Washington Informer - February 7, 2013

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The African race is a rubber ball. The harder you dash it to the ground, the higher it will rise. – African Proverb Black History Month Celebration Inside •

C e l e b r a t i n g 4 8 Ye a r s o f S e r v i c e

Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area / Vol. 48, No. 17 Feb. 7 - Feb. 13, 2013

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray delivers his third annual State of the District Address on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in Northwest. See story on Page 13. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

The Forces Behind Anacostia’s Resurgence By Michelle Phipps-Evans WI Staff Writer Ward 7 resident Patrice Irby enjoyed a meal at the Big Chair Bar & Grill on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Southeast one recent Wednesday afternoon. During her meal, she marveled at the many changes taking

place in the neighborhood. “This is my first time here,” said Irby, 57, a federal government contract specialist and native Washingtonian who grew up in Southeast. “It’s fun to see how D.C. has [been] revitalized. It’s not the same.” Irby voiced what longtime residents have witnessed of late in

Ward 8’s Anacostia community: a flurry of economic activity, a budding arts district and an influx of new residents. “We’re seeing an unprecedented renaissance, which collectively plugs into [Mayor Vincent Gray’s] vision,” said Stanley Jackson, 60, newly appointed president of the Anacostia Economic Devel-

opment Corporation (AEDC), a nonprofit that’s promotes Anacostia real estate and business expansion. “We have the opportunity to look at this vision and optimize assets to help the government, the community and the bottom line. We must have a community that’s proactive in engaging developers.”

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Jackson, who served as the deputy mayor for planning and economic development under former Mayor Anthony Williams, said his mission with AEDC is a culmination of his efforts under Williams between 2005 and 2007. “We want to maximize this

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