WINNER OF SIX SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS FOR 2022
Vol. 57, No. 36 • June 23 - 29, 2022
Honoring Slaves Seeking Freedom in Anacostia - Page 5
Bowser, Council Incumbents Hold Off Opponents in Victory Vote Reveals Status Quo Sentiment of D.C. Residents
James Wright WI Staff Writer
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and members of the D.C. Council competing for the Democratic nomination for their positions appear to have the backing of District voters who seem to like what they are doing despite the city’s lingering problems. “I voted for Mayor Bowser,” said Ward 5 resident Chandra Adams. “She has done an excellent job leading the city. She has provided people many resources to uplift themselves. If people can’t better themselves under Mayor Bowser, something is wrong with them. I think the mayor wants everyone to prosper.” Bowser won the Democratic nomination with 49.86% of the vote while D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At Large) garnered
DC PRIMARIES Page 44
5 D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser exults at winning the Democratic Party primary on June 21. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
Demand for Instructors Continues to Rise as More Teachers Say ‘No’ to Summer School
Josephine City: An Historic Black Enclave Nestled in Bastion of White Hostility District History Buffs Take Journey Back in Time to a Forgotten Virginia Village
D.C. Among Nation’s Public School Districts Struggling to Fill Positions
James Wright WI Staff Writer Participants who joined the recent Washington Informer Charities Inc., 10th Annual African American Heritage Tour, received a treat during the Juneteenth Weekend, traveling about an hour away from D.C. to an historic locale in Virginia that once boasted Black achievement in an era dominated by racial segregation. The group’s journey took them to Clarke County in Northern Virginia to an area known as Josephine City in Berryville. During the Jim Crow ear, Josephine City counted as a place of security and
JUNETEENTH Page 48
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
5 Greg and Rose Holmes celebrate Juneteenth in Clarke County, Va., which includes the town of Josephine City. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
After what has been considered one of the most unprecedented years in recent history, school districts across the country find themselves struggling to fill summer school teaching positions. Teachers in the D.C. public school system say they’re seeing similar trends as conversations about bonus pay for summer school instructors continue to circulate.
SCHOOL Page 17
SPELLING BEE Page 12 Celebrating 57 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area