Center Section
March 2022. Volume 8. Issue 3.
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The Undeniable Impact of Women
WINNER OF THREE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS
Vol. 57, No. 24 • March 31 - April 6, 2022
President Biden Signs Anti-Lynching Bill into Law
Act Named after Emmett Till, Savagely Murdered in 1955 Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
5 Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, stands with Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, after Biden signed into law H.R. 55, the “Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act,” in the White House Rose Garden, March 29. (Cheriss May/The Washington Informer)
On Tuesday, March 29, President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022, which makes lynching a federal hate crime. Earlier this month, the bipartisan measure passed both chambers of Congress. Named after Emmett Till, a 14-yearold African American savagely murdered by a group of white men in Mississippi in 1955, the legislation received push back from three Republicans – Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Chip Roy of Texas. The trio served as the lone opposing votes to the bill. Emmett Till’s murder sparked the civil
rights movement which ultimately led to bills like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other social justice laws. “I could not have been prouder to stand behind President Biden as he signed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act into law,” National Urban League President Marc Morial said. “The act of lynching is a weapon of racial terror that has been used for decades and our communities are still impacted by these hate crimes to this day. This bill is long overdue, and I applaud President Biden and members of Congress for their leadership in honoring Emmett Till and other lynching victims by passing this significant piece of legislation.”
BILL Page 32
D.C.’s Gallaudet University Takes Spotlight after Troy Kotsur Receives Oscar Former Student Becomes First Male Deaf Actor to Snag Coveted Academy Award
D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Writer The history of Gallaudet University in Northeast traces its roots to 1816 when Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet left Paris with the hopes of
opening the first school for the deaf in the U.S. Others would embrace and support their efforts including philanthropist and former U.S. postmaster general Amos Kendall, Edward Miner Gallaudet, a resident of the District and the 38th Congress who authorized the institution to grant and confirm col-
OSCAR Page 9
D.C. Residents Struggle with Surging Gasoline say world events such as the coronaviand Consumer Prices rusEconomists pandemic and the war in Ukraine have become James Wright WI Staff Writer
Rising prices in gasoline, goods and services in the District, reflecting a national trend, has residents changing their routines and shopping habits in order to make ends meet.
the cause for the ascent in the price of gasoline, which influences the costs of other goods and services. According to the AAA Gas Prices website, the average cost of a gallon of gas in the District as of
PRICES Page 17
QUEEN ANUNAY BECOMES D.C.’S FIRST FEMALE ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF 5 On Tuesday, March 29, District of Columbia Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly, announced the promotion of the first woman in Department history to the position of uniformed Assistant Fire Chief – Queen Anunay. A native Washingtonian, a graduate from Eastern High School and a DC Fire and EMS Cadet from class 6, Anunay’s promotion means DC Fire and EMS now has women at every single officer rank in what still remains a male-dominated industry. In her comments, she said she hopes to inspire young girls to step up and serve their community alongside her and her female colleagues. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
SPELLING BEE Page 12 Celebrating 57 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area
