time out of the country. WI

Tax Return Deadline Extended to Tuesday, April 18 WI Staff For those working on their tax returns at the last minute, you have an extra two days to spare.

The deadline to file tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service always rests on April 16, but the day falls on a Sunday this year.

Usually, the deadline to file returns would fall on a Monday. However, the District celebrates Emancipation Day on Monday, April 17, which pays homage to the city abolishing slavery and also shuts down the government.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, legal holidays in the District affect the filing deadline nationwide.

Last year, the District holiday fell on a Friday, April 15, 2016 and nationwide tax returns had to turned in April 16. However, the day fell on a Saturday and the IRS moved the deadline to Monday, April 18.

As a reminder, the IRS recommends taxpayers to keep all copies of prior tax returns from at least three years.

For more information on how to file 2016 tax returns, go to www.irs.gov/GetReady. WI

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AROUND THE REGION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

By D. Kevin McNeir / WI Editor @dkevinmcneir

The World According to Dominic

“Peele’s Film on Race, ‘Get Out,’ Shows How Far We Haven’t Come” Despite a huge assortment of modern-day entertainment options like Netflix, Hulu, various cable stations and bootleg videos from the hood, all ways to engage our minds when we can put down those handheld devices for just an hour or so in order to chill out, there’s still a vibrant market for folks like me who enjoy a little cuddling in the dark with their “boo” while sipping on a soda and gobbling down a bucket of overly-buttered popcorn.

Yes, the romantic rendezvous at the movie remains alive and well.

I had been hearing about that talented brother Jordan Peele, who makes up half of the popular sketch-comedy duo of “Key and Peele” and who recently surged ahead with his directorial debut, Get Out.” In fact, I have heard so much positive feedback about the horror film that I put everything on hold so we could check it out for ourselves.

After sitting on the edge of my seat from start to finish, I understood why it’s earned more than $130 million and climbing – and has been among the top five money earners this season – challenging films that were almost guaranteed to score big – including “Logan.” I was intrigued, excited and ready to have some serious conversations with a few folks. And I had some questions to present.

Who says Black directors can’t make it in Hollywood? Who says Blacks can’t direct films that will attract more than just a handful of brothers and sisters burdened by limited education and lackluster career goals? Who says millennials won’t put their devices down long enough to watch a movie with a crowd of others eager to collectively scream, laugh, jump and willing to use their brains to predict the next scene?

“Get Out” has taken America by storm, dominating the social media commentary waves in a way that only a handful of films have been able in the past. As for the bad guys who we’d probably expect to be supporters of Donald Trump and his “Make America Great” philosophy, we’re shocked to discover that they’re white liberals who loved Barack Obama – so much

so that they’d vote him in office for a third term, if they could.

The story centers on a Black dude who connects with a white chick for a physical encounter – over and over again. After five months, he agrees to accompany her for a family visit in the idyllic suburbs. Seems like there won’t be much to it. Already I’m wondering why I wasted my money. Then, we find out that the family belongs to a cult – one that wants to extend their lives by taking residence in the bodies of young, healthy Black men and women – virile, agile – able to run fast and procreate on a dime. Unfortunately, the Black folks have to lose their identities, their freedom – becoming “zombies.”

Rich white people want to take over Black bodies. Who would have thought it? And they seem to have just about perfected the process, given one or two flubs. Darn Chris, looks like you hooked up with the wrong white girl. Bet you can’t forget the words of your best friend, a TSA agent who has reminded you that it’s dangerous going to Grandmother’s house in the woods. Why didn’t you listen to him when he said be careful?

Why didn’t you believe him when he warned you about a possible unhappy ending once Mommy and Daddy learned their lily-white daughter was getting it on with a dark-skinned brother from the city.

Who will believe Chris or his homeboy from TSA? Who would believe a brother who visits the pristine white burbs and then claims there’s something crazy going on? Would you?

It’s a worst-case scenario with an ending that will shock you.

Peele is brilliant with a film that seems to ask if we can’t all just get along? Thanks Rodney King. So, can we? Haven’t we entered that long-desired reality where the evils and illnesses that have been centuries-old by-products of red, white and blue-produced racism and prejudice have finally given way to a new post-racial America?

Who needs Trump? Let Obama return. Or better yet, that other almost Black president, Bill Clinton. WI

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Invitation to an Open House and Public Hearing on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for the Foreign Missions Center Master Plan at the Former Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC The U.S. Department of State invites you to attend an Open House and Public Hearing on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) to receive comments from the public during the mandated public comment period. Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Department of State will identify a Preferred Alternative to prepare a master plan for the long-term development of a Foreign Missions Center (FMC) on the site of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in the District of Columbia, under authorities of the Foreign Missions Act of 1982.

The master plan is an update from the previous 2014 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) as a result of changes to the overall land area available for the FMC and subsequent changes to the development program and site access resulting from the changes in site area. The master plan is intended to guide the development of a cohesive campus by establishing design and land-use planning principles for the construction of new buildings, roadways, open green space, and utilities, while minimizing environmental impacts.

The Department of State invites individuals, organizations and agencies to submit comments concerning the content and findings of the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement during the Public Hearing. Doors will open at 4:30pm for the Open House and the Public Hearing will start promptly at 6:30pm at the same location.

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 4:30pm – 6:30pm Open House 6:30pm – 8:30pm Public Hearing Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Red Cross Building Dahlia Street, NW - Building 41 Washington, D.C. 20012 The Department of State will consider and respond to comments received on the SDEIS in preparing the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The public comment period starts with the publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register and will continue for forty-five (45) days, commencing on March 31 to May 18, 2017.

In addition, the Department of State is continuing to carry out the review process under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 regarding the potential effect of the proposed undertaking on identified historic properties. Public comments regarding the effect of the proposed undertaking on identified historic properties will be accepted as part of the SDEIS review process.

All comments on the SDEIS process must be submitted by May 18, 2017, to ensure that they are considered during preparation of the FEIS. The public can provide comments in the following ways: 1) oral and written comments may be submitted during the Public Hearing; 2) email comments to FMC.info@state.gov; or 3) mail comments to (if mailed, comments should be post-marked no later than May 18, 2017): Geoffrey Hunt, Department of State A/OPR/RPM, Room 1264 2201 C St. NW Washington, D.C. 20520-1264 The SDEIS for the Foreign Missions Center Master Plan is available online at http://www.state.gov/ofm/ property/fmc/index.htm. Copies are also available for public review at the following libraries: Juanita E. Thornton-Shepherd Park Library, Takoma Park Neighborhood Library, and Petworth Neighborhood Library.

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 9

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MID-CITY FINANCIAL DONATES TO YOUTH Mid-City Financial donates $150,000 to the Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School on Monday, April 10.

Pictured: Ward 5 Council member Kenyan McDuffie, Leicester Johnson - CEO of the Academy of Hope, and Eugene Ford, Jr., Chairman - Mid-City Financial. /Photo courtesy of Mid-City Financial

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SPECIAL $59 OFFER – CALL FOR DETAILS 5 Members of the House of Delegates stare at the clock as it ticks down to midnight on April 10, the last day of the Maryland General Assembly. /Photo by William J. Ford

MARIJUANA from Page 1 dollars are cut, which has been threatened by President Donald Trump. Advocates estimate about 25,000 Marylanders would continue to receive access to reproductive health care.

Other major legislation includes a business with 15 more employees must provide five paid sick leave days; allow the attorney general the power to sue drug companies for price gouging; and not permit colleges to ask prospective students about their criminal history on an application.

During a press conference after the session ended Monday, April 10, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) commended the legislature for their work and for approving several of his initiatives, such as a jobs bill that allow manufacturers to receive tax credits in distressed areas, as well as an ethics law that received bipartisan support.

"It was an incredibly successful session for the people of Maryland," said Hogan, who planned to sign at least 100 bills Tuesday, April 11. "It was the most bipartisan session we've ever seen in Annapolis."

About 90 minutes before Hogan spoke on the steps inside the State House, tension filled the House of Delegates as delegates attempted to get medical marijuana legislation on the floor for a full vote.

Del. Cheryl Glenn of Baltimore, who sponsored the legislation, walked back and forth toward the House Speaker podium, trying to figure out why the bill

after the session and was whisked away by colleagues from her Baltimore City delegation.

Del. Angela Angel (D-District 25) of Upper Marlboro helped craft her the legislation as a member of the House's Health and Government Operations Committee.

For instance, the legislation required the commission to incorporate a disparity study so minority and women-owned businesses would get a fair shot in the application process. In addition, five additional growers and five more processors would've been allowed. Also, the 14-member commission would've decreased to nine.

"The Republican members of the House winding down the clock was a procedural play Masjid Muhammad: Nation’s Mosque and it was frustrating," she said.

Her legislation didn't make it The to the House floor for a vote until "There's a lot of things that fell to 11:55 p.m., five minutes before the waist side, but we pick ourselves up and start again." the session ended.

Join Us! Locally, a Prince George's Some Republican lawmakCounty ers filibustered to askSaturday, questions 22 April 2017 @ 7:00bill p.m. received near-unanimous approval to gain more conabout the bill. When theHilton clock Crystal City, Va. struck midnight, it became too trol of its liquor control board late and the legislation failed.

Call 202-483-8832 visit www.thenationsmosque.org MARIJUANA Page 13 Glenn declined to comment still hadn't reached the floor.

The Senate and House needed to reach a compromise, so Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller worked off Glenn's bill to allow five more growers and five additional processors in the application process to ensure racial and geographically diversity. In return, Miller sought to include two companies that had sued the commission to receive a license because they received a higher score but still weren't approved.

Glenn, in an interview about 30 minutes before the House reconvened at 10:40 p.m., blasted the Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, named after her late mother, as "incompetent" and "corrupt."

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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Real Estate Group Teaches Importance of Homeownership

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill The best way for blacks to build wealth starts with homeownership.

That's the message the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) ingrained in the minds of more than two dozen people Saturday, April 8 at the Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex in Fort Washington.

12 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

The Lanham outfit held its annual mid-winter conference last week at National Harbor, but conducted the free community event Saturday to educate residents on the proper steps to homeownership.

"This is a marathon, not a race," said Ceron Pugh Sr., president of the Prince George's County chapter of NAREB. "We want you in the long haul … to buy a home and establish wealth."

5 Prince George's County Councilman Obie Patterson (left) speaks during an April 8 homeownership event in Fort Washington sponsored by the National Association of Real Estate Brokers. /Photo by William J. Ford

Pugh reviewed what lenders look for from prospective homebuyers, including job stability, income and having a savings plan.

Each person received a "home buyers workshop" document that briefly reviews each topic. It also mentions the most important part of the home-buying process rests with credit.

Three credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — are what lenders use to pull a

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person's credit history. Without one, most financial institutions will not provide a person with a loan.

Pugh said when applying for a loan and working with a lender, tell your financial history because it will be eventually found when a credit report is checked.

For those with limited or no credit, www.bankrate.com suggests building a good credit history it by obtaining a secured credit card that requires a security deposit and acts like collateral. Another idea is to co-sign for a vehicle, or something of substance, with a friend or family member.

"These lenders look to credit to see where you're going," he said. "It you don't pay anything, then you won't get anything."

Several attendees understood some of the terminology from the housing experts, but Tonyia Minnis didn't realize each lender has its own formula on how much a person must provide for a down payment. Minnis and her husband, David, rent an apartment in Suitland. "[Lenders] don't have a standard formula they go by," she said while standing next to her husband and their 1-year-old granddaughter. "It's like you've got to shop around and look for what you want to give you the best loan you can handle. That's why we are here to learn about the process."

After the presentation, attendees could speak with mortgage lenders, housing counselors and even receive a free credit report and an analysis of it.

Nadine Hackett of Fort Washington expressed interest in a loan program from Bank of America where a first-time homebuyer could get approved

for a fixed-rate as low as 3 percent with no mortgage insurance required. However, the loan must be for at least 25 years.

Hackett attended to get information for her daughter, Shayla, who had to work Saturday.

"She's about to graduate from Bowie State University in December, so she can look over this information later," she said. "I want her to experience being a homeowner."

The county was one of the hardest-hit jurisdictions in the nation when the housing crisis hit nearly 10 years ago and thousands of people lost their homes after going underwater, or when the homeowner owes more than what the house is worth.

The county also had foreclosed homes and ranked in the top five for several years in the state of Maryland, according to realytrac. com, which keeps track of foreclosed properties. The company had Prince George's with the sixth-highest foreclosure rate in the state with one in every 585 units in February.

The housing crisis also spawned rampant practices of fraudulent and predatory lending by banks.

Even though companies such as Bank of America, which completed a $7 billion consumer relief settlement with the Justice Department last month, prospective homebuyers should still have faith in the process, said Ron Cooper, president of NARED. "Some of these companies have tarnished relationships in our communities, but that should not stop us from the aspirations of homeownership," said Cooper, adding that the application rate for blacks is down 30 percent. "If this lender isn't the one, then you go with another one. We have to change the narrative in our community that homeownership is … the way to build wealth. WI

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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY VIOLENCE from Page 1 conversation going. We will keep going to Annapolis to fight for legislation to protect victims and hold accountable those who are committing these crimes."

On Angel's bill, the House Judiciary Committee voted unfavorably 19-1, with Del. Pam Queen of Montgomery County the lone supporter.

It marked the second straight year Angel proposed domestic violence legislation that wasn't approved.

A recent report from the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence said Prince George's had 32 domestic-related fatalities in fiscal years 2015 and 2016, the most in the state.

"It is claiming our children.

It's taking away the stability of home which affects our ability people to keep jobs. Domestic violence affects so many facets of the social issues we are talking about," said Angel, 37, a domestic violence advocate and survivor. "This is a bedrock issue that needs to be addressed because it is filtering throughout our society."

Committee members questioned the vagueness of the legislation's definition of harassment, which was defined as "an

intentional course of conduct or a series of acts, including written or electronic communication or transmission that continues after a reasonable warning or request to stop by, or behalf of another person."

For example, could a person who yells at someone for whatever reason be charged with harassment?

"There were just too many questions and too vague on how you can define harassment," said Del. Susie Proctor (D-District 27A) who represents portions of Prince George's and Charles counties.

"We didn't want a lot of frivolous things coming forward.

I'm sure we will deal with this again."

In reference to the school board portion of the bill, Del. Jazz Lewis (D-District 24) said there's a possibility to separate the definitions and school board portions in next year's session.

"Expanding what is considered domestic violence and also making a curriculum in the schools was pulling a whole bunch together at once," said Lewis, who was appointed to the Maryland General Assembly in February. "Everyone stands on the side of the person who could be potentially abused, but we want to make

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of commissioners and staff, but with amendments.

A major change from the previous bill submitted does allow the county executive to appoint a person to fill a vacancy on the board instead of the governor, but that individual must be confirmed by the Senate. County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, who proposed the legislation, wanted the county council to approval the nomination.

A new director of the county's liquor control office will be able to hire up to three full-time and a maximum of 24 part-time inspectors.

In neighboring Montgomery County, the county executive appoints commissioners to the five-member board who are later confirmed by County Council.

The local oversight in Prince George's comes after federal authorities charged two former delegates two county liquor control board officials and two county businessmen in bribery scandals.

Although lawmakers applauded how smoothly the session went, not all proposed legislation was approved.

Some sought legislation to challenge Trump's push on immigration, but that was scrapped by the Senate's Judicial Proceedings Committee. Instead, it used a small piece of the bill to codify a federal law to ensure police officers aren't permitted to stop anyone to question their citizenship status.

The committee unanimously agreed on that provision last week, but minorities in the House wanted more stronger language in the bill that ensured local and state police couldn't use outside resources to detain immigrants.

Democratic lawmakers and immigration supporters held a news conference Monday outside the State House vowed "to keep fighting" for people in marginalized communities.

For the full version of this story, go to washingtoninformer.com.

WI

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5State Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-District 26) of Fort Washington speaks on the Senate floor on April 10, the last day of the Maryland General Assembly. /Photo by William J. Ford sure … that it would be a stronger bill and more clarity giving to the county boards of education."

Because a House committee voted against the bill, it didn't move in the Senate.

Muse (D-District 26) of Fort Washington, who co-sponsored a domestic violence bill in the Senate, helped create a domes-

tic violence task force after last year's death of NeShante Davis and her two-year-old daughter, Chloe Davis-Green, both of whom were fatally shot by Chloe's father over a dispute for $600 monthly child support payments.

He said he continues to work on language that would require an accused abuser to not only

participate in anger management courses, but also wear an electronic monitor that would signal to law enforcement the person's location.

"There are other measures we can use that I will examine as we go into the new year," he said. "We did as much work as we could get done this session."

WI

Prince George’s County Department of the Environment sponsors for one day only

Prince George’s County Organics Composting Facility

6550 S.E. Crain Highway, Upper Marlboro Learn to reduce water usage, prevent soil erosion and reduce the use of herbicides in your home gardens by applying mulch.

(From Crain Highway, proceed on Maude Savoy Brown Road to Facility)

Prince George’s County residents only Only non-commercial vehicles, 3/4 ton maximum weight No business vehicle signage will be permitted; all commercial signs should be covered or removed prior to entering the site SOURCE REDUCTION TIPS Use mulch to suppress weed growth and provide nutrients.

Grass Cycle: Use a mulching mower to finely shred your mowed grass and leave it on the lawn.

Start a backyard compost pile

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A skid loader will be available to load mulch into pickup trucks.

Citizens and residents transporting mulch by car should bring their own containers and shovels or pitchforks.

This mulch is primarily derived from the Christmas tree collections.

For more information, please call County Click 3-1-1.

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 13

BUSINESS Major Call for Hispanics, Latinos in Oil Industry

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

There are great opportunities for African-Americans and Latinos in the oil, natural gas, and petrochemical industries, according to industry insiders, who are calling on minorities to "get in the game."

"IHS Markit projects that there will be nearly 1.9 million job opportunities over the next 20 years

in our industry, and [minorities] are expected to fill more than 575,000 of those positions," said Deryck Spooner, ‎the senior director of external mobilization at American Petroleum Institute.

"These employment projections are based on current and expected trends in factors such as labor force participation rates, population growth rates, and educational attainment rates."

IHS Markit is known as the leading source of information and insight into critical areas that shape today's business landscape.

Spooner noted that opportunities would be available in a wide variety of occupations across the country.

Of the 1.9 million new job opportunities, 57 percent are projected to be in blue-collar occupations and 32 percent are projected to be in management and professional fields, according to IHS Markit.

Martha Montoya, the chair of the National Association of Hispanic Publications, said that it's important for Black and Latino families to have conversations about opportunities in the oil industry that are available for people who aspire to join the middle class.

A recent report by IHS Markit noted that Hispanic and African-American workers are projected to account for close to 25 percent of new hires in management, business and financial jobs through 2035.

Of the women projected to be hired in the oil industry, more than half are expected to fill management and professional occupations.

The salaries in the oil and gas industry make the jobs very attractive.

Currently, the average salary for a financial analyst in the industry

Now Is the Time to Develop Healthy Habits for Financial Security Stephen C. Taylor Commissioner for the District Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking It’s April and residents across the Washington Metropolitan region are either finalizing their taxes or preparing for spring cleaning, or both. This April, I would like to encourage residents to use the month as an opportunity to reassess their financial knowledge. April, which is recognized nationally as “Financial Literacy Month,” can be just the right time to test just how smart you are with your money.

And taking that test is critical to improving the economic landscape of our communities.

Did you know that in the Washington region households are spending 36 percent of their income on housing and 15 percent on transportation, which equates to more than half of their income? In the United States, 45 percent of households do not own a retirement account asset and 31 percent of non-retired people do not have a retirement savings or pension. And in the District, 41 percent do not have enough savings to live above the poverty line for three months.

These numbers are startling. If we want to maintain an economically viable community that is inclusive to all, it is imperative that we bridge the gap and give residents the support they need to improve their financial wellbeing.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser launched her Economic Strategy with that goal in mind: making the District economically inclusive. For the month of April, my agency, the District Department of Insurance Securities and Banking will host a variety of education programs that serve all District residents from youth to senior to help them learn more about how to save, financial scams to avoid, and ways to start a retirement account.

We also encourage you to utilize our Financially Fit DC program, a comprehensive financial education program which includes a web-based tool that can be accessed from the comfort of your home. Visit welcome.financiallyfitdc. com and get started with creating a budget, managing your credit, learning how to build a savings and more.

Together, let’s all pledge to get Financially Fit. Connect With Us 810 First Street, NE, Suite 701, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 727-8000 Email: disb@dc.gov

14 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

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5 The oil and natural gas industries predict a hiring boom for minorities. /Courtesy photo

is $55,620, while a petroleum engineer makes $82,000 annually.

Oil and gas pipeline construction workers average about $76,000 per year and those who drill oil and gas wells typically rake in at least $98,000 per year, according to several databases.

"Experienced engineers are being offered sky-high salaries and are taking regular calls from headhunters as the booming shale gas industry fights for scarce talent, snapping up engineers from other sectors," reported Alanna Petroff of CNN Money. "There aren't enough experienced engineers to go around, and global demand for engineers is growing, especially as the U.S. shale gas industry balloons."

In order to take advantage of the oil and gas boom, Spooner said that minorities must get in the game.

"Our polling of African-Americans and Latinos showed that the vast majority of individuals had never applied for a job in the industry, with 60 percent of those being driven by a basic lack of familiarity with the industry's opportunities," Spooner said.

As noted in the 2017 State of American Energy report, the American Petroleum Institute (API) continues to work with Hispanics in Energy and the American Association of Blacks in Energy to spread the word about that 707,000 positions are projected to be held by African-American and Hispanic workers, said API spokesman Reid T. Porter.

Porter added: "And we've started a Veterans Energy Pipeline program to connect veterans with career opportunities that are compatible with their unique skill sets."

With above-average salaries and an abundance of career opportunities projected over the next two

decades, the oil and natural gas industry offers solutions to wage stagnation and income inequality, which remain major concerns in our still-struggling economy, said Porter.

"Capitalizing on energy job opportunities doesn't require a government program or taxpayer funding," said Porter. "All it takes are smart energy policies and increased awareness of job opportunities to ensure the 'Great Crew Change' is the game changer it can be for America's workers."

The industry is partnering with schools, labor organizations and the government to increase awareness of energy job opportunities and to promote greater participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.

Still, many are surprised to learn that the industry has a great deal of job opportunities in blue collar occupations (57 percent), which require a high school diploma and some post-secondary training, Spooner said.

"These are jobs like welders, pipefitters, truck drivers, and construction workers," Spooner said.

"There are also hundreds of thousands of job opportunities projected in management and professional fields as scientists, engineers, architects, communication professionals, business managers, and so much more."

The oil and natural gas industry pays wages significantly higher than the national average and can provide tremendous career opportunities for women and minorities, said Jack Gerard, API president and CEO. "These careers can help shrink the income inequality gap without spending a dime of taxpayer money," Gerard said.

WI

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BUSINESS Business Exchange Do You Support the Fight for $15?

by William Reed The wealth discrepancy between blacks and whites in Washington is a stark example of racial inequality in America. Basically, on life's balance sheet, white families have the economic legacy, and black the emotional underpinnings.

While we pursue "mainstream politics" like a dream and goal, the wealth discrepancy between blacks and whites remains one of the starkest examples of inequality in America. An average white family has 13 times the wealth of an average black family. White American families have, on average, about $142,000 in savings and assets, minus debt.

Black families' wealth amounts to $11,000. The bluster of political power has done little for "black power." The gulf between black and white wealth is the worst it has been since the 1980s.

Washington is a "government town" but blacks need to incorporate "business."

Area economists say the nature of the regional economy is starting to change as new businesses push the local economy more toward commercial markets and less toward the government. As much as any population-segment, blacks have, and are making, broadbased gains in the health-care, hospitality and retail sectors which overtook new jobs in areas typically associated with government contractors. The region's already-low unemployment rate dropped to an astonishing 3.7 percent, and the region consistently added jobs at a faster clip than the

rest of the country.

Union and Democratic politicians have blacks focusing on issues not necessarily our own — minimum-wage and lowpay issues. Things have gotten better for African-Americans — life expectancy of African-Americans has increased from 68 in 1976 to 75 today — yet little is being done eliminating racial wealth inequities. The frontier of blacks' future is confronting these economic disparities.

The unions and Democrats have swiped blacks' agenda.

They stage rallies with underpaid workers, local racial justice activists, elected officials and clergy in the fight for a $15 minimum wage. These factions hold marches, teachins, and other demonstrations to stress that the push for economic and racial justice remains deeply linked today as when Dr. King was killed in 1968. Republican lawmakers in more than two-dozen states have introduced legislation aimed at cracking down on protesters like those in the fight for $15 and the Movement for Black Lives.

Blacks' interests are often lost in practices of "mainstream politics." The truth seems as if blacks have conceded leadership on "blacks' issues" to the union and Democratic Party. Thousands of workers, elected officials civil rights leaders are making demands for higher wages. The result is that blacks' economic interests and efforts have fallen victim to "mainstream politics."

African-Americans in D.C. provide the best evidence of how well blacks across the country could be doing. The nation's capital is home to the highest concentration of moneyed and educated blacks in the world. D.C.'s blacks know how the other side lives. The D.C. metro area people have the highest median income in the U.S. Census reports show that the median household income for area residents and voters to be $93,294.

Black Washingtonians are

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the best ones to lead packs of people "supporting their own." Blacks have a history of successes in D.C. commerce, including Industrial Bank's

three-generation legacy.

Enough of these "mainstream" politics. While they just can't seem to see the truth before their eyes, Blacks

need to practice crony capitalism and bank with, buy from and invest in each other. Too many African-Americans still seek "mainstream acceptance" rather than pursuing personal business success and market penetration. WI

Chair your Board!

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq.,

Last week I had the privilege to speak at the National Bar Association Gertrude Rush Mid-Year Conference on the Veteran and Military Law Section Workshop. I am a certified Veteran’s attorney and am honored to provide support to our Service members. The wonderful man who introduced me said “Aimee is here to speak about preparing for the possible event of death!” I realized that may be the reason so many people are reluctant to meet with me.

I shared with the audience that when coming to meet with an estate planning attorney one should be thinking about much more than death. You should be thinking about the things that you think about each day when going to work, going to the doctors for a physical or going to the gym for a work out. You go to work, the doctors and the gym to build for a stronger future. We want to ensure that we have in place all of the safeguards that are required to have our best life. George Bernard Shaw said, ”Forget about likes and dislikes, they are of no consequence. Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness but it is greatness.

I support people to be great. Not just during their life time but beyond supporting their loved ones to be great also. It is the mission of the Griffin Firm to help you to think about and create your Legacy. What or who are you living for? You go through life building a legacy. Each day you are motivated by values that you hold and you have capacity to build a great legacy with those values, if that is your desire.

There are so many moving parts to building a legacy. We are here in this world for a brief moment and many of us feel a responsibility to meet needs beyond our own. It may be to provide for the people that we love, institutions that have changed our lives or can change the lives of others.

Strategically planning with others so that we are working smart as opposed to only working hard is The Griffin Firm commitment. As brilliant and equipped as we are, we stay in our lane.

We need subject matter experts in diverse areas. Many people hear me champion the vision of Personal Boards of Directors.

We know that it takes a village to raise a child. I don’t believe we outgrow the need for a village.

We see this model when we have wedding parties. We have people who come together to support our wedding because we know that a marriage requires support, prayers and champions who are undergirding us to walk through difficult times.

We see that with businesses. Businesses capture smartest and those most committed to their vision to strategize for the best interest of the company to bring resources collectively to meet the goals of the business. Let’s continue to shape our village with our Personal Board of Directors.

This group of professionals will contribute to building a legacy that allows you to achieve greatness strategically. Subject matter experts should include, of course, your estate planning attorney, financial planner, accountant, banker, real property professional and others dependent upon your life circumstances. What is important is that this group works on your behalf collectively.

You don’t have to build alone! Serve as the chair of your Personal Board of Directors as you Create your Legacy!

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq., The Griffin Firm, PLLC 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 440 Washington DC 20015 www.thegriffinfirm-PLLC.com 202-379-4738

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 15

NATIONAL Judge Defies Trump Administration, Orders Police Reform in Baltimore

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer A federal judge approved a proposed Obama administration consent decree to overhaul the Baltimore Police Department, ignoring requests from the Trump Justice Department to delay court approval for at least 90 days for review by new leadership.

U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar approved the agreement Friday, denying the Justice Department's request to hold off the signing of the agreement that was negotiated during the Obama administration.

Just before the department filed the motion to postpone the hearing regarding the Baltimore consent decree, Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed Justice officials to review all consent de-

crees reached under the Obama administration to make sure they aligned with the new administration's focus on protecting police and improving officer morale.

"This decree was negotiated during a rushed process by the previous administration and signed only days before they left office," said Sessions in a statement released after the judge's approval of the consent decree.

The consent decree calls for significant new restrictions on officers, limiting when and how they can engage individuals suspected of criminal activity and requiring more supervision for officers. It orders more training for police on de-escalation tactics and interactions with youths, protesters and those with mental illnesses.

Under the deal, the city is

Farm Produces Solutions for Urban Challenges

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer Through his nonprofit Dreaming Out Loud, Christopher Bradshaw has fought food insecurity, economic disparities and even stereotypes.

The mission of the organization is seemingly simple — "to create economic opportunities for the D.C. metro region's marginalized community members through building a healthy, equitable food system." But to accomplish this goal, Bradshaw had to develop a system that would address a complex network of social justice issues, and face doubt for choosing to address the issues in underserved

16 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

urban communities through farming.

"Sometimes you have to just do it," said Bradshaw, who also sits on the city's Food Policy Council.

As part of its urban agriculture program, Dreaming Out Loud created a vibrant organic garden and space for agricultural training and food production behind the Southwest Arts Club. It also developed community farmer's markets to provide healthy food options to consumers, but also to monetize its efforts.

"Necessity is the mother of invention," said Bradshaw.

Founded in 2008, Dreaming Out Loud was created as a response to the educational and

5 (From left) Co-Director of the Fair Housing & Community Development Project, Joe Rich; Former Oakland police captain Ron Davis; Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Catherine Lhamon; Former United States Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Roy Austin; former Greenville, NC police chief Hassan Aden participate on a forum on civil rights under the Trump Administration at the Rayburn House Office Building in Northwest on April 6. /Photo by Mark Mahoney

also required to invest in better technology and equipment, and for the police department to enhance civilian oversight and transparency.

"While the [Justice Department] continues to fully support police reform in Baltimore, I have grave concerns that some provisions of this decree will reduce the lawful powers of the police department and result in a less safe city," Sessions said.

Though he does not cite a specific reform, he called some

of them "ill-advised" and "clear departures from many proven principals of good policing" that he feared would result in more crime in the city, citing statistics that show a drop in arrests and increase in violent crime in the city.

The order is effective immediately, and Bredar gave the parties two weeks to deliver a timeline for implementing the deal.

Though the Baltimore agreement was finalized, other agreements in earlier stages have

questionable futures under the new attorney general, including Chicago where the Justice Department cited unconstitutional police practices such as using excessive force and shooting at fleeing suspects who posed no immediate threat.

Under Obama, the Justice Department opened roughly two dozen investigations of police departments, and 14 of them ended in consent decrees in-

economic disparities in underserved, low-income communities in D.C. Working in Ward 7, the organization taught children character and leadership development and developed a youth employment program. But consequential issues surrounding food insecurity in the community led to the organization's launch of a network of farmer's markets to fight the area's "food desert."

Washingtonians who live east of the Anacostia River are more likely than anyone in the city to face unemployment and poverty and, according to a March D.C. Policy Center report, live in a food desert — a place where residents must walk more than a half-mile to get to a grocery store, over 40 percent of the households have no vehicle and the median household income is less than 185 percent of the federal poverty level for a family

of four.

The report shows that more than three-quarters of food deserts in D.C. are in Wards 7 and 8, 31 percent and 46 percent, respectively. Ward 7 has just two grocery stores for its more than 73,000 residents and Ward 8 has just one for its near 70,000 residents. Meanwhile, Ward 3 has 11 grocery stores for its 80,000 residents.

Bradshaw said that communities who don't have equal access to food also typically have economic, environmental and racial-justice issues.

"They're all interconnected," he said. "You can't address one without discussing the other."

Bradshaw said the city's farms have a role beyond growing food, but also to be a hub for social justice.

"The real solutions are breaking down the systems that keep people in a state of economic

depression," he said.

The organization is preparing to open the Kelly Miller Farm on two-acres of flat land behind the D.C. public school Kelly Miller Middle School in the city's Ward 7 Lincoln Heights neighborhood. The food justice nonprofit will partner with the city and a half-dozen other organizations to run the farm in a way that generates revenue while also meeting the community's unique needs.

The farm will be a hub for organic food production, workshops and classes, farm-toschool practices, the integration of STEM at the middle school and a commercial kitchen for the area's residents to launch food-based businesses.

"Kelly Miller is the first of several," said Bradshaw, who hopes construction begins soon so that the farm can be producing by next spring. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

REFORM Page 52

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NATIONAL GOP Reset the Clock as Gorsuch Joins Supreme Court Will He Assert His Own Voice or Yield to the Whims of President Trump?

viewing same-sex marriage as an option protected by the Constitution and striking down laws The Republican Party and that have limited women’s access President Donald Trump have to abortion.

The Gorsuch confirmation succeeded in a way that former President Barack Obama and may have remained in indefinite his fellow Democrats could not, limbo – a condition to which filing the ninth and final seat on Garland unfortunately became the U.S. Supreme Court that be- acquainted – had Senate Majoricame vacant 14 months ago fol- ty Leader Mitch McConnell (R.lowing the unexpected death of Ky.) not previously refused to even grant Garland a hearing and Justice Antonin Scalia.

But while some political pun- most recently with Republicans dits remain critical of how the subsequently winning the battle Republican-dominated Congress by voting as a bloc to eliminate refused to even consider Obama’s the ability of the Senate minorinominee, Judge Merrick Gar- ty to filibuster Supreme Court land, robbing Obama of a right nominees.

Gorsuch, 49, has earned a repgranted to a sitting president when any of the lifelong seats re- utation as a conservative during quire a replacement, it’s the pol- his tenure on the U.S. Court of icy employed by the GOP, “the Appeals for Denver’s 10th Court nuclear option,” that appears and has been lauded by those more troubling as it forever clears supporting gun rights, antiaborthe way for all justices in the tionists and free-wielding enfuture to be confirmed without trepreneurs – at the same time being held in contempt by the partisan support.

With Gorsuch becoming nation’s unions, environmental America’s 113th justice, the na- supporters, feminists and most tion’s highest court has clearly Black Congressmen that make experienced a pendulum swing, up the Congressional Black Cauassuming a more conservative cus [CBC] as well as those who bent – an ideological shift that align themselves with the CBC and endorse their views. will undoubtedly play a signifiWashington Informer As the court now prepares to cant role in cases involving voting rights, the separation of the hear cases including gun rights, whether businesses can refuse church and state and gun rights.

Gorsuch will not, however, to service same-sex couples and have an immediate impact on a request from North Carolina altering the decision of the ma- which seeks to have an earlier jority that has recently led the decision that deemed the state’s court in a more liberal direction, more stringent voting restricupholding affirmative action, tions as unconstitutional, the exBy D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir

act place where Gorsuch fits will become evident.

Further, whether Gorsuch will maintain his own voice or if he will lean in the direction of Trump, will quickly become clear when the court takes on the president’s highly controversial travel ban targeting certain immigrants

from a specified list of countries as the proposal undergoes additional revisions as decreed in lower courts.

Gorsuch was confirmed last Friday, 54-to-45, the closest margin since Justice Clarence Thomas was approved over 25 years ago.

Now with four liberals and four primarily conservative justices, nominated by Democrats and Republicans, respectively, the court may very well reschedule hearings in cases previously ending in deadlock so that the newest justice can break the ties.

WI

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 17

INTERNATIONAL Compiled by Lauren Poteat / WI Contributing Writer

George W. Bush Petitions Trump Administration to Keep Funding in Africa

In a recent op-ed published in The Washington Post, former U.S. President George W. Bush pleaded with the Trump administration to continue funding his 2003 President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program for the continent of Africa.

In the stirring and lengthy letter, Bush stated why Congress should keep the program alive: "In the past six years, more than 370,000 women have been screened for cervical cancer and 24,000 for breast cancer through Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon. More than 119,000 girls have been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cervical and other cancers." he wrote. "Nearly 1,000 health workers have been trained. With the proper resources and international commitment, we could end cervical cancer deaths on the continent in 30 years."

Bush said that tax dollars should not go to programs that don't work either at home or abroad, but to programs that have proven to be "efficient, effective and results-oriented."

"Saving nearly 12 million lives is proof that PEPFAR works, and I urge our government to fully fund it," he wrote.

5 Former President George W. Bush

pushes Congress to keep his PEPFAR program alive. /Courtesy of www.4thmedia.org

U.N. Accuses East African Country of Violating the third year in a row, the United Nations has listed Eritrea as Arms Embargo anForarms-embargo violator, for reportedly buying weapons and mili-

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tary material and receiving training from North Korea.

The United States has subsequently moved to ban all equipment sales or interactions with Eritrea's navy, under nonproliferation legislation that targets Iran, Syria and North Korea.

In July, the U.N. panel found that Eritrea had imported 45 boxes of encrypted military radios and accessories, including GPS antennas, microphones and clone cables. Though the equipment was intercepted before reaching its destination, officials said that the equipment was sold by Glocom, a reported Malaysian front company, selling North Korean goods in an attempt to avoid detection.

Eritrea's Ministry of Information denounced the new U.S. sanctions as "inexplicable and unwarranted" and said they followed a pattern established years ago.

"The pattern is sadly the same," a ministry statement said. "Fallacious reports are first floated and illicit measures subsequently announced by the same architects who act as the plaintiff, prosecutor and judge."

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Five People Dead in Mali Jihadist Attack

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One week after a national peace summit, five Tuareg Mali fighters were reportedly killed by an Islamist militant group.

The attack took place Saturday, April 8 in Gargando, a small town in central Mali located about 170 km to the west of Timbuktu.

"Our base in Gargando was attacked early Saturday by Islamist terrorists," said Oumar Ag Keling, a member of the Tuareg-led Congress for Justice in Azawad (CJA), Agence France-Presse reported. "They killed four of our fighters, as well as the village chief."

The jihadist rebels were "of many nationalities, according to the documents found at the scene." Keling said.

A Malian military official blamed Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb for the attack, which the official said was partly an 5A Five people have now died from recent attempt to weaken the increasingly-influential CJA, a peace militant attacks on the people of Mali. / organization formed in 2016 for the benefit of the Tuareg Courtesy of MINUSMA ethnic community.

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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 19

HEALTH GOP Health Proposal Puts Poor, Elderly at Peril

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

this is the kind of conversations we want."

After an epic fail in their attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Republicans have continued their pursuit of their own health care plan that would not only get to a vote on the House floor, but finally accomplish their goal of ridding the nation of former President Barack Obama's signature legislation.

Again, led by House Speaker Paul Ryan, the GOP reportedly has recently advanced past the conceptual stage on a new health care bill. However, neither Ryan nor anyone else from the party have signaled they're comfortable enough to put a timeline on a new proposal.

"There are ongoing talks that we are having," Ryan told reporters last week. "Wedon't have a bill text or an agreement yet, but

Some of the changes that would make a health care bill more palatable for GOP members who opposed the original plan, reportedly include provisions that states would be allowed to apply for waivers to change the "Essential Health Benefits" in the Obama health law, which would be required in health insurance plans being sold to consumers.

That provision, according to some, would mean the ability to sell less expensive coverage plans.

Also, states would be allowed to seek an exemption from what's known as "community rating" — which would allow insurance companies to get around the requirement in the Obama health law that people with preexisting medical conditions be charged the same as healthy patients.

5 Republicans are still trying to come up with a plan to repeal the ACA. /Courtesy photo

Community ratings bars insurers from varying premiums based on health status or medical history and requires them, under "guaranteed issue" rules, to offer coverage to all who want it.

Thirty-six percent of those who sought individual insurance faced those obstacles in 2009, according to a survey by The Commonwealth Fund, a private health research foundation.

In 2010, nearly 1 in 5 who applied for individual coverage were denied because of their health status, according to Congress' Government Accountability Office.

Serious conditions like heart

disease, cancer, diabetes or depression could trigger coverage denials or drive up premiums.

So could common ailments such as asthma, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, the News and Observer in Charlotte reported.

Under community rating, the entire pool of plan enrollees pay the same premium rates.

This spreads the higher medical costs of sicker plan members evenly among all who buy coverage. Rate variations under the ACA are allowed only for age, tobacco use and the cost of medical services.

Both guaranteed issue and

Meals Recipients Threatened Under Trump Plan

Millions Could Lose Service Without Federal Funding

By Darlene Aderoju, Howard University News Service Charles Abel, a 65-year-old man living in Baltimore, is among the millions of Americans who rely on Meals on Wheels, a program that President Trump plans to cut dramatically under his budget proposal.

White House Budget Chief Mick Mulvaney said Meals on Wheels "sounds great," but doesn't provide a real service.

"We're not going to spend [money] on programs that cannot show that they actually deliver the promises that we've made to people," Mulvaney said at a recent press conference.

20 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

Abel, a cab driver for 27 years who now has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, disagrees.

"If it wasn't for Meals on Wheels, I'd be a lot skinnier," he said. "If I was left without them, I would not be eating as healthy as I am. I'd be surviving on sandwiches and McDonald's.

And it's not just the meals, said Abel and other Meals on Wheels recipients.

"Sometimes the Meals on Wheels people are the only people I talk to in a day, and they're nice people," Abel said. "One of the guys is a serious Beatles fan. So, whenever he finds new songs, he burns me a CD."

MEALS Page 22

"If it wasn't for Meals on Wheels, I'd be a lot skinnier. If I was left without them, I would not be eating as healthy as I am. I'd be surviving on sandwiches and McDonald's."

ABEL / Meals on Wheels recipient

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

community rating helped cut the number of uninsured people with pre-existing conditions by 3.6 million, or 22 percent, from 2010 to 2014, according to federal estimates.

But with 24 million set to lose coverage under the GOP health care bill that's being considered, the ACA's record coverage gains and many consumer protections are in peril.

If House Republicans allow states to waive the community rating rule, individual insurers will again be able to charge plan members different rates based on their health.

Older people and sicker people, including those with pre-existing conditions, wouldn't fare nearly as well under the plan.

They'll once again have to pay more for health insurance.

That could leave many unable to afford it.

Some 52 million working-age adults have pre-existing medical conditions that would likely have left them unable to get health coverage before the Affordable Care Act, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

In 11 states, at least 30 percent of non-elderly adults are estimated to have declinable medical conditions, the study found: West Virginia (36 percent), Mississippi (34 percent), Kentucky and Alabama (33 percent), Arkansas and Tennessee (32 percent), Oklahoma (31 percent) and 30 percent each for Louisiana, Missouri, Indiana and Kansas.

"Allowing states to eliminate

HEALTH Page 52 WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

HEALTH Fighting Cancer in D.C. a Lifelong Passion for One Survivor

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer At the cold crack of dawn Saturday, Stephen Jefferson and his wife were feverishly working in West Potomac Park to register people for a 5K walk to bring awareness to prostate cancer.

The fifth annual Prostate Cancer Walk was sponsored by Phillip David, Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of D.C. Davis and Jefferson both stressed the importance of men getting screened for a disease that need not be deadly.

"The main goal of this walk is to get people to understand that in the District of Columbia we have the highest mortality rate of prostate cancer," Jefferson told participants before they walked.

"This is due [to] a few reasons that include we as black men [not going] to the doctor."

In 2009, Jefferson was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma. His physician, Dr. Wayne Frederick, performed the surgery at Howard University Hospital to remove a cancerous growth.

Today Frederick is the president of Howard University and

Jefferson is one of the staunchest advocates of the hospital's cancer program.

"We have to fight for our lives," Jefferson said. "For blacks suffering with cancer, our mortality rate is higher and part of this is because we have to travel so far for treatment."

D.C. has the nation's highest rates of prostate cancer incidence and deaths from the disease, according to 2012 data from North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer, said at the time the high rate of cancer among men of color due to mistrust and skeptics.

"Recent studies have shown that distrust of the medical system accounts for delays in using health care, especially among older African-American men," Lockwood said, the News Medical website reported.

Clinton Burnside, coordinator of the MenTake Ten prostate awareness program at the Howard University Cancer Center, said African-American men, especially in D.C., are at a much

higher risk for developing prostate cancer and dying from the disease.

"We are doing more research in terms of prostate cancer awareness and detection," he said.

Burnside said there is lot of genetic research looking into why so many African-American get prostate cancer, but there is no clear answer.

"We want men to come and get

screened because of the risk factors — being an African-American, being overweight, having a lack of exercise and our diet," Burnside said. "This is why we want men to get to know their PSA numbers and to get a digital rectal examination."

Dr. Jackson Davis, a retired Howard University Hospital urologist who also took part in the walk, said technology has

greatly improved so there is no reason why men should not get treated.

"One of the latest treatments is called cyber knife, it doesn't involve cutting," he said. "With [the] cyber knife, they guide a radiation beam to a specific area.

This eliminates some of the side affects in radiating tissue in the pelvic area."

WI

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5 Stephen Jefferson talks to participants in a 5K walk for cancer awareness

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 21

HEALTH MEALS from Page 20 Meals on Wheels delivers food to seniors and individuals with disabilities who cannot go to the store to purchase their own food. About 2.4 million people receive meals from 5,000 locations nationwide, according to Jenny Bertolette, vice president of communications at Meals on Wheels America.

Bertolette said Meals on Wheels needs bipartisan support.

"Both sides need to do their part to make sure these seniors aren't forgotten," she said.

Under Trump's proposed budget to Congress, programs that receive funding from Community Development Block Grants could get cut, including Meals on Wheels.

Trump's budget eliminates the grants, totaling about $3 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Local branches depend heavily on that federal funding.

One of the program's oldest and largest branches is in central Maryland, which serves an area that includes Baltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard,

Carroll and Montgomery counties, its officials said. It receives 56 percent of its budget through the federal government.

"We serve about 1,500 clients daily," said Guy Arceneaux, senior director of marketing and communications at Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland. "Every $8 taken from our budget is a meal for a senior that will never be served."

About 27 percent of the branch's clients are African-American, Arceneaux said.

The Maryland budget for Meals on Wheels is $8.5 million, he said.

If the federal government halts funding, the program would lose nearly $5 million.

Consequently, the program will have to reduce the number of people it serves, he said.

"That means going from delivering meals five days a week to three, or two meals a day to one," he said. "Programs already can't keep up with demands. So they'll have to add seniors to waiting lists or, in the worst-case scenario, they would have to turn seniors away and people relying on the service now would not be able to get it anymore." WI

5 Claudette Johnson of Maryland is one of more 2.4 million Americans whose daily meals could be cut off if Congress approves President Trump's plan to defund Meals on Wheels. /Courtesy of Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland

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6:12 PM

April Greetings From DC Office on Aging Laura Newland DC Office on Aging Executive Director Hello everyone. Spring has officially arrived! This month, it’s a great opportunity to start fresh. Whether we are trying to close one chapter of our lives and start over, or we’re just trying new ways to face our daily challenges, what better time is there to start looking at our lives through a new lens? Let’s start by challenging the way we are talking about ourselves, our age, and what it means to age. How often do we hear people say that they are not looking forward to getting older? How often have you said this?

I like to ask people when I’m out in the community to help me define aging. What does it mean to age? What do you want people to know about your ex-

periences? Sometimes it’s difficult answering these questions because you are just living your life.

Whether you are helping to raise grandkids, working, travelling, caring for a loved one, volunteering in your community, or picking up a new activity, you are living your life.

All too often we talk about aging when we are faced with a new challenge that we’ve never dealt with before. Or for many, we avoid talking about it altogether. We may ignore signs of illness or criticize ourselves because our bodies are not functioning the ways they once did. We may blame our forgetfulness on age, or ask others to forgive us for moving at our own pace.

When we dismiss our challenges as symptoms of age, we are not only setting the expectation that aging is a challenge, we are accommodating the negativity. If we all are fortunate to age, there may be

challenges that come with longevity, but our age is not defined by these challenges. There’s so much more to us and the lives we are living than the challenges we face.

It’s more important than ever to be able to have real conversations about what it means to age in this city and in this country. Aging is living your life. And we all have the right to live meaningful lives.

When we limit the way in which we define aging, we risk disconnecting from those who may be uncomfortable talking about it, or those who avoid the topic altogether, and even those who make decisions about programs and services that impact your lives.

If we are able to have these truthful conversations about aging, we are better able to get others to pay attention, and we are better able to advocate for ourselves and how we want our community to respond to our needs as we continue living our

Search for Ms. Senior DC

lives. Community is about people living their lives together. It’s not about age, and it’s not about facing your obstacles alone.

Let’s shift the conversation from focusing on the challenges of aging, to focusing on the lives you are living and the life you want to live, five, ten, and twenty years from now. Let’s talk about how your community and your government can support you in ensuring you can continue to age well and live well, where you are. I look forward to having these conversations with you in the community. Be well!

S

FE HOME AT

The District of Columbia Office on Aging Safe at Home program provides preventative adaptations to reduce the risk of falls in the homes of qualifying seniors and adults with disabilities.

Program Benefits

In-home preventative adaptations that may be provided through Safe at Home include: ◊

Handrails

◊

Shower seat

◊

Grab bars

◊

Furniture risers

◊

Bathtub cuts

◊

Chair lift

Applicants who do not qualify for the Safe at Home program may receive referrals to other programs better suited for their specific needs.* The deadline is April 30 for women interested in competing in the Ms. Senior America Pageant 2017. Contestants will be judged on • Philosophy of Life • Interview with the judges • Talent • Evening Gown

For More Information Call Home Care Partners at 202-638-0050 for more information on how you can apply for the Safe at Home Program. * Referrals to other programs are not a guarantee of eligibility.

Visit www.dcoa.dc.gov , email darlene.nowlin@dc.gov or call 202-727-8364 for an application or more information.

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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 23

HEALTH

Bowser Proposes $15.3M for Affordable Child Care

By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed a budget investment of $15.3 million to increase access to infant and toddler child care options for parents who need the assistance.

During a tour of the U.S. Kids Child Development Center in Northwest on Wednesday, April 5, Bowser spoke about the investment proposed to the D.C. City Council through the fiscal year 2018 budget proposal titled "DC Values in Action."

"This is a very special initiative that we are advancing in our [fiscal 2018] in the District of Columbia," Bowser said. "Here we are at U.S. Kids, a licensed child care facility here in the District of Columbia. It is one of a portfolio of federal child care centers in the District. They provide, I believe, a great model of how the federal government has supported quali-

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24 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

ty child care options for us."

Bowser said that by increasing investments in early child care they are making it possible for even more District families to receive safe and affordable care options for their children.

"Last week at the State of the District, I announced 'My Childcare DC' pilot initiative," she said. "That initiative will invest 15 million in early learning grants. The goal of that program is to increase the early learning slots in the District of Columbia by 1,300 slots."

The mayor insisted that her administration hears from parents all the time when they're planning their families that they immediately worry about what to do once it's time to return to work.

"Having that early care option that is quality and convenient makes life much easier for parents to be productive at home and at work," Bowser said. "We

5 Mayor Muriel Bowser visited the U.S. Kids Child Development Center in Northwest on April 5, to speak about her "My Childcare DC" pilot initiative. /Courtesy of uskidsdc.org

are hoping this early childcare initiative will provide the incentive to private providers like U.S. Kids that needs to expand or find a new location.

"We, of course, would also be interested in attracting new

quality vendors," she said. "My administration will continue to fight for more access to affordable infant and toddler childcare options and ensure that the promise of inclusive prosperity is available to every District family."

Over the next three years, the Mayor's initiative would provide: 1,300 additional infant and toddler seats; three new sites in District-owned buildings that will be leased to private child care providers to provide affordable, accessible high-quality care and support 300 D.C. residents to gain certification as educators for infants and toddlers.

"This new investment would give more children and families access to the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development opportunities high-quality child care provides," Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles said. "We will continue

working with families and providers to ease the burden of finding affordable and high-quality child care options in the city."

Potential sites for child care development centers include the University of the District of Columbia Flagship Campus at 4200 Connecticut Avenue NW; UDC's Community College Campus at 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE; UDC's Community College campus headquarters at 801 North Capitol Street NE; and the Deanwood Recreation Center at 1350 49th Street NE. "We are committed to working together to support the growing number of children and families in the District," said Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services HyeSook Chung. "This new investment will help to alleviate the anxiety of finding affordable, high-quality child care options in the city." WI

4/6/17 9:41 AM

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Kidney Transplant Recipient Meets Donor J. Keith Melancon, M.D., greeted Maurice Lucas, a retired Metro bus driver, with an excited clap on the back as he led him and his wife, Violet, through the door of the GW Transplant Institute at GW Hospital. “I’ve got somebody you need to meet,” said the chief of the Division of Transplant Surgery, director of the institute, professor of surgery at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and medical director of the Ron and Joy Paul Kidney Center.

Waiting inside for Lucas was Jane Bishop, his non-directed – or unrelated – kidney donor, eager to meet him.

“I just want to hold you the rest of the day,” Lucas said, enveloping Bishop in a hug. “[You’re] my new best friend. I’ve been wanting to meet you forever.”

Lucas and Bishop’s story started a few years ago. Lucas was suffering from high blood pressure and kidney problems and was eventually diagnosed with kidney disease.

Oddly, Lucas kept running into Melancon, after having met him at a seminar at GW— and it was Melancon who was able to get Lucas off the dialysis he’d started and match him

than dialysis, which Melancon has estimated can run into six figures.

With the advancements in medications, it’s also not necessary for a donor and recipient to be a perfect match, and Melancon and the team at the institute, including Thomas Jarrett, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Urology at SMHS, and Muralidharan Jagadeesan, M.D., associate professor of medicine at SMHS, can perform kidney swaps on higher-risk patients.

Becoming a donor, at least in Bishop’s case, can come with its own life-saving measure. During the screening process, Bishop learned that she had a “teeny blip” on her uterus: uterine cancer. Had she not decided to donate – a plan that emerged after she had survived breast cancer – her uterine cancer could have gone undetected. She had a hysterectomy and continued with the donation process.

“It [was the] right decision,” she said, adding that deciding to donate is a process both personal and thoughtful.

After their initial meeting, Bishop and Lucas attended the institute’s Living Donor Appreciation Celebration, which honored directed and non-directed donors, and they plan to speak about kidney disease and donation at each other’s churches.

“I [also] whispered to his wife, ‘I think we have some dinners in our future,’” Bishop said. “He’s already

with a donor.

“This is about life,” Melancon said. “When it’s a non-directed donor, you’re saving the life of a stranger.”

As he explained, any healthy person can be a donor, an important fact given that Washington, D.C. has one of the highest rates of end-stage renal disease – 44 times the national average.

Kidney disease also disproportionately affects those who are Hispanic or black, like Lucas.

What’s key, Melancon added, is encouraging people to donate. Patients who receive kidneys from live donors tend to have higher survival rates, and donations, as a whole, are significantly more cost-effective

done a testimony at his church, and I’ve invited them to my church for the same thing, so that’ll be good.”

Lucas concurred: “It’s sensational [to meet her]. I’m really so thankful to know her and to meet her. She’s a very loving lady and spiritual and very kind. She has a good heart. I’m very happy to meet her. She’s in the northeast, so she’s not that far. I’m in southwest, so she’s in the District. It’s so easy to get to her. I’ve got plans to always stay in touch.”

If you or someone you love might be at risk for or have kidney disease or might be interested in getting more information about kidney donation or kidney transplantation, call (202) 715-4330 for more information, or visit GWKIDNEY. ORG.

By CJ Trent-Gurbuz

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Maurice Lucas (Kidney transplant recipient) and Jane Bishop (kidney donor) meet for the first time at the GW Hospital Transplant Institute.

1 IN 3 PEOPLE WHO READ THIS MAY ALREADY HAVE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE. COULD IT BE YOU?

Don’t wait.

Get tested today. call 202–715–4330

visit GWKidney.org

SMHS_1617_1

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 25

EDUCATION DCPS

BRIEFS

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

READ ACROSS DC

State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Hyesook Chung took time Monday, April 10 to enthusiastically read to classrooms of infants and toddlers at St. Albans Early Childhood Center

dctag has

money

for college Parents, we make it easier to pay for college.

If you’re a DC resident, have a son or daughter 26 or younger with a high school diploma or GED and meet a few other requirements, the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) can help by providing up to $10,000 a year to participating colleges and universities, nationwide. The deadline is June 30th and you can apply using any mobile device or computer.

For more information, call (202) 727-2824, go to osse.dc.gov or visit 810 First Street, NE, 3rd floor, Washington, DC, Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.

in Northwest, as part of Read Across DC, an event coordinated by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

The event, which recognizes Month of the Young, and for which Chung joined forces with D.C. Board of Education members and others, focuses on literacy for early learners.

"Research has shown that reading to infants and toddler is key for brain stimulation and positive child outcomes and early childhood development," Chung said.

Thirty-six child development centers participated in Read Across DC.

CHARTER SCHOOL AUTHORIZERS AT WORK

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers recently released a video about how charter school authorizers across the country are working to expand and ensure all students have access to quality schools.

In the video, Rashida Young, senior manager of Equity and Fidelity at the DC Public Charter School Board, said that the board addresses access issues by: • monitoring unintentional and intentional barriers that may prevent a family from applying or enrolling into a school, with the board communicating any barriers to the school so they can be removed; • determining whether schools are doing all they can to keep students in their schools; and • understanding if there are particular groups of students exiting the school more than another group of students.

ESSA UPDATE

5 Through its "Dual Enrollment" program, DCPS has made college exposure a priority for its students. /Courtesy of DCPS

cation voted late last month to approve a new accountability system for the D.C. that will provide District parents the ability to compare the performance of public schools on a variety of measures — including student growth and academic achievement.

The state plan, drafted by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, gives the District more flexibility in advancing educational excellence and provides assistance to schools so that each student has the opportunity for success.

DCPS BUDGET

DCPS officials have released for Fiscal Year 2018, continuing eight

their 11:24 budget priorities SU_Press AssoAD_SAU_2015_Layout 1 8/20/15 AM Page 1 The DC State Board of Edu-

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There is no better way to learn about SU than to visit!

A Maryland University of National Distinction 26 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

years of increased investments to schools, as well as new investments for middle and high school students.

"This budget [released April 4] — and the additional $25 million going directly to schools — is reflective of what we want for our young people: equity and excellence for students, with algebra and computer science clubs in all middle schools, college and career coordinators in high schools, and the seeding of Reign: Empowering Young Women as Leaders for young women of color," said Chancellor Antwan Wilson.

DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM

This year, 150 DCPS high school students have taken college courses through the school system’s "Dual Enrollment Program" to not only obtain college credit, but to expose themselves early to the demands of college life.

DCPS has showcased some of the students — including Cherisse Hayes from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts — who are taking courses at schools such as the University of the District of Columbia, Howard University, The George Washington University, Georgetown University and The Catholic University of America.

To learn more about the program, visit dcps.dc.gov/service/ participate-dual-enrollment.

WI

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Jumpstart Helps Preschoolers Prepare Annual Event Held at Howard U.

By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer An organization that has prepared nearly 100,000 children for kindergarten will give hundreds of District preschoolers the same opportunity.

Jumpstart will host its 15th annual Jumpstart For a Day event at Howard University's Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Friday, April 14, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Over 300 local preschoolers will have the opportunity to engage in literacy, social, emotional and learning stations during the event, as well as Zumba, arts and crafts, music, obstacle courses, and information on social safety and physical and mental health.

Howard students will facilitate many of the programs during the one-day event, keeping with the tradition of the organization.

Founded by four college stu-

dents more than 20 years ago, they asked each other: What if we could offer children from under-resourced communities individualized attention before they enter kindergarten, giving them the critical academic and social skills, or the "jump-start," they need to succeed?

The idea came into fruition and today Jumpstart has trained more than 45,000 college students and community volunteers to assist preschoolers.

The program has been replicated across the country in 14 states and the District of Columbia.

Jumpstart said they leverage partnerships with higher education institutions, community organizations, Head Start programs, community-based preschools, and school districts to create sustainable solutions in order to close the kindergarten readiness gap.

WI

EDUCATION

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CAN’T GET ENOUGH WI NEWS?

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR EVEN MORE INFO ON OUR COMMUNITY! WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM 5 A preschool child eager to learn. /Photo courtesy of jstart.org

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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 27

2017-4-6-INFORMER-FULLPAGE.pdf 1 4/6/2017 4:54:59 PM

Each Year an estimated 1.2 million lbs of trash enters the Anacostia River.

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CLEAN RIVERS BEGIN WITH YOU. doee.dc.gov 28 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

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EDITORIAL

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Mother Earth’s on Life Support – Of Course Climate Change is Real!

D.C. will join a host of other committed friends of the Earth from across America and around the planet in the annual honoring of our world on Saturday, April 22, Earth Day, 2017.

Here in the District there will also be opportunities to be part of a March for Science rally and a variety of teach-ins on the National Mall that will bring scientists and supporters together for a common cause: to educate communities and our leaders.

Already, climate change has impacted the environment in negative ways that threaten the lives of each person on Earth. But it’s the future with which we should particularly be concerned.

Unpredictable temperatures and global warming, an increase in severe weather events from sudden floods to extensive droughts and famines, an unprecedented increase in the number of endangered species on the brink of extinction – even the inability to secure clean water – have all become commonplace.

This is our reality. And time is not on our side.

Meanwhile, America’s leaders, from the White House to the “outhouse,” want us to believe that warnings of doom and gloom are simply overrated – that they are false notions based on invalid facts and convoluted research.

To that we can only say one thing: shame on our president and Congress for their failure to lead the world and to remain at the forefront of the global battle to save our planet.

We can use technological advances to achieve more sustainable energy and to develop an entire new industry of businesses and jobs. We can reduce our greenhouse-gas emissions – putting our money where our mouth is and initiating actions based on the commitment that 195 countries made in December 2015 when the U.S., France, China and the European Union, among others, adopted the Paris agreement on climate change.

What we do today and how countries work together will determine whether our children and our grandchildren will inherit a livable world – a world that can sustain life. We can invest in their future today – and we must.

To be clear, we have little time to take steps backwards – the planet and Mother Nature will not wait for us to make up our minds and do the only thing that makes sense – to save our planet from the foolish exploits and decisions of those who would prefer to live for today and ignore tomorrow. WI

D.C. Youth Need More Work and Play Opportunities During a recent public hearing, the D.C. Council Committee on Labor and Workforce Development took a critical look at the District’s overall employment services and considered several pieces of legislation targeting the expansion of job training programs – and we assume the development of jobs that would then be available – for youth.

One new, fresh voice on the scene is Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White who has sponsored the Safe Way Home Act because of the challenges facing young adults in his ward including increased exposure to and participation in acts of violence. His bill, along with the mayor’s Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Expansion Act, have the potential to bring sorely needed change and opportunities for D.C.’s youth.

Countless numbers of adults who grew up in the DMV can share stories about their first summer job – jobs that were made available because then Mayor Barry stood resolute in his promise to make sure every youth had a job – money in their pockets and a sense of worth because they were doing something that was deemed important both by their peers and adults.

As you drive around the District with spring weather now in full WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

TO THE EDITOR Keep the Buzz Going for the Bee

Black Golfers Hitting the Links, Too

Your newspaper's continued support of the Spelling Bee is one of the great testaments of how and why your organization is held by so many as a real valuable asset to our community. The 35th annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee supplement in the April 6, 2017, edition shows that you and your staff value the commitment that these young people put into competing in this competition. It is an outstanding supplement, with wonderful stories.

As a parent, I can remember working with my daughters as they prepared for the school-wide spelling bees. Although they never made it to the citywide competition, there was always the excitement of the competition that we will never forget. I hope to someday read the 100th annual Washington Spelling Bee supplement — in other words, I hope your support for this wonderful competition never ends.

I am a big Washington Nationals baseball fan, and I just loved the article by Sarafina Wright, "Nationals Home Opener is Simply Fan-tastic" on the front page of the recent Washington Informer. But do you know what other time of the year it is? It's Masters week, and that signals the beginning of golf season. It would be nice to read some articles about golf in the African-American D.C. community. I am sure there are some great stories out there about golfers of all ages who loved the game long before the Tiger Woods era.

It's just a suggestion. Anyway, thanks for the Nats story, it was good reading.

Calvin Brown Washington, D.C.

Margie Williams Washington, D.C.

force, you are likely to see corners and intersections where youth gather – more often because they have nothing else to do. And a great majority of those youth are Black. They have few places where they can go to play and just be children – few gyms, few grassy fields, few welcoming parks – nothing.

They’re bored and broke.

And because many lack the skills, from communication to higher order thinking that are a prerequisite for even the least desirable minimum wage job, they have few options for securing money

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within the confines of legal means and methods.

We can either invest in more jails and prepare beds for our youth as future members of the prison industrial complex, or we can put real dollars into proven programs that take children off the streets and put them “armed and ready” into the world of employment – reducing crime at the same time.

Mayor Bowser and the Council have decisions to make and a budget to propose and balance. We believe they will do the right thing and invest in our youth. WI

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 29

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

Sponsors of Hate Today Must Be Held Accountable

On April 4 across the United States, people paused in solemn remembrance of the 49th anniversary of the tragic assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tenn. Back then, I was a young, college student and staff member of Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in North Carolina on that tragic day in 1968.

There is no question that it has been a long and difficult road for

our communities during the past half-century, as we continue to fight for equal rights and to eliminate racial hatred, discrimination and bigotry.

Many in North Carolina may recall my beginnings in activism when, as a 13-year-old, I fought to integrate the public library in Oxford, N.C., and was the first African-American to successfully struggle to get a library card there. Later, I worked for the SCLC, CORE, NAACP and the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice. Today, I proudly serve the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)

Guest Columnist

as president and CEO. Over the years, our work has taken different shapes and has required many different approaches and levels of intensity to ensure we continually push our leaders and fellow citizens further down the path of freedom, justice and equality.

Under the Obama administration, we were fortunate to have friends in the White House, the Department of Justice and all across the Administration, who recognized the historic opportunities and worked with us to maximize them. We saw many advances for our communities and the priorities were rightly on addressing

criminal justice reforms, labor, income, education, poverty and access to health care. We did not fully arrive there, but we were well on our way to making more progress for all people in America.

With the rise of the so called altright movement and its anti-immigration agenda that many believe helped to elect President Trump, we find ourselves working to maintain the status quo in civil rights rather than advancing this fight. And we have every right to be concerned and frustrated. Yet, as Dr. King believed, we should work to get each president of the United States, including President Trump,

to denounce bigotry and hatred, as well as to champion racial equality.

We must tap into that energy to push our agenda and ensure that our nation's leaders do not support bigotry of any kind and that means identifying individuals and groups that are sponsoring this hate and holding them accountable.

Unfortunately, here in my home state of North Carolina, the Foundation for the Carolinas has spent tens of millions of dollars over the years supporting groups that sponsor hate and advance this anti-im-

CHAVIS Page 53

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

Decision to Bomb Syria Was Dangerous, Deceptive

Fifty-nine cruise missiles. When Donald Trump ordered the attack on Syria, he made an impetuous decision, turning his previous commitment to stay out of the Syrian civil war and focus on ISIS on its head.

He ordered the attack on a sovereign nation without seeking sanction from the United Nations or the U.S. Congress. For this, he received lavish praise from the media and bipartisan congressional support. He’ll undoubtedly enjoy a boost in the polls.

Military force is called “strong

power.” Ordering an attack turns the president into the commander in chief and gives him an image of decisiveness and power. Yet the unleashing of cruise missiles against Syria is both dangerous and deceptive.

If Trump has decided to commit to regime change in Syria, it is dangerous. Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is backed by both Russia and Iran, and Assad’s forces are the leading opposition to ISIS, the terrorist gang that Trump is already committed to destroying.

If the cruise missiles are simply a punitive gesture, a one-off strike to punish Assad for allegedly using chemical weapons in the Syrian

Guest Columnist

civil war, it is deceptive. The missile attack will have done little but raise false hopes among Assad’s opponents. One day later, Assad’s air force launched attacks from the airbase that was hit, against the same town that was allegedly bombed with chemical weapons.

Last year, the U.S. dropped 26,171 bombs — in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan. The only thing that the new bombing in Syria does is to get Trump and the U.S. deeper into the Syrian civil war, even as Trump appears to be escalating U.S. activity in Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq.

During the campaign, Trump ex-

pressed his scorn for regime change and denounced the foreign policy elite for engaging in wars without ever “winning.” Now, he appears to be doubling down on those same wars without any plan for victory.

Bombs — strong power — are in fact simply destructive. They build nothing. In Syria, the human catastrophe from the civil war is unspeakable. Roughly half of the 22 million residents of Syria have been driven from their homes, including an estimated 6 million internally displaced and some 5 million refugees whose flight has created an ugly right-wing reaction across Europe.

Half a million have died. Another 2

million have been wounded. More bombs aren’t a sign of strength, they are an expression of violent futility.

The horrible pictures of babies dying from poisonous gas might have sparked a different response. The U.S. could have gone to the U.N. with proof that the Assad regime had sponsored the attack, calling for a cooperative international effort to rid Syria of those weapons. Trump might have dispatched his emissary to Russia to demand that it join in fulfilling the promise it made to former President Obama to rid Syria of chemical weapons. The outside

JACKSON Page 53

By Julianne Malveaux

March Unemployment Report is Mixed News Our 45th president has had no trouble claiming the good employment news reported for January and February of this year. In those jobs reports, released on the first Friday of the month, we saw unemployment rates of 4.8 and 4.7 percent. In both of those months, more than 200,000 jobs were created.

He crowed that this data showed how successful his presidency had been, even though he had barely kept his seat in the Oval Of-

30 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

fice warm, and even though he had done nothing, from a policy perspective, to stake his claim on progress that could only have come from the economic recovery engineered by his predecessor, Barack Obama.

Now, we have the report from March, with an unemployment rate, at 4.5 percent, that is at its lowest level since May 2007. We also have a sluggish report on job creation — with just 98,000 new jobs, less than half as many jobs that were created in each of the last two months. Is the 45th president going to claim that his actions have

caused a slowing in job creation?

Since he was so quick to claim credit when the numbers looked good, what will he say now?

More importantly, the low jobs creation number suggests that the economic recovery we have been experiencing is far from solid. The March number can be a mere hiccup — we did have weather challenges last month that may have slowed some job creation, and may even have been responsible for lower job growth in the retail sector.

But it might also suggest that the Fed should not be so quick to raise interest rates. Despite relatively low

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unemployment rates, there is room for much more job creation before employers will have to compete for workers.

The overall unemployment rate of 4.5 percent would be something to celebrate if it were accompanied by more job creation. It might also be something to celebrate if the black unemployment rate were not so high — at 8 percent it is more than twice the white rate of 3.9 percent. Furthermore, when those marginally attached to the labor market, discouraged workers, and those working part-time because they can’t find full-time work, are

included, the overall unemployment rate is 8.9 percent. Using the same methodology, this unemployment rate would be 15.8 percent for African-Americans.

To be sure, these numbers are a vast improvement on the numbers we saw a year ago, not to mention five years ago. But the impact of these low numbers has bypassed many workers. Too many have still not seen their pay levels increase (wage growth was around .02 percent last month), and too many still fear layoffs or job reorganizations.

MALVEAUX Page 53

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Raynard Jackson

We Have More in Common With Russia Than You Think Last month I wrote a column titled, "Russia Is Winning the War for American Minds." In that piece, I discussed how Russia had unleashed a psychological operations program in the U.S. to destabilize our government and our various institutions; they have been phenomenally successful with their operation.

As I continue to ponder this Russian operation in the U.S., I wonder: are we, too, becoming more

and more like Russia without even knowing it?

Dissent in either country is no longer tolerated.

In both countries, the central government wants to control every aspect of life, both private and public.

In both countries, the central government wants to control the means of production, i.e. business.

So, like in the communist days of old, no dissent, government control, and central planning are the themes of the day.

Just think, if you happen to believe that a boy born with male gen-

italia should actually be expected to go to the boy's bathroom, you are considered hateful and discriminatory. If you happen to hold to the "radical" notion that homosexuality is morally wrong, you are forced to kneel before the altar of political correctness (PC) until you recant.

When freedom is threatened, anarchy can't be far behind.

In both countries, the government is increasingly controlling more and more of how private companies operate through onerous regulations.

Now, some lawmakers wants to mandate how much small businesses

Guest Columnist

pay their employees, what products or services you can make or provide, the type of bathrooms you must provide, and how much profit they will allow you to make via the tax code.

In both countries, the government plans your life from cradle to grave. In the U.S., half of all births are paid for by the government through Medicaid. Now the government wants to take over our health insurance, which is one-seventh of our economy.

The government is far too involved in far too many aspects of our

lives. The government has absolutely no business paying for healthy people to have babies. None.

How about this novel concept: if you can't financially afford to have a child, then keep your legs closed!

Yeah, I said it. And I will not recant at the altar of political correctness.

Compassion should not be measured by how many government programs we create, but rather by how few Americans actually need them.

JACKSON Page 54

By Charlene Crowell

Time for Economic Justice

This year has brought a number of significant developments. A new Congress, the 115th in our nation's history, and similarly the 45th president have together begun a new era of government. From all indications, this new leadership seeks to create public policies and priorities that significantly alter what will remain as a governmental function. From education to environmental stewardship, health care and more, the governing toolbox of executive orders, regulation

and legislation are all in use.

Despite these changing times, much of what has plagued black America remains the same: a lack of wealth and ample access to opportunities that can virtually and permanently improve our lives.

No one needs another study that finds how black America's net worth is a fraction of that held by white Americans. We already know that black families who send their children to college incur a larger family debt that includes multiple generations — the student, parents and even grandparents. And in that quest for education, each generation's ability to

maximize financial stability is at risk.

Or that black businesses and entrepreneurs often face predictable denials for loans that could bring jobs to their own communities.

It seems that in 2017, black America's number one need is to finally know and enjoy economic justice in all of its forms. We have already felt the brunt of predatory lending's high costs that steal our hard-earned wages with triple-digit interest rates. Far too many of us are still denied access to mortgages even when credit profiles tell us that we should qualify for the most affordable and sustainable home loans. And then there are the car pay-

Guest Columnist

ments that have been packed by dealers who frequently mark-up interest rates and cram additional ‘services' into loans that could have been purchased far more cheaply on their own.

Thankfully, the 49-member Congressional Black Caucus recently released a report with a title that was also a clear statement, "We Have a Lot to Lose: Solutions to Advance Black Families in the 21st Century."

Its 125 pages contain chapters that speak to our unique American experience while also proposing solutions to deliver us to the full bounty of what it means to be an American to people of all colors. While space will not allow

me to explore the entire report, key elements of the chapter on economic justice deserve to be broadly shared and read.

"The racial wealth gap is widening," states the report. "To gain wealth comparable to white high school dropouts, blacks have to have completed high school and some college.

This means that black Americans need to invest more resources and time to achieve the same results as white citizens that have not had to make the same level of investment."

In all, this chapter's multiple pro-

CROWELL Page 54

By Marian Wright Edelman

A Time to Break Silence Fifty years ago on April 4, 1967, our prophet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the historic speech "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" at New York City’s Riverside Church.

It was his first major public antiwar speech and a powerful warning that a rise in racial hatred, militarism and violence could destroy America.

In his essay "The Land Beyond," originally published in Sojourners magazine in 1983, Dr. Vincent Harding, the brilliant historian and theologian and close King friend

who helped draft the speech, wrote: "Even now it would be tempting to take this cry from the heart of a driven, searching, magnificent brother and file it away as a document for museums and other honorable places. But neither the fiery signals rising from some of our latest potential Vietnams in Central America, South Africa, or the Middle East, nor the mounting anguish of the betrayed and disinherited of our own land will allow us to escape the unresolved issues of the past or avoid the costly and accurate vision of our comrade in the faith. The speech not only requires us to struggle once more with

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the meaning of King, but it also presses us to wrestle as he did, with all of the tangled, bloody, and glorious meaning of our nation (and ourselves), its purposes (and our own), its direction (and our own), its hope (and our own)."

Dr. Harding was writing on the speech’s 15th anniversary — yet his instructions for how we should reread the speech are even more searing today on its 50th.

Dr. King was speaking out against the Vietnam War specifically but also arguing that "the war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit" and

that it was time for our nation to undergo "a radical revolution of values": "When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered. …

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

President Trump’s very first budget blueprint, which proposes an increase in defense spending for 2018 of $54 billion (a 10 percent increase)

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with $54 billion in cuts to programs serving the poor and vulnerable and addressing basic needs and other non-defense discretionary spending to pay for it, plainly shows Dr. King’s message is not being heard or heeded.

Just as starkly and presciently, Dr. King went on to say the revolution in our national values must reject nationalism and hate: "A genuine revolution of values means in the final analysis that our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Every nation must now de-

EDELMAN Page 54 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 31

LIFESTYLE Ruben Studdard Puts Soul in Sam Cooke Classic

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer If anyone's asks whatever happen to Ruben Studdard, they probably haven't been paying too much attention.

In the 13 years since he brightened the world of pop music with his "American Idol"-winning romantic balladry, Studdard has warmed the hearts of his huge fan base with five albums and has toured with the likes of Peabo Bryson, Melissa Manchester, CeCe Winans

32 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

and David Foster.

And that's just a tidbit from his personal webpage.

He's done a whole lot more, including the just completed and powerful new version of Sam Cooke's classic "A Change is Gonna Come."

"The initial reason toward singing the song was an event we were having in honor of Civil Rights in Birmingham," said Studdard, now 38. "It was a big event and Dr. Henry Panion III was producing and conducting the orchestra and it was

5 Former "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard. /Courtesy photo

a live event that turned into a PBS special during Black History Month."

Studdard added that Panion, his mentor, asked if he'd sing and the former Idol champ didn't hesitate.

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"I've always been a fan of that song and the importance of the material inclined me to do it," he said.

Panion has been lauded for his work with a who's who in music, including Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin, Chaka Khan, the Winans, Aretha Franklin, Tramaine Hawkins, and "American Idol Winners Carrie Underwood and Studdard.

"Ruben really does shine and I think it's a great joy working with him," said Panion, whose works are programmed throughout the United States by many of the country's major orchestras, including the Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Cleveland Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony and the National Symphony.

"He really does love music I work in classical and, in jazz and pop, so many when they become popular it has little to do with their musicianship but how many times we turn on national show and you wonder, where in the world did they find this person?" Panion said.

"We can find 20 people here" in Birmingham, Alabama, Studdard's hometown.

Studdard has always been a student of music and there's talk of him doing a Christmas album of Luther Vandross

songs, Panion said.

Studdard also continues to work on producing a children's show called "Uncle Ruben's House," that he hopes will debut in the fall.

"It's a labor of love just having to learn the techniques and how to communicate with kids from two to eight, it's really phenomenal," Studdard said.

"My mom is an educator, she was like a child whisperer and that market has been silent for years. So, we'll make songs specifically to teach children manners, math, and science and the guy I'm working with is really big on STEM education and trying to incorporate that into our music to help children in different ways."

Another album also should be coming soon, Studdard said.

For now, however, he's pushing the release of "A Change is Gonna Come" on the heels of former President Barack Obama's final days in office, during which he designated Birmingham Civil Rights District as a national monument.

"Sam Cooke's original became an anthem to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s," Panion said. "We believe that Ruben's new version is right on time. Everybody could use a little soul and inspiration." iTunes and GooglePlay currently have the single available.

WI

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LIFESTYLE

‘Chicago’ is Simply Sensational Brandy, Roz Ryan Bring Their A-Games

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir Just a few days remain for the Kennedy Center’s delightful production of the Broadway classic and multi-Tony Award winning musical, “Chicago.”

Most theater lovers have probably seen this show enough times to sing along with the cast, but if you haven’t seen Brandy in the role of that femme fetal Roxie Hart, then “you ain’t seen nothing yet.” Brandy makes the role her own – embracing it in a way that other actresses can only dream. And for the record, the R&B singer known for her

pitch perfect chops can also dance and act with similar aplomb.

But she doesn’t do it alone – not by a longshot.

She’s joined by another fan favorite Roz Ryan who brings new flavor in her portrayal of the women’s prison matron “Mama” Morton. In addition, Brent Barrett as the attorney known for making everyone beat the rap, Billy Flynn, is equally outstanding.

Understudy Lauren Gemelli filled in for Terra C. MacLeod as Velma Kelly – and while she gave it her best, she simply didn’t have the polish to go toe-to-toe with Brandy as the duo sang and danced their way to the play’s climactic

conclusion.

There are singers who should stay in their lane, remain faithful to their fans and avoid professional opportunities that illustrate their shortcomings. Fortunately, such is not the case with Brandy.

She’s gained many fans, I’m sure, after scoring big in conquering this challenging role. I, for one, can’t wait to see what she reveals next in her talent-filled bag of tricks.

It looks like the Kennedy Center has been stricken with the “Midas Touch” recently.

Isn’t it delightful?

‘Chicago’ continues through Sunday, April 16 at the Kennedy Center’s Opera House. WI

5 Denny Paschall, Brandy Norwood as "Roxie Hart" and Michael Scir-

rotto. /Photo by Jeremy Daniel

‘A Raisin in the Sun’ Reminds us of the Power of Words

Lizan Mitchell Mesmerizing in Arena Stage Production

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir When one reflects on the Lorraine Hansberry classic “A Raisin in the Sun,” the tendency may be to reconsider the 1961 filmed version in which Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee starred as the husband/ wife duo of Walter Lee and Ruth Younger, along with Claudia McNeil who portrayed the family matriarch Lena Younger – collectively setting a standard of excellence that has stood the test of time.

Perhaps that’s why a new production of the play that recently opened at one of the District’s most impressive venues, the Arena Stage, merits the praise that it has immediately received.

Director Tazewell Thompson in concert with Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith have assembled a stellar cast led by several amazing veterans who blend well and hit their marks, almost effortlessly stepping into roles that assuredly have mirror images in many Black American families.

What’s more, the play and its talented ensemble helped me remember two

5 Lizan Mitchell dominates the stage as Lena Younger in “A Raisin in

the Sun” at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Southwest, running through May 7. /Photo by C. Stanley Photography WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

things: why I have long preferred the theater where the actors and the audience can personally connect and the kind of power that words, more so than weapons, can ultimately wield.

Joy Jones (Beneatha Younger), Dawn Ursula (Ruth Younger) and Will Cobbs (Walter Lee Younger) are each outstanding in their challenging roles but Broadway veteran Lizan Mitchell is far and away the real gem in this production.

Her portrayal of the family matriarch, Lena Younger, particularly as the play soars to its emotional conclusion, left me in tears. I could hear the prophetic, loving words of my mother whispering in my ears – that is, before Alzheimer’s began to diminish her mental capacities.

I could see visions of my grandmother, a simple woman with unwavering faith in God who, like the fictitious Lena Younger, held our family together after the sudden, unexpected death of her husband, my grandfather.

Mitchell owns the role and is nothing short of superb.

The Arena Stage family should take a bow – as should this cast – for a job well done.

If you don’t see another play this year, you must witness the triumphant return of “A Raisin in the Sun.” The play continues through May 7 at the Arena Stage in Southwest.

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LIFESTYLE

MGM Reaches Goals for Hiring, Contracting Minority Businesses

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill MGM National Harbor has done its part to hiring Prince George's County residents and contracting minority businesses, according to a company agreement report.

Officials briefed the county council last week, emphasizing that residents who worked construction exceeded the 20 percent goal of labor hours and that 30 percent of minority-owned businesses participated in the project.

Figures within the 22-page report were verified by K. E. Timmons, a law firm in Baltimore.

"Leveraging great development to create local investment, local hiring, and local opportunities for our small and minority owned businesses is a critical part of creating legacy wealth and shared prosperity in Prince George's County," County Councilman Mel Franklin (D-District

8

9) of Upper Marlboro said in a statement. "Just as we hold developers accountable when they fall short of their commitments, we must also give credit where credit is due when companies exceed our expectations."

The report outlines data from 2014, the year the county and MGM entered a Community Benefits Agreement, through 2016.

For instance, 40 percent of minority business were contracted at nearly $368 million to handle construction work on the resort.

About 1,900 county residents worked 27 percent of the nearly 4.1 million construction hours on the site.

So far, about 47 percent of the more than 4,000 jobs at the resort have been filled by county residents.

"These results reflect the historic commitment to diversity and inclusion that are cornerstones of the corporate mission of MGM Resorts International," the report states. "Nearly

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5 Patrons head in and out of the MGM National Harbor casino resort on Dec. 11, three days after it opened

for business. /Photo by William J. Ford two years into this project, this per the community agreement. report highlights the progress However, some of the proalready made." ceeds from MGM goes not The county projects MGM only to the state but also to two could bring in $34.2 million other casinos in Baltimore and in revenue with at least 50 per- Anne Arundel County based cent designated for education, on a hold-harmless agreement.

Thomas Himler, the county's deputy chief administrative officer for budget, finance and economic development, estimated about $3 million would come from video lottery terminals, commonly known as slot machines.

County Councilman Obie Patterson (D-District 8) of Fort Washington expressed some skepticism about how MGM would benefit the county, but admitted the new revenue will boost schools, the police department and taxes.

"The more we get, the more the county gets," he said. "We

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just got to make sure we spend it for the purposes designated to by the state and by the county."

Meanwhile, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, which oversees the state's casinos, released a monthly report last week on gaming revenue for March and MGM ranked number one.

Although the $1.4 billion complex opened Dec. 8, it generated $51.2 million from slot machines and table games.

The other five casinos the gaming agency monitors all experienced a decrease in revenue.

Maryland Live in Anne Arundel County came in second at $46.6 million, but experienced a decrease in revenue by almost $8 million from the same time last year. WI

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LIFESTYLE Maryland Teen Finalist in Nationwide Entrepreneur Contest

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer A Maryland teen has been named a finalist in a $10,000 nationwide search for the next “kidtrepreneur.”

Gabrielle Jordan, who at nine years old founded the jewelry line, “Jewelz of Jordan,” joined nine others from around the country as finalists in Barbara’s Bakery’s search for the next amazing young business owner.

“It was recommended that we sign up for the contest and when I looked into it, I saw that there was a chance we could win and that it would be a really good idea because we’re in the process of building up our funds and this would be an amazing opportunity to earn additional money,” said Gabrielle, 17, who comes from a long line of entrepreneurs including her mother and father.

Gabrielle creates handcrafted, limited edition luxury jewelry which she said targets modern, classic and elegant women and girls.

The products can be purchased online and in boutiques in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Additionally, Gabrielle has authored the Amazon bestselling book, “The Making of a Young Entrepreneur,” and she’s created a mentorship program for young entrepreneurs and leaders.

“I’m looking to do something where it’s not just about making money,” she said.

“I have this mentoring institute where we recommend a few of the kids in the group to sign up and possibly win money too.

The goal for me is to be able to do something for someone else and to know that the students I mentor are succeeding makes me really proud,” Gabrielle added.

In February, Barbara’s Bakery, a pioneer in cereals and snacks from wholesome ingredients, announced the launch of the contest which the company said seeks to discover innovative youth who embody entrepreneurial passion and vision.

Founded by Barbara Jaffe at the age of 17 as a small organic bakery, the company provides opportunities for more young startups.

Parents and guardians were encouraged to nominate exemplary young individuals and their business ideas on Barbara’s

Facebook page where voting will end on April 14.

One grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 grant while five runners-up will win $500 and a case of Barbara’s cereal.

“I am confident and really excited about the voting and I believe I have a good chance of winning at least the $500,” Gabrielle said.

With a dream to keep each of her jewelry pieces handcrafted in America by working with a local organization that provides job opportunities for special needs individuals, Gabrielle also wants to make sure she helps those who require a little assistance.

She said she wants to hire and provide opportunities for those classified as having special needs.

By teaching them specific jewelry making skills to create the various components of her jewelry designs, Gabrielle said she’ll be able to increase her production and at the same time, have employees who take great pride in their work.

“I was definitely a kid who dreamed big,” Gabrielle said.

“I wanted to be able to travel and make jewelry for the stars.

I’ve achieved a lot of my goals and so much more and helping others is important. I tell young people to focus on what it is that makes them unique,” she said.

“It’s important that we bring our vision and it’s important that we stay true and focused and don’t let others persuade what our reality is.”

To cast a vote in the Kidtrepreneur contest, visit https:// www.facebook.com/barbarasbakery/ WI

5 Gabrielle Jordan is a finalist in a nationwide entrepreneur contest. /Courtesy photo

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LIFESTYLE

Black Doctors Paid Less Than Whites, Report Finds

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor African-American physicians earn 15 percent less than whites — an average of $262,000 compared to $303,000 — according to Medscape's 2017 Physicians Compensation Report.

Approximately 19,200 physicians across 26 areas of medicine

were asked questions about annual compensation, race, gender, geography and job satisfaction.

The report, detailed by CBS News, revealed that African-American doctors are less likely to say they feel fairly compensated, with only half agreeing that they're earning what they should.

"Fifty-percent of African- Amer-

ican physicians don't feel fairly compensated," the report's editor Leslie Kane, a senior director of Medscape Business of Medicine, told CBS. Racial and gender discrimination may certainly be a factor, Kane said, but there are other factors as well.

For example, if a doctor treats more Medicaid patients, their re-

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imbursement is usually lower, since employer-insured patients tend to pay better.

How many hours a doctor works and whether they're in private practice or a clinic can also explain some inequities in pay.

"Tons of factors play into how much a physician makes," she said.

The survey found that the gender pay gap comes in smaller among younger doctors. Male doctors ages 55 to 69 make 27 percent more than women, but the divide shrinks to 18 percent in physicians under the age of 34.

Being a doctor pays well, but there are still major discrepancies when it comes to paychecks within the medical profession. For the first time, the annual report looked at race as well as gender and other factors, revealing some significant disparities in pay.

Physicians' annual salaries averaged $294,000, with specialists earning about $100,000 more than primary care doctors.

Overall, average pay has risen by $88,000 over the seven years Medscape has been conducting this survey, an increase attributed to intense competition for doctors among hospitals and health care systems.

The three highest-paying specialties were orthopedics (average annual compensation: $489,000), plastic surgery ($440,000) and cardiology ($410,000). They earned well over twice as much as the average pediatrician ($202,000) and family physician ($209,000), the two lowest-paying categories.

A deeper dive into the data shows male doctors take home bigger paychecks in both primary care and specialty areas such as orthopedics and surgery.

Male primary care physicians made 15 percent more than women in 2016, while male specialists earned 31 percent more than their female colleagues.

Part of the reason may be that women are more likely to choose lower-paying specialties, Kane said.

"One of the things we look at is why there is this overall disparity.

We look at what specialties women are going into and they go into less well-paying areas," she said. "Fifty-three percent of pediatricians are women, one of lowest paid specialties. Thirty-nine percent of family physicians are women, also a lower-paying area."

When it comes to the more highly paid medical specialties, only 9 percent of women are orthopedists and only 20 percent of general surgeons are female, Kane added.

African-American doctors typically work in primary care rather than specialties, the survey noted.

The annual compensation survey delved into race for the first time, said Kane, who has edited the report for seven years.

The report revealed higher salaries in rural states. Doctors in North Dakota are the highest paid in the U.S. followed by Alaska, South Dakota and Nebraska.

D.C. counts as the lowest, with New York hovering near the bottom of the list, which Kane and others chalk up to supply and demand: plenty of doctors cluster in big cities, while rural areas need to offer more money to attract staff.

Patients may be glad to know that regardless of pay, most doctors like what they do: eight out of 10 physicians said they'd still choose medicine if they had the chance to pick a career all over again. WI

5 Black doctors are paid 15 percent less than whites, according to a

new survey. /Courtesy photo

36 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

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LIFESTYLE Alpha Phi Alpha Adopts Struggling Southeast School

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Contributing Writer One of the city's neediest schools has caught the attention of one fraternity who hopes its community outreach initiatives will help the school operate better.

For years, the D.C. City Council has promised to set aside funds to modernize Orr Elementary School, yet the crumbling Southeast structure remains one of only two buildings that have not begun any phase of modernization since its opening in 1974.

Though Mayor Muriel Bowser says every school in the city will receive a full modernization, more than 400 students file into Orr daily in the meantime, amid the school's disintegrating infrastructure, lack of functional classroom space and occasional vermin.

Members from the Omicron Lambda Alpha (OLA) chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,

Inc. hope their concentrated community service will help the school until the city completes its modernization.

"It is a priority school for us," said fraternity member James Wright Jr. "Alphas really care about education."

Alpha Phi Alpha was founded Dec. 4, 1906, at Cornell University and the OLA chapter was started April 27, 1952, at Howard University for postgraduates. The president of OLA is James McClelland, and the chapter now has over 55 members.

The fraternity's first encounter with the school was in December when they presented students at the school with books and toys for the holiday season. In February, members read books to a classroom, and earlier this month members returned to the school with a donation of over 300 books to its library.

Members say the purpose of the book donation was to stim-

ulate student interest in reading.

"I am a teacher," said OLA community services chairman Giani Clarkson. "Students cannot learn and progress when they can't read. We are donating these books so the students can become scholars at the ground level.

Clarkson, who teaches at a charter middle school in Northwest, was joined by Wright, Kelly Gilmore, Emerson Bretous, Howard Franklin, Rudy Williams, Michael Matthews, Bruce Mitchell, Robert Mitchell, Victor Lee, Brandon Wheatley and Antonio Alston.

In addition to the donations,

the fraternity members helped set up the books in the library and broke up into pairs to read to the students. Clarkson read the time-honored classic "Where the Wild Things Are." Orr has consistently been on the list of 40 lowest-performing schools in the city. Ninety-eight percent of its students are African-American. Only 16 percent of their students met or exceeded expectations on the 2016 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, the test used to measure student performance in the District.

Dyanna Gardner teaches at Orr and facilitated bringing the

books to the school.

"These books are a blessing to us," Gardner said. "This will help the children to develop an interest in reading and they can start to develop their personal libraries. ‌ It is good for these young people to see black men doing positive things for them."

Wright said the fraternity hopes to continue to grow its relationship with Orr and will continue to use its community service platform to engage with the school.

"One of the things we found is that they were happy that somebody gave them something," he said.

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5 Kelly Gilmore, member of the Omicron Lamda Alpha chapter of

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., reads to a class of first graders at Orr Elementary School in Southeast after the organization donated over 300 books to its library on March17. /Photo courtesy James Wright WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 37

LIFESTYLE

Area Pastors Seek to Empower Congregants

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer The Ministry Center of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden was filled with pastors and religious leaders Friday for a conference with the message that only the church can fix the plight of African-Americans.

The Collective Empowerment Group's annual Empowerment Conference — with this year's theme, "Creating Legacy.

COM (Cutting-Edge Opportunities 4 Ministry)" — welcomed George Fraser, CEO of Black Wealth Alliance, as the keynote speaker.

Fraser emphasized the church's role in lifting the black community.

"It is my vision that the

church has to lead the charge when closing the income gap between blacks and whites in America," Fraser said.

Rev. Jonathan Weaver, pastor of Greater Mount Nebo African Methodist Episcopal Church, sat at a front table during the event.

In 1993, Weaver organized African-American pastors who were forced to meet in storefronts after being denied loans and services from area banks.

"It is imperative that the black community, driven by the black church, transform who we are as a people and the only way that we can do this is collectively," Weaver said, adding that in the era of President Trump, African-Americans must do more for themselves.

The clergymen said the time

has come for church leaders to do more to empower their members once they leave the pews.

"One of the last bastions of hope is the church," said Rev. Anthony G. Maclin, pastor of the Sanctuary at Kingdom Square. "Churches have to come together so that we can raise the conscious level of our people."

Rev. Bobby Manning, pastor of the First Baptist Church of District Heights, said he host events at laundromats and other neighborhood venues to connect to the community.

"Our churches need to be about empowering people and that is giving them the tools and skills to help them along the way," Manning said. WI 5 Rev. Jonathan Weaver, pastor of Greater Mount Nebo AME Church

in Upper Marlboro /Photo by Hamil Harris

5 George Frasier, Bobby Manning and lawyer Majet Parker. /Photo by

Hamil Harris

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GUNS from Page 1 coming needlessly entangled in the juvenile justice system.

“This law makes D.C. safer by changing our juvenile justice system to one that, while still holding young people accountable, also offers an opportunity for rehabilitation,” he said. “This law also makes the dollars we spend on public safety more efficient by not wasting them on policies that do nothing to make our communities safer.”

The law, unanimously passed by the full council last fall, became law this month as the congressional review period passed without additional comment or objection from Congress.

And it appears to have some real “teeth” – something which McDuffie says he has long desired in his relentless goal to help youth who may have gotten into trouble find ways to redemption that will not “scar them for life.”

LAW’S PROVISIONS ANTITHESIS OF U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL’S VIEWS

The newly-enacted law will expand voluntary victim-offender mediation; restore judicial discretion when sentencing juveniles; follow Supreme Court precedent by eliminating juvenile life without parole sentences; protect children under 10 from being held at juvenile facilities with teenagers; prohibit the detention of status offenders; move all detained children out of adult facilities; limit the use of solitary confinement on children; better engage the families of detained children; improve the oversight and evaluation of diversion and rehabilitation programs; and require an analysis of the underlying causes of juvenile delinquency.

However, a growing number of leaders at the federal level, all part of the Trump Administration, have spoken more about punishment than rehabilitation.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he wants laws to get tougher – perhaps in a harkening back to the 80s and its [alleged] “War on Drugs.”

“America must put bad men behind bars again,” Sessions said in a speech to the state attorney generals, given on the last day of this year’s Black History Month.

He added that his “law and order crackdown” may include marijuana.

There are nearly 1.6 million Americans in state or federal pris-

LIFESTYLE on. According to the 2014 Census data, more young Black high school dropouts are in prison than with jobs.

Sessions, in comments made last year, claimed “good people don’t smoke marijuana.”

He now says, “We’re seeing real violence around that [marijuana] and experts are telling me there’s more violence around marijuana than one would think and there’s big money involved.”

But not everyone’s willing to either take Sessions at his word or accept his views.

New York Times Bestselling-Author Michelle Alexander suggests that perspectives like those touted by Sessions can be reduced to nothing more than rhetoric aimed at bolstering “mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness.”

“The war on drugs? Is it a genuine public health crusade or an attempt to carry out the ‘New Jim Crow?’ asks Alexander in her book, “The New Jim Crow” before answering the question herself, pointing to new methods where Jim Crow tenets remain in play albeit under different packaging.

Racine said he applauds the efforts of McDuffie and continues to offer his assistance from the District’s Office of the Attorney General.

“Many youth offenses are nonviolent and don’t involve a weapon. However, those youths still often go to the criminal justice system,” Racine noted. “That’s why our office has employed diversionary programs with services based on the needs of youth.”

“In the past two years, we have diverted 1,000 kids. Eighty percent have not been rearrested. That’s an example of forward looking policy in which we’ve invested here in the District that has actually led to a reduction in crime,” Racine said.

McDuffie agreed, adding that locking up youth should not be the first nor only option.

“Putting kids in solitary confinement achieves nothing to keep D.C. residents safe and, in fact, it makes us less safe by traumatizing the same kids who will likely at some point return to our community,” he said.

“Mandatory minimums make politicians sound tough, but they make our city less safe. Instead of investing a comparatively modest amount of money in rehabilitation, mandatory minimum sentences put D.C. taxpayers on the hook for costly prison sentences and undermine judicial discretion.”

WI

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5 Councilmember Kendrick McDuffie /WI File Photo by Demetrious Kinney

NATIONALS from Page 1

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 39

LIFESTYLE

wi book reviewA

Horoscopes

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

ARIES Avoid overreacting. Now can be perfect for romance and a special evening out.

As the week unfolds, be prepared for a few surprises that could nudge you out of your comfort zone in a positive way. The weekend may spotlight an attraction that turns into something more intimate. Lucky Numbers: 10, 30, 46

"Early Sunday Morning"

TAURUS You could have a powerful desire to kick back and relax. You may also find that unexpected tasks show up. The other big news is that your personal planet Venus pushes forward, and you could make some key decisions concerning your social life.

Lucky Numbers: 1, 2, 28

by Denene Millner c.2017, Bolden $17.95 (higher in Canada) 40 pages

GEMINI The lively sparkle around leisure activities and your social life continues, with

a powerful influence enhancing feelings. If you want to ask someone out on a date, this could be the day. Later, an unexpected invitation might prove very positive for you in more ways than one. Key relationships that recently seemed distant now may begin to harmonize and be more fruitful. Lucky Numbers: 6, 27, 31

CANCER A buoyant influence could indicate a lively time on the home front, where

celebrations and get-togethers can be a lot of fun. You might be eager to indulge in a little pampering and self-care, which can be very good for you. When it comes to your career an unexpected opportunity could open the door to a startling new vista. Lucky Numbers: 7, 13, 25

Early Sunday Morning

LEO Be careful what you say it could be all too easy to become irritated by a minor mat-

ter. Any irritation would be best channeled into exercise or a soothing walk in nature. Try a massage, spa treatment, or anything that will help you relax. Get ready for some news that could see you heading off on a trip. Lucky Numbers: 35, 36, 41

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Each Sunday, your family has a routine they follow.

Everyone gets up early to the smells of a good breakfast that Mama makes; she serves all your favorites before you go to church to raise your voice and praise God. Church is also where people can go to pray. Some people get saved there. And in the new book "Early Sunday Morning" by Denene Millner, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, some people get a dose of confidence.

Sunday is the day your family sets aside for the Lord, which makes it pretty special because everybody puts on their best clothes, shines their shoes, and goes to church together. It's your favorite day of the week, especially when something like a solo in youth choir makes it even better.

Singing is fun, and it's easy to practice when nobody's around. It's also fun when it's done with someone else but singing alone in front of a microphone, in front of the whole church? That's scary, even though everybody tells you it'll be OK. You'll be looking extra-fine, you'll have your hair in a beautiful crown, they all have good advice but still, you're awfully nervous. Mama says "the angels will shout in Heaven" when you sing. Daddy says to "pick a spot in the church and sing to it like you do in the mirror." Their words make you feel a tiny bit more confident.

Once you're at church, just getting through Sunday School is hard. Not looking at the microphone is hard. Not watching the clock is hard, too. And then, it's time to put on the choir robe you've brought from home and walk to the front of the church with your friends. It's time to open your mouth and sing … but you're still nervous.

Mama thinks angels will shout. Daddy reminded you to pick a spot and don't worry. You remember all that, so you take their advice and a deep breath …

Dry mouth. A little shaky in the knees. That funny feeling just below the ribcage.

Yep, that's a case of the nerves alright, but "Early Sunday Morning" shows your child that things have a way of turning out fine.

And that can take time, as this story indicates. The main character, unnamed but based on author Denene Millner's own childhood, is ready-not-ready to tackle what's obviously a big honor; through the expressive artistry of Vanessa Brantley-Newton, young readers can see the character dealing with Mean Kids and wrestling with her fears, and that reticence is easy to identify with no matter what your age.

But wait — that's not all. Millner also tells a tale of a tight-knit community, a close family, and their collective faith. Of course this book is about a little girl's solo in choir, but you can't discount the adults, who quietly support the story.

Children who love read-alouds will enjoy this book, while kids ages 8 to 10 may enjoy reading it themselves. It's definitely a charmer; in fact, once you've read "Early Sunday Morning" once, you'll be singing its praises, too.

WI

40 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

VIRGO The desire to splurge could be very strong. Go easy, though. It might be best to avoid big-ticket items for now. If you must buy something, keep the receipts so you can return it if necessary. There could also be an unexpected windfall. It likely won't be anything big, but it could make you smile. Lucky Numbers: 16, 27, 32 LIBRA You feel more emotional than usual. Try to give yourself more leeway and cut out unnecessary tasks. Avoid making spontaneous decisions until you feel calmer and more settled. Relationships seem to be an ongoing theme. Someone close could spring a surprise on you. You may find that any recent issues begin to resolve, enabling progress.

Lucky Numbers: 5, 9, 37 SCORPIO The week could get off to a more thoughtful start as the Full Moon in your spiritual zone encourages you to deal with any wayward emotions. Emotional baggage or situations that have held you back may now be released, paving the way for new developments. Be prepared for fresh opportunities regarding work or everyday routines. Information could come out of the blue that moves you in a new direction. A new friendship or romantic attraction seems to hold promise this weekend. Lucky Numbers: 15, 22, 49 SAGITTARIUS Monday's Full Moon could coincide with a project that has now

reached a state of completion. It might be time to let it go and move on to something new. Avoid hanging out with people who do nothing but complain. Stick with those who are upbeat and you'll get the week off to a great start. It might be just as well to expect the unexpected. Lucky Numbers: 11, 30, 47

CAPRICORN If you want to appear in the best light, set an example that all can follow. Be prepared for some disruption to a family plan, though. It may be minor, but try to give yourself more leeway around Thursday so you can handle any unexpected snafus. A budding romance may move to a new level after a period of uncertainty. Lucky Numbers: 13, 14, 29 AQUARIUS You may be yearning to escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of life. This could be a chance to book a trip. The week could also bring unusual news that coincides with an opportunity or perhaps an encounter you might relish. Something or someone intriguing and refreshingly different may be about to enter your life, which has to be good. Lucky Numbers: 5, 35, 37 PISCES The temptation to spend could be strong, but at the same time you'll have a lot of fun. Just make sure you can afford it so there are no regrets. Venus pushes forward, which can help reorient any relationships that may have suffered a recent setback. Conversations held in the coming week might help you take things to a new, more intimate level. Lucky Numbers: 10, 11, 15

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 41

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6 The Frank W. Ballou Senior High School “Majestic” Marching Knights out of Southeast, DC were lined up and ready to march in the 2017 National Cherry Blossom Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue on April 8. /Photo by Lateef Mangum

5 A float of State Cherry Blossom Queens ride down Pennsylvania in the 2017 National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on April 8. /Photo by Lateef Mangumm

5 Sing Into Spring Winner KHA sponsored by The Washington Informer participates in the 2017 National Cherry Blossom Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue on April 8. /Photo by Lateef Mangum

4 The Power Taps loggers Drum Float with

Tamagawa University Dance and Taiko Group Japan sponsored by the Japan National Tourism Organization participate in the 2017 National Cherry Blossom Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue on April 8. /Photo by Lateef Mangum

42 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 43

SPORTS Wizards Drop Final Home Game to Heat

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Hassan Whiteside had 30 points and 12 rebounds to help the Miami Heat defeat the Washington Wizards, 106-103, on Saturday in Washington's last home game of the regular season before a sellout crowd at Verizon Center.

Washington sprinted to an eightpoint lead early, but couldn't sustain it against a team that has beaten them three straight times this season.

The Wizards, which averages nearly 15 turnovers per game, but committed 20 Saturday, including an errant pass from Kelly Oubre Jr. over John Wall's head as the team trailed 104-103 with 11 seconds left.

Heat guard Josh Richardson made two free throws with 9.7 seconds left, and Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal's last-second three-point attempt was blocked to end the game.

"We weren't locked into the game," Beal said. "If we play like this, we're going to get swept [in the playoffs]. We have to figure out what team we're going to be. [Do] we want to be a hot team moving into the playoffs, or just be a complacent team that's going to be ho The Wizards (48-32) took a 15-7 lead early on, but when Heat guard Tyler Johnson entered the game halfway through the first, Miami outscored the Wizards the rest of the quarter 21-14.

Neither team had a lead bigger than five points from then on. The Heat did have Whiteside, however, who also made the game-sealing block on Beal's three-point attempt.

Miami took 36 free-throw attempts to the Wizards' 22, exacerbating a recent sore spot for Washington, particularly the lack of calls for the constantly driving Wall.

"I don't want to talk about it," Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said of the free-throw disparity. "It is what it is. We just have to control the things that we can control.

We've talked about it enough within

44 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

our team. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to get to the line."

Even with the loss, the Wizards ended the season with 30 home wins, the highest franchise total in 28 years.

"This was good season for us," said Wizards forward Markieff Morris, who scored a team-high 21 points Saturday. "We finished 30-11. It's unbelievable."

The Wizards will have homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs, which start Saturday, April 15. WI

5 Washington Wizards point guard Bradley Beal attempts a pass over Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside during the Heat's 106-103 win at Verizon Center in Northwest on April 8. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

5 Washington Wizards guard Brandon Jennings is

defended by Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic during the Heat's 106-103 win at Verizon Center in Northwest on April 8. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

4 Washington Wizards forward Chris

McCullough shoots over Miami Heat forward Okaro White during the Heat's 106-103 win at Verizon Center in Northwest on April 8. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

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SPORTS Valor Tops Brigade in Inaugural Game 3 Baltimore Brigade quarterback Chase Cartwright (9) attempts a pass as

Washington Valor defensive lineman Reggie Wilson closes in during the first quarter of the Valor's 51-38 win at Verizon Center in Northwest on April 7. / Photo by John E. De Freitas

6 Baltimore Brigade defensive back Varmah Sonie fields a kickoff in the second quarter of the Brigade's 51-38 loss to the Washington Valor at Verizon Center in Northwest on April 7. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

5 Baltimore Brigade quarterback Shane Carden (6) attempts a pass during the Brigade's 51-38 loss to the Washington Valor at Verizon Center in Northwest on April 7. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

4 Washington Valor quarterback Erik Meyer (4)

drops back for a pass attempt in the third quarter of the Valor's 51-38 win over the Baltimore Brigade at Verizon Center in Northwest on April 7. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 45

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A household is defined, for the purposes of the Lifeline program, as any individual or group of individuals, who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Violation of the one-per-household rule constitutes violation of FCC rules and will result in the customer’s de-enrollment from Lifeline. Only eligible customers may enroll in the program. Consumers who willfully make false statements in order to obtain a Lifeline benefit can be punished by fine, imprisonment, or can be barred from the program. Customers must present proper documentation proving eligibility for the Lifeline program. Your information will be validated against public records and any discrepancies could result in delays or denial of service.

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The Anacostia River took center stage as thousands of Washingtonians gathered to celebrate and renew the city's green efforts.

The National Park Service and the 11th Street Bridge Park project presented the third annual Anacostia River Festival on Sunday, April 9 at Anacostia Park in Southeast.

The premier event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival had a special focus on biking in the city and celebrating the new extension of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail to Bladensburg, Md. "Residents from both sides of the river and across the D.C. region discovered the Anacostia - an amazing natural treasure that can be explored this year by both bike and boat," said Scott Kratz, director of the 11th Street Bridge Park project.

The festival featured art exhibitions, live music performances, hands-on activities and special biking activities.

Residents participated in recycled art projects, fishing workshops, the annual fish bicycle parade, trail rides, bike tune-up stations, safety stations, urban gardening, lawn games, boating and other family-friendly activities.

11th Street Bridge Park, a lead producer of the festival, plans to keep engaging the community leading up to their civic space's projected opening in 2019.

"The goal of the Bridge Park is

to physically and metaphorically connect communities that have been divided by the river for a long time," said Irfana Jetha Noorani, 11th Street Bridge Park's deputy director. "The new civic space will connect Capitol Hill and Navy Yard to historic Anacostia and Fairlawn."

Noorani said her group has several key goals: improve the health of communities that align the riverbank by providing a safe place for play, for all generations, ages and people; reconnect the community with the river; and serve as an anchor for equitable and inclusive development.

"This is a real opportunity to create a democratic space, a space that is inclusive for all types of people from around the city," she said.

Noorani and her team uses the Anacostia River Festival as a catalyst to highlight and develop programming that will work for the anticipated civic space.

"We hope it will give people an idea of what we'll have in the 11th Street Bridge Park, 365 days a year," she said.

Visitors who attended the festival learned about a few of the major conservation efforts happening to the river.

"Groups like the Anacostia Watershed Society, Anacostia Riverkeeper and Groundwork Anacostia DC have been working up and down the river for years, so we are really seeing their conservation efforts come to life," Noorani said.

"The Anacostia Water Society has

5 Anacostia Riverfest was held April 9 in Southeast. /Photo courtesy of WAMU

made a big push to make the river swimmable and fishable by 2025."

Noorani said DC Water is building a Metro-sized tunnel underneath the Anacostia, named The Anacostia River Tunnel Project, which aims to eliminate much of the sewage overflow that goes directly into the Anacostia and the Potomac River.

"Washington, D.C., was founded at the confluence of two rivers," she said. "We were early defined as a river city and we certainly lost that connection through much of our development. What we're seeing now is a reconnection to natural space, green spaces and parks in the city."

WI

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RELIGION THE RELIGION CORNER

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Life's Purpose, Pt. 2 Last week, I wrote about my experiences with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, having ran out of gas while on the bridge in two incidents more than 40 years apart. These incidents have been an indication of the struggles in life that I would experience.

It is so very clear to me today.

In the first experience, as my sorority sister and I ran out of gas heading back to Oakland, I was extremely afraid, but I knew that if I made it off that bridge safely, that my life had a significant purpose. That fact was clear to me!

Today, looking back, I can see clearly that my life has been an uphill battle for the past 40plus years! Thanks to my trust in God, I have been able to continue to keep my eye on the prize, never giving up on my dreams and goals. Then in 2012, the car I was driving on that same bridge, heading back into San Francisco, the ride was all downhill! Today, that signal to me was that my life was about to get better. God had already destined my life's purpose.

Health would be my life's purpose, though I didn't realize it at the time! When my mother passed away on Christmas Day in 2000, my life changed forever. It was that day that I knew what I would be doing with the rest of my life. After learning all I could learn about Type 2 diabetes and the many complications that come along with it, I became an ambassador, determined to share what I had learned with people around the world.

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Deuteronomy 28:6 says, "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out." My message from my two breakdowns on the Bay Bridge was that the Lord had shown me that He will be with me in my going out — as demonstrated when my friend's car broke down as we left San Francisco, going uphill — and in my coming in, as shown some 40 years later.

Google an article that I wrote online back in 2000, where I shared the story of the life of my mother and the many challenges she faced while suffering with high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, you will see how that story has been posted on health websites around the world. It has been translated in to Japanese, Chinese, African languages, French, Spanish and many others. The story is not just what happened to her. It explains how it happened, the detrimental effects of eating too many carbohydrates and sweets, along with the lack of exercises.

When one combines an improved diet and exercise, they can turn things around. Diabetes does not have to take over their lives. What did I do? I began to write columns telling her story, and I began a radio show on Radio One, the largest black radio network in America. Giving and paying out of my own pocket to help others! Now, I get the chance to get paid as I help others. Scripture says, "A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great." Proverbs 18:16 NIV.

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Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher

Service and Times Sunday School 8 – 9 AM Worship Service 9 – 11 AM Tuesday Night Bible Study 6:30 – 8:00 PM Wednesday Daytime Bible Study 11 AM – 12:30 PM

Committed to providing services and supports to increase the capacity of individuals, businesses, and communities.

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

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APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 47

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor 9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 Fax: 301-499-8724

Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 a.m. 7 10:00 a.m.

Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 a.m.

Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 p.m.

Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor 700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849 Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00am 5th Sundays: 9:30am 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30pm www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Crusader Baptist Church

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., Pastor

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor

Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor

Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor

2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org

800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30am 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00am Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30pm Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00am “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45am Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00pm Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment

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

Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00am Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30pm Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org “God is Love”

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Third Street Church of God

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

Drs. Dennis W. & Christine Y. Wiley Pastors

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor

Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-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

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

610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00am Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30pm

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30pm (dinner @ 5:30pm) Sunday School: 9:00am – Hour of Power

Blessed Word of Life Church

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: pm “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

“An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantbaptistdc.org

Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45am Church School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45am Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 pm Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30am

Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Prayer Meeting and Bible Study: Wed. 7:30pm

“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

www.thirdstreet.org

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Church School: 9:20 a.m.

Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

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: 9:00am Worship Service: 10:00am Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45pm Thur. Bible Study: 7:15pm

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

Rev. John W. Davis Pastor

Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor

5101 14th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20011 202-726-2220/ 202-726-9089

901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday School: 9:15am Holy Communion 4th Sunday 10:00am Prayer and Bible Study Wednesday 7:00pm TV Ministry –Channel 6 Wednesday 10:00pm

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10am themcbc.org

gsccm.administration@verizon.net

48 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church

All Nations Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor

7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471

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

2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730

Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Service 11:00 a.m. Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.”

Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com

Zion Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

Israel Baptist Church

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

Emmanuel Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Clinton W. Austin Pastor

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office - (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Come Grow With Us and Establish a Blessed Family”

623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 Fax (202) 483-4009

4504 Gault Place, N.E. Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 7:30am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00pm

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m.

Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 p.m.

Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 p.m.

Noonday Prayer Every Thursday

www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

“Where Jesus is the King”

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of " Joy Apostolic Faith

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Matthews

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 Sunday Worship Service: 10:15AM Sunday School: 9:00am Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7PM: Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church Shall; Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, and Exalt Our Savior. (Acts 2:41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org

Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. Diane Dixon Proctor 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 - lpumconthegrow@gmail.com www.lpumcdc.org

5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10: am Holy Communion: First Sunday 10: am Sunday School: 9: am Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30pm Motto: “A CHURCH ON THE GROW”.

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

MemorialRev. Joan E. Buchanan

Executive Pastor

Baptist Church

2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304

Rev. Joan E. Buchanan Service and Times Executive Early PastorWorship Service:

7:30am Worship Service: 11:00am New Member’s Class: 9:45am 1st Sunday, 11:00am ServiceHoly andCommunion: Times Church School: 9:45am Early Worship Service: 7:30am Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer,11:00am Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Worship Service: Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, New Member’s Class: 9:45am Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. st 1 Sunday, 11:00am The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42Holy Communion: “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 P.M Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 P.M.

Service and Times 9:30AM. Sunday Church School 11:00 Am. Sunday Worship Service The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Wednesday 7:00pm Prayer & Praise Services 7:30pm. Bible Study Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries 10:30am 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 A.M. Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Friday Evening Service: 7:00 P.M. ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com

Church School: Multitude 9:45am of Souls to Christ”

Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study

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 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.

Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 pm Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

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

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

Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church

New Commandment Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

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

Salem Baptist Church

Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am

Peace Baptist Church

Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am

“Empowered to Love and Challenged

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell

to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

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

712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship Service: 7:15 am & 10:50 am Sunday School: 9:30am Wednesday Prayer & Testimonies Service: 7:30pm Wednesday School of the Bible: 8:00pm Wednesday - Midweek Prayer Service: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

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 A.M. Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 A.M. Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 P.M. Prayer Service Bible Study

“The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address pbcexec@verizon.net

Shiloh Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

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

Worshiping Location Knights of Columbus - 1633 Tucker Road Fort Washington, MD 20744 (240) 838-7074

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

917 N St. NW - Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-4294

9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288

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

Service and Times Sunday Morning Prayer Service: 8:00 a.m.

Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship: 10:40 a.m.

Third Sunday Baptismal & Holy Communion:10:30 a.m.

Tuesday Church At Study Prayer & Praise: 6:30 p.m.

Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 a.m.

Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 a.m. and 10:55 a.m.

Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 a.m.

Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 p.m.

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 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:00 a.m.

Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.

Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30 a.m. & 10:30a.m.

Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday 12 Noon

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

The Church Where GOD Is Working....

And We Are Working With GOD

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 am Sunday School: 9:00 am Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer / Bible Study: 6:15 pm - 7:20 pm (Tuesday) Theme: “The Kingdom Focused Church” Matthew 6:33 and Mathew 28:18-20, KJV Email: stmatthewsbaptist@msn.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 a.m.

Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30 a.m.

Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 p.m.

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.

APRIL 13 - 19, 2017 49

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

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

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

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 287

Administration No. 2017 ADM 277

Administration No. 2017 ADM 281

Administration No. 2017 ADM 305

Administration No. 2017 ADM 338

Winston Ogden Rollins Decedent

Bobby C. Johnson Decedent

Saint Matthew Genius Decedent

Frank Lynn aka Franklyn Lynn Decedent

Mary Elenora Brooks Decedent

Aimee D. Griffin 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

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

Murray D. Scheel Whitman-Walker Legal Services 1701 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 Attorney

Ronald Dixon Bynum & Jenkins 1010 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Attorney

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

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

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

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

Joseph Rollins, whose address is 6901 Sycamore Avenue, Tacoma Park, MD 20912, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Winston Ogden Rollins who died on January 24, 2017 without 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before September 30, 2017.

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 September 30, 2017, 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.

Doris E. Johnson, whose address is 5156 Seventh Street, NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Bobby C. Johnson who died on February 9, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before September 30, 2017.

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 September 30, 2017, 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.

Aaron Bennett, whose address is 6400 Coleton Ct., Capitol Heights, MD 20743, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Frank Lynn aka Franklyn Lynn who died on June 22, 1996 without 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 shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 6, 2017. 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 October 6, 2017, 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.

Bernice Brooks, whose address is 3506 6th Street, SE, #1, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary Elenora Brooks who died on March 29, 2014 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 13, 2017. 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 October 13, 2017, 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: March 30, 2017

Date of first publication: March 30, 2017

Joseph Rollins Personal Representative

Doris E. Johnson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Shermain Genius, whose address is 1626 Monroe Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Saint Matthew Genius who died on September 30, 1990 without a Will. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before September 30, 2017. 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 September 30, 2017, 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: March 30, 2017 Shermain Genius Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Date of first publication: April 6, 2017

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Aaron Bennett Personal Representative

Washington Informer

Date of first publication: April 13, 2017 Bernice Brooks Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

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

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

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

Administration No. 2015 ADM 001332

Foreign No. 2017 FEP 28

Administration Number 2017 ADM 366

Administration No. 2016 ADM 1063

Administration No. 2017 ADM 213

Estate of Alberta C. Colson aka Alberta Colson Deceased

Thelma O. Jenkins Decedent

Katie McKelvin Decedent

Jacqueline Jones Moore 7605 14th St., NW Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

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

Patsy Coates aka Patsy N. Coates Decedent

July 26, 2016 Date of Death

Elizabeth Hughes, Esq. 110 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 340 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

Luzmila Cofre Clark Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Mary A. Lewis, whose address is 116 33rd Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Patsy Coates aka Patsy N. Coates who died on October 30, 2015 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before September 30, 2017. 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 September 30, 2017, 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: March 30, 2017 Mary A. Lewis Personal Representative

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Reed & Reed PC whose address is P.O. Box 766, Luray, VA 22835 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Luzmila Cofre Clark, deceased, by the Circuit Court for Page County, State of Virginia, on January 13, 2017.

Service of process may be made upon Peter D. Antonoplos, Esq. of Antonoplos & Associates, Attorneys at Law, 1725 DeSales Street, NW, Ste. 600, Washington, DC 20036 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 2141 I Street, NW, Unit 605, Washington, DC 20037 Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: March 30, 2017 Reed & Reed, P.C. Personal Representative Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Brett E. Cohen and LARCO Property Investment, LLC for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

Admit to probate the will date November 1999 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of witnesses or otherwise in the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative Date of first publication: April 6, 2017 Brett E. Cohen 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1430 Bethesda, MD 20814-7047 Personal Representative: TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

Jan C. Jenkins, whose address is 234 34th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Thelma O. Jenkins who died on June 5, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 6, 2017. 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 October 6, 2017, 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: April 6, 2017 Jan C. Jenkins Personal Representative

Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

Charlene McKelvin and Betty Baucum, whose addresses are 1901 Colette Terr., District heights, MD 20747 and 7523 Catone Court, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Katie McKelvin who died on January 28, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 6, 2017. 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 October 6, 2017, 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: April 6, 2017 Charlene McKelvin Betty Baucum Personal Representatives

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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50 APRIL 13 - 19, 2017

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

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LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2017 ADM 332 Jacqueline Elva Hart Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Russell D. Chaplin and Lisa L. Chaplin-Hobbs, whose addresses are 10904 West Point Pl., White Plains, MD 20695 & 96 Rittenhouse St., NE, Washington, DC 20011 were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Jacqueline Elva Hart who died on February 18, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 13, 2017. 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 October 13, 2017, 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: April 13, 2017 Russell D. Chaplin Lisa L. Chaplin-Hobbs Personal Representatives

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. 2017 FEP 35 March 4, 2016 Date of Death Carlene A. Wright Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Arthene Pugh whose address is 10407 Outlook Court, Ft. Washington, MD 20744 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Carlene A. Wright, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on May 19, 2016.

Service of process may be made upon Adam D. Rubin, 400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, #409, Washington, DC 20001 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real Property: 4428 Kansas Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20011.

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

Date of first publication: April 13, 2017 Arthene Pugh Personal Representative Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE FAMILY COURT OF THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF LEXINGTON DOCKET NO.: 2017-DR-32- 317X Notice of Adoption ProceedingS TO THE DEFENDANT: JOHN DOE, BIRTH FATHER YOU ARE HEREBY GIVEN THE FOLLOWING NOTICE:

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1. That an adoption proceeding was filed in the Family Court of Lexington County on February 10, 2017, and in this Complaint you are alleged to be the father of an AfricanAmerican female child born in Cheverly, Maryland, on December 1, 2016.

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2. That the Plaintiffs in the above captioned Notice are not named for the purpose of confidentiality; however, the Court knows the true identity of the Plaintiffs and in responding to this notice, you are required to use the caption and the number 2017-DR-32- 317X.

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3. That if Notice to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond is filed by you with the Court within thirty (30) days of the receipt of this Notice of Adoption Proceedings, you will be given an opportunity to appear and be heard on the merits of the adoption. To file notice to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond in this action, you must notify the above named Court at Lexington County Courthouse, Clerk of Court at 139 East Main Street, Lexington, South Carolina 29072, in writing of your intention to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond. The above named Court must be informed of your current address and any changes of your address during the adoption proceedings.

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4. That your failure to respond within thirty (30) days of receipt of this Notice of Adoption Proceedings constitutes your consent to the adoption and forfeiture of all of your rights and obligations to the above identified child.

It is further alleged that your consent to this adoption is not required under S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-9-310 and that your parental rights should be terminated pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-7-2570 (7).

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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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 348

Administration No. 2017 ADM 365

Harry D. Easter Decedent

Louise Pauline Longus Decedent

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

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

Michael T. Robinson, whose address is 281 Athens Drive, Salisbury, NC 28147, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Harry D. Easter who died on March 17, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 13, 2017. 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 October 13, 2017, 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.

Perlia D. Smith, whose address is 5016 Nash Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Louise Pauline Longus who died on January 11, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 13, 2017. 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 October 13, 2017, 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: April 13, 2017 Michael T. Robinson Personal Representative

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However, moderate Republicans might pause.

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New Jersey Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo said the proposed changes still hasn't swayed him.

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REFORM from Page 16 cluding Ferguson, Mo., Miami, Cleveland, Albuquerque, N.M., and Newark, N.J. It launched its investigation of Baltimore following the death April 2015 of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, a black man who sustained fatal injuries during a jolting ride in a police van while handcuffed and without a seatbelt. Its report revealing widespread mistreatment of African-Americans, including unlawful stops and use of excessive force.

"Usually it's the defendants who try to back out at the last minute, but to the have the DOJ, the plaintiff, second-guessing itself was completely unprecedented," said former Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General Chiraag Bains during a congressional forum examining civil rights under the Trump administration last week.

He said consent decrees were necessary to address systemic policing issues and to correct patterns of policing violations that may be driven by unclear policies, poor training or broken accountability systems.

"We're not talking about the federal takeover of police departments, we're talking about the enforcement and protection of constitutional rights," Bains said. "This is a federal matter.

Ron Davis, former DOJ Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services who also attended the forum, said consent decrees have been effective in tackling police reform and are an effective tool to make sure a city provided needed resources to its police.

"When a consent decree is drawn, I think sometimes people see it as an attack on a police officer. That's not necessarily the case," Davis said. remain a no."

WI

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CHAVIS from Page 30

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that freezing or reducing federal employment will have an impact on unemployment rates, and that cutting key departments (Health and Human Services, Labor, Interior) will have an impact on the long-term employment situation.

Those who work in the social service areas (social workers, community service workers) are also rightly apprehensive about how their work will be funded and who will pay for it. This unemployment rate report

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Equally importantly, the approach this administration has taken to federal employment and to health care have had chilling effects in the labor market. As an example, while employment has been trending up in health care, the health care sector added about 20,000 jobs a month, compared to an average monthly gain of 32,000 jobs in 2016. The baby boomers aren’t getting any younger, and Americans sure aren’t getting any healthier. It is plausible that, instead, announcements about health care by this administration, and chicanery by this Congress, may have slowed health care employment when it should be rising.

Except for "America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again," and a whole lot of rhetoric, we have no specifics about this administration’s economic plan. We do know, however,

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.

Instead of diminishing evil, it

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MALVEAUX from Page 30

multiplies it.

Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.

Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate.

In fact, violence merely increases hate.

So it goes.

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.

WI

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powers feeding the violence in Syria — the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and Russia — might have convened in an effort to bring the violence to a halt, or at least to agree to stop fueling it with weapons and forces.

The children’s deaths might have served to generate a global demand for an end to the violence. Instead, it triggered a quick recourse to bombs to “send a message,” ensuring only that the violence will continue, that more Syrian children will be killed, and that the U.S. will find itself enmeshed even more deeply in yet another war.

The U.S. has been at war in the Middle East continually since 2001.

In the name of creating democracy and security, we have created chaos and spread violence. In the name of fighting terrorism, we have generated ever more terrorists and helped create failed states where they can spawn.

What will it take for this country to learn the limits of military force, the weakness of “strong power”?

Dr. Martin Luther King got it right when he taught us:

You Can Say It Like A Pro!

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JACKSON from Page 30

reserves "variance power," which authorizes it "to modify any condition or restriction on the distribution of funds if in its sole judgement (without the approval of any trustee, custodian or agent), such restriction or condition becomes, in effect, unnecessary, in capable of fulfillment, or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the area served by the Foundation." Despite the board's discretionary power, it chose to support organizations whose agendas were clearly at odds with the best interests of a diverse nation.

As a civil rights and social justice leader, my view is that we should not tolerate this kind of unjust targeting of our most vulnerable citizens by Foundation for the Carolinas' anonymous patrons. Public accountability for all nonprofits is necessary. It is our duty to fight for justice for all.

It's time for the Foundation for the Carolinas to come clean and stop sponsoring such hate groups. Let's move our nation forward and not backward. WI

Photo

migration and population control agenda that threatens our communities. All immigrants should be treated fairly and equally without discrimination.

Behind a veil of anonymity created by the Foundation, donors who support this organization are able to indirectly fund extremist groups without any public accountability. The Foundation prides itself on — and even advertises — donor anonymity as a reason to contribute to the foundation.

Large donors are assured that Foundation for the Carolinas has "fewer reporting requirements" than private foundations that they might otherwise choose as a vehicle for their giving.

This condition, afforded to some of our state's wealthiest individuals, has enabled patrons of the organization to operate unchecked — making this lack of transparency as a significant liability for your organization.

According to the Los Angeles Times and others, one individual in

particular, Fred Stanback, has used the foundation to direct his money to extreme causes. Behind the cloak of the foundation, Mr. Stanback has become a leading supporter, funneling tens of millions of dollars, to fringe anti-immigrant groups including the Federation for American Immigration Reform (labeled an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center). It is my understanding that Mr. Stanback is behind several donor advised funds at the Foundation, which afford him this anonymity.

Over a period of more than 10 years, the Foundation has donated more than $20 million dollars to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and to NumbersUSA, a similarly minded and well-known extremist group. These vehicles have proactively disseminated hateful xenophobic sentiment throughout our region and country, ostracizing some of our most vulnerable citizens.

In addition, the Foundation For The Carolinas' board of directors

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may be as good as it gets, if Mr. Trump has his way.

President Obama did his best to create a robust economic recovery.

President Trump says he inherited "a mess." The January and February unemployment numbers disprove that assertion. The March report, however, shows that while 45 did not inherit a mess, he can make one with his draconian budget cuts and other ill-advised economic measures. WI

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posals represent an alternative to that reflected in President Trump's Budget Blueprint on how best to forgive education debts, ways to combat food deserts that rob entire neighborhoods of full-service grocery stores, strengthening financial regulation rules and more.

"The government should be investing in jobs programs, reasonable bank regulation, education, and health care to ensure economic vitality into the next century, not more tax cuts for the rich and less regulation of Wall Street.

We tried those options in the 2000s and all we got was a financial crash as thanks for it," states the report.

A particularly innovative proposal is the CBC's 10-20-30 Formula for all federal agencies. It would require each agency to commit 10 percent of their budgets to the 485 counties where 20 percent or more of the population has been living below the poverty line for the last 30 years. This proposal also calls for the Trump administration to establish a federal interagency task force to coordinate poverty alleviation efforts.

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It's unsettling that the very people who benefit from the largess of our government have the gall to get angry when Republicans want to mandate that, in exchange for the government benefits, they would have to work a certain number of hours per week.

Our government has become our drug dealer. The government knows we are hooked on the drug of government dependency, and with this knowledge, they seek to manipulate and control us.

Isn't it amazing that the more we come to distrust our institutions, the more the government seems to inject themselves into our lives?

The government has absolutely no right mandating family leave, maternity, paternity leave or things of the sort. These things sounds

velop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual societies.

This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class, and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all mankind. This oft misunderstood, this oft misinterpreted concept, so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force, has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. … We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising

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good on the surface, but this is not the job of the government.

A woman choosing to have a baby is a private matter and if she can't afford to take time off to raise a child, then maybe she should delay starting a family until such time as she can financially to do so.

So, the more the government is involved in our lives, the more control they have over our lives; the more control they have, the more they will attempt to dictate our values, by promoting constructs like homosexuality, transsexual entitlements and secularism.

Russia is, without question, run by a pseudo-autocrat, Vladimir Putin. Yes, they have "democratic" elections, but no one in their right minds would view Russian elections as free and fair. I do not argue that Russia is the cause of our distrust, but I think it is quite obvious that

they have sped it up considerably; Putin put our distrust of government on steroid So, in theory, I think that President Trump's recently submitted budget proposal is on point. One could argue about the deep cuts he is proposing, but if you believe in freedom and liberty, you can't argue with the intent of his budget: to shrink the size and power of the U.S. government in our daily lives.

The only way to begin to restore faith in our government institutions is by decreasing their influence over our lives.

Isn't it amazing that the last two, great economic periods in our country were under Presidents Reagan and Clinton?

What do these two presidents have in common? They both presided over White Houses that were focused on shrinking the size of government.

WI

Other proposals in this chapter address new ways of ensuring equal access to homeownership opportunities, the inclusion of items not normally considered by traditional credit scoring models such as mobile phone data and timely bill payments to increase lending.

Preservation of the Community Development Block Grant, which was proposed for elimination by the White House Budget Blueprint, and increased attention to truth in lending, credit access and the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) are also included.

In the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) released research on the state of consumer lending that spanned a range of loan and credit products. The report also found that consumers who were harmed the most by predatory lending were often black and Latino.

"Abusive practices not only harm the family that loses its home to an unaffordable mortgage, the student saddled with excessive education loans, the person who pays thousands

of dollars extra in kickbacks on their loan when they buy a car, or the consumer who receives a "fee harvester" credit card where the charges far exceed the credit extended; they also profoundly harm neighborhoods, communities, and cities, and hold back our entire economy," wrote Sheila Bair in the report's foreword.

Bair, president of Washington College since 2015, has also served as a senior adviser to Pew Charitable Trusts and served a five-year term as chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from 2006-2011.

"Trapping families in financial marginalization keeps them from succeeding and from making their full contribution to the whole community and economy," Bair said. "They are unable to advance and generate prosperity for themselves and are blocked from increasing the prosperity of others as well."

Real, sustainable economic justice will not only improve the lives of those so often left behind; but also strengthen the nation's economy as well. Sounds like something worth fighting for. WI

tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate."

Headlines around the world show many nations are teetering on the precipice of this path right now — including our own. So how far down will we let our leaders go without speaking and standing up to intolerance? Dr. King reminded: "We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late." "We must move past indecision to action. …

If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without

compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight."

Exactly one year after "Beyond Vietnam," on April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis.

In the decades since, our nation has continued to wrestle mightily with our purpose, direction, and sense of justice.

In 2017, we are at a very dangerous crossroads. I hope a critical mass of us will, like Dr. King, stand up and act saying: We have come too far to continue being dragged down those dark and shameful corridors.

We must turn around before it is too late. So let us make a mighty noise until our leaders with tin ears hear and reverse course.

WI

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