Washington Informer - April 4, 2013

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

–Martin Luther King, Jr.

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More than 40,000 fans attended Opening Day of the Nats 2013 season. The 2-0 win is the first step in what fans hope is a run to the World Series. /Photo by John E. DeFreitas

Barry, Gray: Ward 8 is on the Move

By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer For a very long time, Ward 8 has borne the stigma of being the poorest section of Washington, D.C. Social indicators paint a sometimes grim portrait of life in the ward, but at the 2013 State

of Ward 8 address, hosted by Council member Marion S. Barry, a multitude of speakers told a large crowd at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church of the promise and bright future they say is present or just around the bend.

Several hundred residents, business leaders, government officials – including Mayor Vin-

cent C. Gray (D), and council members Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) and Vincent Orange (D-At-Large) – members of civil society, admirers, supporters and critics attended. The event was marked by a Metropolitan Police Department Honor Guard, the presence of Navy brass, members of the D.C. Defense Force,

soaring gospel songs, a mini-sermon by the Rev. Charles M. Hudson, Jr., and remarks from several speakers whose delivery sounded like sermons too.

The only element missing was strains of Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance playing softly in the background.

In his welcome, Hudson set

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Parents Seek Court Remedy to School Closings Page 12

Remembering the Assassination of Dr. King Page 18

the stage for those who followed.

“To those of you who’ve come east of the [Anacostia] River, welcome,” he said. “I want you to know that this is the Promised Land. The last will be first and the first will be last. I

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The CoLumn

Fourth Annual GWHCC Business Expo The Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce cut the red ribbon on their 4th annual business expo held here in Wasington, DC at the Walter Washington Convention Center. ABC & News Scott Thurmanwas the master of cermonies. Father Dorsonville blessed the group with a prayer, Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC Maryor Vincent Gray, DC Councilmembers, Jack Evans, Muriel Bowser & David Grosso were there to help cut the red ribbon that starts the week long Hispanic Expo.

Angela Franco (President & CEO Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce)

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

Father Mario Dorsonville (Dir. Spanish Catholic Center)

Honsblr Anhony Brown (Lt. Gov. of Maryland)

Sandra Dorsey (VP of Field Operations Erie Insurance)

Scott Thuman (Anchor Good Morning Washington ABC 7 News)

Anela Franco (Pres. & Ceo Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), Chris Simmons (PWC), & Nicole Quiroga (Station Mangr. Telemundo Washington, DC)

(L-R)DC Council Member David Grosso, Greg O’Dell (Events DC Pres. & CEO), Council Member Muriel Bowser (Ward 4), & Council Member Jack Evans (Ward 2)

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Mario Acosta-Velez (Chair of GWHCC Bd. of Dir.) Dir. of State Govt Affairs for Verizon Mid-Atlantic Region)

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EVENTS DC (L-R) Chinyere Hubbard (Dir. of Communications Events DC) with Kristina Noell (Dir. Sales Events DC)

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4/4/2013 4/10/2013 AROUND THE REGION Black Facts Page 6 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Page 16 BUSINESS William Reed’s Business Exchange Page 22 COMMENTARIES Pages 40-41 SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Page 52-54 RELIGION Lyndia Grant’s Religion Column Spring is in the air. The birds are chirping and the Cherry Blossom Parade will take place on Saturday, April 13. /Photo courtesy of William Floyd Martin

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around the region

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around the region the Cycle of Women Break Families Enjoy AfricanDomestic Violence American Family Day

By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer

By Sam P.K. Collins When L.Y. Marlow's 23-yearWI Contributing Writer old daughter told her the father of her daughter threatened her Deloris Jackson hastheir participatlife, and the life of child, ed inknew African-American she something hadFamily to be Day festivities National done.

Out of atherthefrustration Zoo law since her first visit at the with enforcement's handling Email comments to: agethe of situation, four. The family tradition of she decided to rburke@ start the Saving Promise camcontinued on Easter Monday paign. when Jackson, her grandson, washingtoninformer.com “Itgreat-grandchildren seems to be a viciousarrived cycle and that won't turn my family at the zoo by the early afternoon. loose,” said.ones Marlow Even Marlow as her little frolshared her story with the audiicked about in the nippy temps, ence at like thesoDistrict Heights Jackson, many others, had Domestic Violence Symposium reservations – some apprehenon May 7 at the District Heights sion about what might Municipal Center.

Theunfold. sympoWe represent victims of major “When I see young sium was sponsored by kids the medical malpractice such as jumping and over fences and pullFamily Youth Services Sandra Robinson Jack Olender cerebral palsy. ing on tree branches, breaks Center of the city of itDistrict All 5 lawyers were again elected my heart,” said Jackson, 78.

“It Heights and the National Hook“Best Lawyers in America” 2012 was a big deal to go to the zoo Up of Black Women.

Karen Evans is a nurse/attorney when I washas growing Marlow writtenup.a There book, Attorney/Pediatrician Harlow Case Karen Evans Melissa Rhea weren’t Me too Butterfly,” many free places “Color which that is a Robert Chabon, M.D., J.D. is story about four generations of people of color could have gone Of Counsel. domestic violence. book is at one point.

That’s The why we have inspired by her own experiences, to take care of it,” the Southeast and those of her grandmother, resident said. herAfrican-American mother and herFamily daughter.

Day She said every time she reads became a tradition in 1891 when In Memoriam excerpts from her still black families werebook, not she allowed Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. can not believe the words came Wilhelmina J. Rolark to participate in the annual from her. “Color Me Butterfly” Easter Egg Hunt at the White The Washington Informer Newspaper won the 2007 National “Best THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER House. Award.

The annual springtime Memoriam Books” NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is InDenise Rolark Barnes event attracts thousands ofwhen peoDr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. published weekly on each Thursday.

“I was just 16-years-old Wilhelmina J. Rolark ple from all parts of the region STAFF Periodicals postage paid at Washingmy eye first blackened and my ton,THE D.C. and additional mailing of- NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published and bled,” aroundMarlow the country.

WASHINGTON INFORMER lips said. Despite Denise W. Barnes, Editor fices.

Newsonand advertising deadlinepostage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional weekly Thursday.

Periodicals itsElaine appeal,Davis-Nickens, violent brawls in represiShantella Assistant Editor mailing prior offices.to News and advertising deadlineY.isSherman, Monday prior to publication. is Monday publication.

Ancent years have ensured there’s dent of the National Hook-Up Announcements be received nouncements must must be received two two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2000 by The Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director an Black obvious police said presence of Women, thereatis the no Washington Informer.

All rights weeks prior to event.

Copyright 2010reserved. POST MASTER: Send change of addressconsistency in the way domestic es to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King,IV, Jr. Ave., S.E. Photo Washington, zoo in Northwest.

Lafayette Barnes, Assistant Editor

by The Washington Informer. All D.C. 20032.POSTMASTER: No part of this Send publication may be reproduced without written permisviolence issues are dealt by The National Park with Police, rights reserved.

Khalid Naji-Allah, Photographer sion from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannotStaff guarantee the return of change of addresses to The WashSmithsonian Police, and Metphotographs. Subscription rates are $30 per year, two years $45. Papers will be received ington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor ropolitan Police Department not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. (MPD) coordinated efforts to Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor 20032. No part of this publication may THE WASHINGTON INFORMER patrol the zoo and surroundbe reproduced without written permisBrian Young, Design & Layout 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. • Washington, D.C. 20032 ing areas. Metro transit officers 202 561-4100 • Fax: 202 574-3785 sion from the publisher.Phone: The Informer AssureTech /www.scsworks.com, Webmaster news@washingtoninformer.com Newspaper cannot guaranteeE-mail: the return stood outside of the Woodley www.washingtoninformer.com of photographs. Subscription rates are Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Met$45 per year, two years $60. Papers will ro entrance from late morning Mickey Thompson, Social Sightings columnist be received not more than a week after PUBLISHER until the time of the zoo’s clospublication. Make checks payable to: Denise RolarkPalmer, Barnes Social Media Specialist Stacey ing. MPD vehicles lined ConSTAFF REPORTERS THE WASHINGTON INFORMER necticut Avenue between the Brooke N. Garner Managing REPORTERS Editor Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell, 3117 Martin Jr. Ave., S.E Carla PeayLuther King, Assistant Managing Editor Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, metro station and the zoo’s main Washington, Ron BurkeD.C. 20032 Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, Joseph Young entrance. Some officers patrolled Misty Brown, Michelle Phipps-Evans, Phone: 202 561-4100 Mable Whittaker Bookkeeper Eve Ferguson, Elton J. Hayes , Gale Horton on foot while others zipped Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS Fax:LaNita 202 Wrenn 574-3785 Salmon, Stacey Palmer, John E. De Freitas Sports Gay, EditorBarrington Lafayette Barnes, IV, through crowds on bicycles and news@washingtoninformer.com Victor Holt Photo Charles Editor E.John E. De Freitas,Wright, MauriceJoseph Fitzgerald, Sutton ,James www.washingtoninformer.com segways. Undercover officers sat Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Young Design Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert on benches and watched for any Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster Ridley, Victor Holt sign of trouble. However, Jeffrey CIRCULATION Evans, Jackson’s grandson, rePHOTOGRAPHERS Paul Trantham mained confident that it would John E. De Freitas, Roy Lewis, be a fun day for everyone who Khalid Naji-Allah, Shevry Lassiter entered the gates.

“I’m not worried about fights 4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com this year,” said Evans, 38. “I believe in the power of law en-

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law enforcement. She said they threat,” she said. had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow sense of uniformity in the way wants to see implemented are domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, survivors are treated. more rights for victim's families “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicstory, her own personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assesspush forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further said about Marlow. training for law enforcement Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecwho reads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counsel“get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiperson can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must end of the day, the book will look at both sides of the coin. help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the viclogue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow Also present at the event was said.

Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise who sentenced to young six consecawarenessin among children Both was the young and the at heart participate a potato sack race in utive life terms parole publicApril and 1. private at the National Zoowithout in Northwest on Monday, /Photoschools.

by KhalidShe by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to be educatNaji-Allah the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence.

2002.

Mildred is afraid “Wethat havetheto actions stop being forcement,” saidMuhammad Evans, who of a pasfew the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilalso lives in Southeast. mightabout threaten and possibly ruin an organization that helps the dren domestic violence,” WPGC 99.5 FM and the Arca- the Easter Monday tradition for survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. dia Center, a nonprofit dedicated and their children.

Marlow has worked to break everyone. to “I creating local lived in fearsustainable for six years.food Six the“It’s cyclemessed of abuse her family, upinbecause it’s sources D.C., years in in fear is asponsored long time.activIt is and is confident the policies she not really the majority,” said ities and prize giveaways geared not an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that toward Russell, 37. “Some brothers just of,” she teen said. visitors in an effort process. to Mildred engage and educate them.

Muhammad said like“Ito plan to take to bring theirthese hoodpolicies troubles While younger visitors to thea Congress and implore them to people who want to help here and mess it up for everyone domestic violence victim huntmust change our laws,” Marlow said. zoo gawked at the wildlife, else,” said. be careful of eggs, how they go into “I willhenot stop until these polied for Easter and bounced the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.”

Russell, who was waiting on his to the sound of music, older that sheread may be in that “survival Tia Carol Jones cantake be photos, reached visitors brochures rein- children to help him mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net forced positive messages.

“Before you get Foundation, to 'I'm goinga said he wants African-American The StreetWize to kill you,' it started as aorganiverbal Family WI Day to be an event that community-based health zation, hosted hip-hop and go- children will enjoy without worgo themed aerobic dance activ- rying about their safety. ities. Its mascot, the StreetWize “Not too many kids get to enGorilla, posed in pictures with joy themselves these days,” said passersby throughout the day.

Russell. “People from outside Chris Bryant, executive director of the StreetWize Foundation, of the region come here and said the gorilla symbolizes in- appreciate what we have. This telligence and strength, traits he is usually the only time Washhopes would resonate with many ingtonians enjoy the zoo.” Bené young men.

Durant watched toddlers run af“There are always a few people with behavioral issues but most ter eggs at the zoo’s Easter egg just want to have a good time,” hunt as she sipped coffee from said Bryant, 38. “We want to en- the sidelines. For the longtime gage the youth and give them an D.C. resident, African-American opportunity to learn about main- Family Day is the best part of taining a healthy lifestyle in a fun living down the street from the way,” said Bryant, who lives in National Zoo. She’s grateful that Clinton, Md. Adam Russell, a photogra- she can enjoy the festivities for at pher, relished the sight of young least another year.

L.Y. Marlow children running around the zoo “Thank goodness that the Nalaughing and enjoying the sights. tional Zoo had this event despite This happened to be Russell’s first visit to the zoo in 15 years. the instances of violence,” said He said that even though he al- Durant, 68. “African-American ways tries his best to challenge Family Day has made this place negative perceptions of Afri- one of my favorite spots,” she can-American Family Day, he’s said with a smile.

“

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.

“

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D.C. Political Roundup

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Bonds Wins D.C. Federation Vote Interim D.C. Council member Anita Bonds overwhelmed her opponents in a non-endorsement poll that took place on March 27 at Eastern Senior High School in Northeast.

Bonds received 100 votes from D.C. residents who participated in a straw poll and listened to a candidates’ forum sponsored in part by the District of Columbia Federation of Civic Associations.

She is one of seven candidates in the April 23 at-large D.C. Council special election. Bonds appeared elated upon hearing the results.

“Our victory shows the strength of the organization that we are building and that our message of experienced leadership and strong Democratic Party principles is resonating with the plurality of voters,” said Bonds, 67.

The other results included: former journalist Elissa Silverman with 37 votes, former D.C. Council member Michael Brown 31 votes, D.C. Statehood Green candidate Perry Redd 18, Ward 3 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Matthew Frumin tallied 15, Republican candidate Patrick Mara received nine, attorney Paul Zukerberg got one vote and “None of the Above” received three. Someone turned in one blank ballot during the straw poll.

D.C. Council members Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), both Bonds supporters, counted among the 155 people who attended the forum. www.washingtoninformer.com

The District’s Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) turned out to be the hot-button topic during the forum along with its chief, Kenneth Ellerbe. Mara, 32, said that Ellerbe should be replaced but the other candidates disagreed.

“I think that the chief is trying to push the department in the right direction and where it needs to go,” said Frumin, 55. Redd, 48, said that “Ellerbe’s [reputation] is on the rebound” and “I would practice oversight not management [as a council member].”

Zukerberg, 55, praised the department’s workers, calling them “courageous and dedicated.”

Silverman, 40, said that the “issues go beyond the chief.” Brown, 47, said that replacing Ellerbe “would be premature” and that “Fire and EMS need to be under the same umbrella.”

Bonds disagreed with Brown.

She said that Fire and EMS should be separate departments with different leaders at the helm. She also said “more D.C. residents need to be hired by the [Fire and EMS] department.”

Zukerberg’s Next Campaign Political observers give attorney Paul Zukerberg a slim chance of winning the D.C. Council at-large special election on April 23, but District residents may not have seen or heard the last of him.

Zukerberg, 55, a lawyer who defends District residents who have been charged with the use or sale of illegal drugs is on a mission.

He’s become an advocate for decriminalizing cannabis. Right now, he’s exploring political options to make that a reality.

301.292.9141/FAX 301.292.9142/Mobile 703.819.0920 doris@mcmilloncommunications.com/www.mcmilloncommunications.com

“I am open to putting a referendum on the ballot for voters to decriminalize marijuana,” he said.

“We would have to get 30,000 signatures [in totality from all eight wards] and it would have to be approved by the D.C. Board of Elections.”

The major hurdle would be the elections board “because it is inefficient,” Zukerberg said.

“The board has not solved its problems of incorrect addresses and because of that, I think to Denise Rolark Barnes get on the ballot, we would need Independent Beauty Consultant www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com 50,000 [signatures],” he said, refer202-236-8831 ring to Silverman’s attempt to kick him off the ballot due to questionable signatures.

A referendum could take place in 2014 but he wants to see action now, Zukerberg said.

“D.C. Council members Marion Barry and David Grosso have indicated that they would support decriminalizing marijuana,” he said. “[D.C. Council member] Tommy Wells has said that he would be interested in holding hearings on it and [D.C. Council member] Mary Cheh who is a constitutional law professor would have an interest in the issue. I would prefer to go the route of the council because all I would need is seven votes.”

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) has said publicly that any decriminalization legislation will not be on the council’s agenda this year.

However, ‡ Zukerberg remains Please set all copy in upper and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bo Consultant in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica confident. Beauty To the Independent Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may “When I get on the council in May, I am going to push this issue,” he said. “All I need are seven votes and with me, there would be three solid.” wi The Washington Informer

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April 4 1915 – Muddy Walters is born McKinley Morganfield in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. Walters would go on to become one of the primary shapers of that genre of music known as the Blues. Indeed, he was easily one of the most influential musicians of the first half of the 20th century.

1928 – Poet Maya Angelou is born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri. Angelou now ranks as one of the greatest poets in America. But her talents have also been expressed as a playwright, author, producer, historian and civil rights activist.

1968 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis. Urban rebellions break out in over 100 U.S. cities and at least 50 people are killed as more than 20,000 federal troops and 34,000 National Guardsmen are mobilized to put down the disturbances.

April 5 1976 – The infamous COINTELPRO documents are released. In response to an accidental discovery at a warehouse and a freedom of information lawsuit, the FBI is forced to release documents detailing an intensive and extensive campaign to disrupt and destroy civil rights and anti-war organizations and their leaders. Among the documents released was a letter dated August 25, 1967, which made clear that

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one of the campaign’s chief aims was “to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black nationalists …”

1990 – Jazz great Sarah Vaughn dies. Vaughn was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1924 and went on to become what many considered “the world’s greatest singing talent.” She was known as the “incomparable Sarah Vaughn.”

April 6 1798 – One of the nation’s most famous and accomplished early Black pioneers, James Beckwourth, is born. The product of a white slave owner and a Black slave mother, Beckwourth acquired his freedom and became a successful fur trader. He would later become a scout for the Rocky Mount Fur Company. However, in 1824, he joined the Crow Indian nation and married a Crow woman. He would later move west where he discovered an important passageway through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The passage was named “Beckwourth Pass” after him.

April 7 1915 – Billie Holiday is born.

She would go on to become the greatest Blues and Jazz singer of her era with songs like “The Man I Love” and “God Bless the Child Whose Got His Own.” She was born to a 13-year-old mother and began her working career as a small girl helping to clean up a Baltimore, Maryland whorehouse – a house in which she was also raped. Holiday made money from her performances despite the fact that she never received any royalties from any of the 200 songs she recorded. Drug use was a factor in her premature death at 44.

April 8 1974 – Hammering Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves breaks the homerun record of the legendary Babe Ruth when he hit his 715th homer during a game at At-

lanta Stadium.

1990 – Scientist Percy Julian, who developed drugs to combat glaucoma and methods to mass produce cortisone, is admitted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

April 9 1898 – Paul Bustill Robeson is born in Princeton, New Jersey.

Robeson would go on to become the greatest combination of entertainer and social activist in American history. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Rutgers University as well as being one of the school’s greatest football stars. After graduation he turned to entertainment - acting and singing on stage and in early movies. However, he was also an outspoken critic of American racism and imperialism while being a strong proponent of socialism. This made him the target of a government disruption and destruction campaign. Concert halls were closed to Robeson, the media began to attack him unrelentingly, established Black leaders began to shun him and the government took his passport so he could not perform and earn money abroad. Nevertheless, he remained a symbol which would later inspire activist entertainers such as Ossie Davis and Harry Belafonte. Robeson died in Philadelphia on January 23, 1976.

April 10 1943 – Tennis great Arthur Ashe is born in Richmond, Virginia. Ashe’s spectacular abilities on the tennis court enabled him to become the first Black member of the American Davis Cup team; the first Black to win the U.S. Open and the first black to win the men’s single’s title at Wimbledon in England. Unfortunately Ashe would die of AIDS after receiving a contaminated blood transfusion.

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INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY LINDEN

Viewp int Cora Dixon Washington, D.C. I remember that it was a very shocking experience.

People had lost their leader and many of them were crying and needed to be consoled. It was just a horrible day. Downtown [Washington, D.C.] resembled a warzone because there were machine guns and a lot of the buildings on 14th Street had been vandalized by people who threw rocks through windows.

There were fires all throughout the city and a curfew was put in place. It was a terrible day.

Raymond Blanks Washington, D.C. I remember how devastated I was to hear of his death. I was an undergraduate student at the time and the news sent shudders through my soul. It was just terrible. I had been involved in the civil rights movement down South, and had met Dr. King on several occasions. Dr. King always stuck to his cause. Even though he was a flawed man, he kept his vision clear. And I thought that was very inspiring.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE DAY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., WAS KILLED?

Lorraine Anderson Washington, D.C. I remember the shock, sadness and riots. I lived off of Good Hope Road in [Southeast], and the people in my neighborhood were going into businesses and looting. I remember the National Guard’s dispatched troops. I cried a lot because I thought Dr. King was one of the greatest people ever.

He was for the people and I loved him.

Jacqueline February Riverdale, Md. I was very sad when I learned about his death and thought it was a setback for blacks and poor people in America. I was sad and [distraught] when I discussed his death with my teenage friends in high school [in Guyana]. At the time, there was so much news on the radio – because we didn’t have much access to television – about his death. People everywhere were very sad and emotional.

Chris Lee Washington, D.C.

I remember that when you went into everyone’s house in the rural South, they had these velvet paintings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy.

I was six-years-old at the time, but the one thing [in retrospect, that I remember], now that I’m older, is that a lot of black people [in the rural South] weren’t that involved in the civil rights movement. They were trying to survive. While there was a certain segment that was involved, the masses, especially in the rural South, were not. But, I remember that blacks in the North were [far] more connected.

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Restrictions:

Eligibility: District residents who have been certified by the District Department of the Environment’s Energy Office (DDOE) as income eligible may apply for the Economy II program this program. To apply, schedule an appointment with DDOE by calling 311.

Households in which one or more individuals are receiving benefits from one of the following public assistance programs may be income eligible.     

Food Stamps Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) Supplemental Security Income Public Assistance to Adults Temporary Disability Assistance Program

 No other working telephone service at the same location  No additional phone lines  No Foreign Exchange or Foreign Zone service  No bundles or packages  No outstanding unpaid final bills  Bill name must match eligible participant  No separate Lifeline discount on cellular or wireless phone service  Business lines are not eligible  Phone number must match eligible participant  Must be a current customer or establish new service with Verizon

Contact DDOE at 311 to apply To learn more about the Lifeline program, visit www.lifelinesupport.org.

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

7

AROUND THE REGION

D.C. Council member Marion Barry greets constituents at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church in Southeast on March 29. Barry delivered his State of Ward 8 address before a packed house. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

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



 

      

     



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BARRY continued from Page 1 couldn’t have welcomed you at a better time than during Holy Week. It’s not uncommon at this time to see a vision unfolding.

A vision is a pictorial view of a preferred future, an inspired portrait of possibility fueled by the power of passion.”

“How many of you know that it’s possible for Ward 8 to be the best ward in the world? … The Creator specializes in bringing us out of horrible situations. Never have we experienced so much newness. We’ve been promised a whole lot of things but this man [Barry] is delivering. He’s risked his entire life in pursuit of an idea you cannot prove. He’ll tell you what’s happening not what’s promised.”

While Gray and other speakers provided specific examples of the changes taking place across the ward, Barry during his remarks assumed the role of preacher, exhorting those within the sound of his voice to throw off the shackles of dependency, embrace more personal responsibility and work actively for the transformation of the ward.

“I know some of you have had struggles, some of you have had storms in your life but you cannot give up, give out, or give The Washington Informer

in,” said Barry whose arrival was greeted by rapturous applause, cheers and a standing ovation on the evening of March 28. “You have strength, tenacity that hope is coming.”

Barry, 76, said it’s apparent that many people have lost their way and too many have forgotten what the struggle is all about.

“The struggle isn’t over,” he intoned. “Racism and segregation is alive and well in D.C. Many of us have lost hope; many of us never had hope.”

Ward 8, like much of the rest of the city, is undergoing changes that are redefining the ward.

New 30-something residents are moving in, gentrification has taken hold, the Department of Homeland Security is coming and the Navy already has a significant and growing presence on the grounds of St. Elizabeths Hospital. But even as these changes manifest themselves, there is a fear that Ward 8 residents will be left behind in the business boon because many don’t have the education, experience or business acumen to compete. And another concern is that gentrification will price people of modest means out of their homes and their communities.

Gray and Barry offered assurances that these scenarios will

not play out as expected but not everyone is convinced.

“Hope is restored and transformation realized,” Gray said after a rousing welcome. “I wish people could come here to see the enthusiasm here. This is a ward on the rise.”

To illustrate this, Gray talked about the collaboration between himself and Barry which has produced a slew of new projects including the upcoming $120 million modernization of Ballou Senior High School; $26.3 million allocated to build a new recreation center at Barry Farm; new housing that is springing up all over the ward; renovations to public schools including Johnson, Hart, Kramer, Turner and Leckie; and an initial $20 million investment to build a new hospital.

“He’s a man who is a legend, someone I’m proud to call friend and an inspiration to people here,” said Gray, 70. “The state of the ward is growing and getting better. We have to right historical wrongs, look across the city and say we have the same things as everybody else. It’s time for everyone in this city to have the opportunities of everyone else!”

At that point, Barry jumped

See BARRY on Page 9 www.washingtoninformer.com

around the region

Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) arrives at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church in Southeast on March 29 to deliver his State of Ward 8 address. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

BARRY continued from Page 8 up from his seat onstage and approached the lectern as Gray wrapped up.

“Being mayor is a very difficult job,” he said. “There are no textbooks on how to be mayor.

D.C. is the most complex city in the world and we’re run by Congress. Thank you for your love, thank you for coming to the people of Ward 8. Mayor Gray loves this city. He went to jail for statehood. I would have gone to jail too but I was out of town.”

Despite much of the evening resembling a love fest, there were pockets of resistance, discontent and hard feelings from some in the audience who chided Barry, Gray and other elected officials for doing little to reverse the myriad problems affecting Ward 8 residents.

Almost a dozen men and women sat in pews close to the front and they vocalized their unhappiness with the status quo and impatience with the slow pace of change.

“They ain’t serious, man.

There’s work that needs to be done in this ward and they need to come on with it,” said an unidentified man as he waited for 45 minutes before the 6 p.m. address began.

A man seated in front of him called Gray and Barry crooks and refused to stand up during the national anthem or when Barry and his entourage walked into the church.

Schyla Pondexter-Moore said she is bitterly disappointed and www.washingtoninformer.com

deeply angered by what she sees playing out among the poor in Ward 8.

“I’m angry because Marion Barry supports redevelopment that’s pushing out poor people,” said Pondexter-Moore, a housing advocate with Empower DC, a grassroots organization in Northwest. “People are living in slum-lord conditions. They are purposely making these areas distressed.”

“There are new communities coming and plans to demolish housing. I can’t keep supporting a man who doesn’t support public housing. They need to repair and renovate existing public housing. People clap and support what he used to be. Now, he’s aggressively supporting developers.”

Detrice Belt, a resident at Barry Farm agreed.

“I’ve lived here for 17 years,” she said. “You have cabinets hanging off, floors lifting up, mold, mildew and mushrooms coming up through the floor in some apartments. It’s crazy.”

A 62-year-old woman complained that there are not enough services for seniors, and applauded when Alethea Campbell, a resident of Ward 8 for 47 years, detailed the amenities, services and classes, home-delivered meals, four-course lunches and pharmacy services offered by the Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center for which she credits Barry. wi The Washington Informer

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

9

AROUND THE REGION

WARD 4

TOWN HALL On Easter MEETING Councilmember Muriel Bowser and DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins are co-hosting a town hall meeting to talk about water projects and issues impacting your community.

• Water Rates • Drinking Water

• Infrastructure • Clean Rivers

Parade...

• Billing Issues • Job Opportunities

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 | 6:30-8:00 P.M. Truesdell Education Campus 800 Ingraham Street, NW

For more information, visit dcwater.com/rates or call the DC Water Office of External Affairs at (202) 787-2200.

The Rev. Otis Moss Jr., pastor emeritus, Oliver Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio delivers a sermon at Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel in Northwest on Sunday, March 31. /Photo by Roy Lewis

WARD 7

TOWN HALL MEETING Councilmember Yvette M. Alexander and DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins are co-hosting a town hall meeting to talk about water projects and issues impacting your community.

• Water Rates • Drinking Water

• Infrastructure • Clean Rivers

• Billing Issues • Job Opportunities

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 | 6:30-8:30 P.M. Department of Employment Services (Community Room) 4058 Minnesota Avenue, NE

For more information, visit dcwater.com/rates or call the DC Water Office of External Affairs at (202) 787-2200.

Kira Houston and her four-month-old daughter Sophia Reid attend a brunch in honor of the Rev. Otis Moss Jr., at Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel on Sunday, March 31. /Photo by Roy Lewis

YVETTE M. ALEXANDER COUNCILMEMBER WARD SEVEN

10 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

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www.washingtoninformer.com

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610 N. Frederick Ave. Gaithersburg 301.216.2550 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

11

AROUND THE REGION

Parents Seek Court’s Intervention in School Closures

By Barrington M. Salmon and James Wright WI Staff Writers

First they filed a lawsuit at D.C. Superior Court, then they exhorted a modest but vocal crowd who voiced their displeasure at a school system they accuse of doing their children a grave disservice.

As promised, on March 29, lead attorney Johnny Barnes sought legal redress on behalf of Empower DC, a grassroots organization in Northwest which seeks to stop D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson from closing 15 schools.

“We are making history,” said Barnes, a long-time attorney and civil libertarian.

“Communities throughout the country are fighting the closure of public schools, but D.C. is leading the legal challenge against closures that represent a significant civil rights violation.”

Barnes and his legal team went into the H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse in Northwest to formally file the lawsuit with the Clerk of the Court.

After the filing, Barnes said he and his team went to the judges’ chambers to request an emergency hearing seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction

to stop the plan to shutter D.C. Public Schools (DCPS).

Cheerleaders from Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Ward 8 led the crowd in cheers which inspired the leaders of Empower DC and the legal team, which includes Kevin B. Chavous, son of former D.C. Council member Kevin P. Chavous.

The popular cheers included “Shame on Mayor Gray, Don’t Take Our Schools Away!” and “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Kaya Henderson has got to go!”

Henderson, 43, has been under mounting public pressure from parents and other critics since November when she first revealed her plan to close the schools, a plan that begins in August. But she has insisted that the closings are in the best interest of the students who’ll be affected.

When she unveiled her controversial “DCPS Consolidation and Reorganization Plan,” 20 schools across the city were targeted for closure. Henderson said all of the schools were either under-performing or under-enrolled. However, following a series of community meetings – some of which the chancellor attended – she returned to the table with a list pared down to 15 schools.

12 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

Cheerleaders from Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Ward 8 energized the crowd with their cheers on March 29. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

The lawsuit is the latest chapter in an ongoing struggle between parents and school officials over the direction of the city’s traditional public schools. In January, Henderson announced her intention to close 15 District of Columbia Public Schools by the end of academic year 2014. The closures are a continuation of a strategy set in motion by former Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who shuttered 23 schools in 2008.

Barnes, 64, said he was giv-

The Washington Informer

en the hearing date of April 4 at 2:30 p.m. to demonstrate to a judge why the DCPS plan to close schools should be stopped immediately. The legal team’s goal is to have a Superior Court judge grant both the temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction before May 22, which is the day that the D.C. Council votes on the 2014 District budget.

“That is why we have a sense of urgency on this. On May 22, if a judge does not

grant the temporary restraining order and the preliminary injunction, it is a done deal,” Barnes said.

Empower DC and concerned parents are incensed

by Henderson’s January decision to close the schools, all of which are located east of Rock Creek Park in Northwest, a historical dividing line in the District between whites and blacks, the wealthy and See LAWSUIT on Page 13

www.washingtoninformer.com

AROUND THE REGION

6

APRIL 2013

MFL

FOOTBALL REGISTRATION Attorney Johnny Barnes filed a lawsuit on behalf of Empower DC on March 29. Barnes hopes to prevent D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson from closing 15 schools in the District. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

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“Communities throughout the country are fighting the closure of public schools, but D.C. is leading the legal challenge against closures that represent a significant civil rights violation.”

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LAWSUIT continued from Page 12 the working class in the city.

Barnes, the former executive director of the Washington area American Civil Liberties Union, said it’s troubling that even though Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) and Henderson are black, the overwhelming majority of the children affected in the proposed plan are black or brown.

“What you have here is that the government is treating people differently and that’s a prima facie case of discrimination,” Barnes said. “D.C. Public Schools is treating people of color and special needs students differently from other people, and that is illegal and unconstitutional.”

Barnes said it’s obviously discriminatory when public schools east of the Park are closed because of under-enrollment while schools west of the park and near Capitol Hill were kept open when their enrollment numbers dipped significantly a number of years ago.

Barnes said 30,000 new students are expected to be enrolled in DCPS over the next nine years and he asked rhetorically, “where will those students go if the public schools are closed?”

“We have to find ways to keep schools open,” he said.

Barnes said several cities are dealing with school closings that include Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia. He noted that the lawsuit filed Friday was the first of its type in the nation.

“The other cities filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Education but we have actually gone to court,” he said. “This lawsuit is in the spirit of Brown v. Board of Education.”

Shannon Marie Smith, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit and the coach of the Ferebee-Hope’s cheerleaders, said the school should not close.

“Our children are learning very well at Ferebee-Hope,” she said. “We have programs in robotics and we stay open late to help children with their homework when their parents cannot.”wi

www.washingtoninformer.com

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Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

13

Finger Guardz: Continuing the Rich Legacy of African American Inventors

AROUND THE REGION

If Brown has his way, the native Detroiter and serial inventor will join the ranks of his predecessors developing a product that will have a resounding impact on the safety of families in his community and beyond.

Jan Matzeliger. Garrett Morgan. George Washington Carver. Otis Boykin. Michael Brown. With the exception of the latter, the others have either become household names or have been immortalized in history books due to their ground-breaking innovations.

Michael Brown, architectural designer/illustrator and president of Renderhaus, a full-service provider of premium architectural computer generated imagery, hopes to continue the legacy with his invention designed to protect kids from injuries caused by slamming doors. His innovative product, Finger Guardz, are highdensity, shock absorbing, foam door stops that attach to the edge of any standard household door rendering it from completely closing.

Brown, who received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Detroit in 1994 and a Master of Architecture from University of Detroit Mercy in 2004, was first inspired to the architectural design and illustration industry as a teen in the eighth grade.

But before he can see his Finger Guardz on any store shelves, he has to raise the capital to have them manufactured. To do this, he recently launched a 35-day funding campaign through kickstarter.com to encourage donors to pledge funds ranging from $18 to $1,000 in exchange for pre-ordered sets of his Finger Guardz.

Kickstarter.com is a crowd-funding website that helps creative projects succeed by connecting potential customers with potential product makers. Pledges go towards the initial run of manufacturing for Finger Guardz units only if the pledge goal is met.

Targeted toward homes with infants and toddlers, the units come in six designs for both boys and girls. These include: basketball, baseball and soccer units for boys and butterflies, daisies and polka dots for girls.

According to Brown, production will begin in early May 2013 with expressed interests from retailers Wal-Mart, Target & Babies R Us, to name a few. Price points average about $6 per unit.

To join the Finger Guardz Kickstarter revo“I remember being in a science fair where lution, pre-order your set of Finger Guardz I drew a floor plan for a house. I came in and help ensure this product is on shelves second place,” recalled Brown. nationwide,svisitswww.fingerguardz. com.

“I’m eager to get my products in as many households as possible so that no child Pre-order your set of Finger Guardz on has to suffer the pain of their fingers being KICKSTARTER today. See the link on slammed in a door, and no parent has to fingerguardz.com deal with the anguishing screams of their child in such a scenario,” stated Brown.

14 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

The Washington Informer

Marchers joined the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Northwest in an effort to bring attention to the “death nails” of the prison-industrial complex, unemployment and indifference that’s destroying black families. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

Stopping the Pipeline to Prison

By Michelle Phipps-Evans WI Staff Writer Vincent DeForest left his home in St. Louis, Mo., to visit the District during the Easter weekend. On Friday, March 29, he marched along 14th Street with a large procession headed for a rally at Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest.

“I see this as a continuation of the earlier marches for civil rights and freedom,” said DeForest, 77. “The criminal justice system needs to be sensitized and we don’t think of those who are incarcerated.” DeForest walked in the silent march led by the 175-year-old Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church (MAMEC) in Northwest because his daughter has been incarcerated for 10 years.

“She had mental problems that ended in the death of a baby,” DeForest said. “When I visit her, I see the numbers of African Americans and Latino Americans there, and wanted to express my feelings.” It was Good Friday, a significant day for Christians, when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross.

Led by the church’s Mighty Men of Metropolitan, in collaboration with 40 partners, the silent march and call to action were designed to increase awareness of the disproportionate arrest rates and incarceration of African Americans. The event was intended to stimulate urgency for ending increasing gun violence, which continues to

claim too many African-American lives.

“Even though marches won’t solve the problem, the fact that so many of us are unified behind this is good,” said Ron Moten, 43, a previously incarcerated native Washingtonian and co-founder of Peaceoholics, an anti-gang organization. “We’ve been separated as a group and now we see mass incarceration and homicide as problems. United we stand, divided we fall.”

Marchers carried wooden crosses; and church members passed out booklets on the prison-industrial complex to African-American passersby. MAMEC’s senior pastor, the Rev. Ronald E. Braxton, walked with a larger cross perched across his shoulder to commemorate Christ’s walk before his death.

Moderated by motivational speaker Willie Jolley, the rally at Freedom Plaza soon resembled Sunday services with those who attended responding, “Amen” to speeches, and testimonies by previously incarcerated persons, and those affected.

“African Americans are imprisoned at four times the rate of other Americans,” said Braxton, who’s spent 46 years in the ministry. “On Good Friday, the death nails were driven into the hands and feet of Christ, and we see the drugs and the pipeline to prison that are death nails to our community’s collective spirit and well being.”

Organizers wanted the event to draw attention to the issue;

See MARCH on Page 15 www.washingtoninformer.com

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

D.C Council member Vincent Orange participates in a march to Freedom Plaza in Northwest on Friday, March 29. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

MARCH continued from Page 14 and that the call to action will lead to solutions that will short circuit the prison-industrial complex, unemployment and indifference in black communities.

Bruce Western, a sociology professor at Harvard University is quoted in a recent issue of Harvard Magazine as saying that “mass incarceration is a level of imprisonment so vast that it forges the collective experience of an entire social group.” Western said 60 percent of black male high-school dropouts will go to prison before age 35. The school-to-prison pipeline is a widespread pattern of pushing children, especially disadvantaged ones, out of school and into the lucrative criminal justice system. The “War on Drugs,” which began in the 1970s and accelerated in the 1980s, led the United States to adopt a get tough attitude on drugs. This led to a disproportionate impact on communities of color.

Recent U.S. Department of Justice statistics revealed that prison inmates increased from 300,000 in 1995 to 2.3 million in 2010; 1.2 million of those are

low-income African Americans.

Nearly 1 in 3 young black males are in the system – either in prison, on parole or on probation.

Upon release, returning citizens like Courtney Stewart faced other setbacks such as exclusion from public housing, limited voting rights, unequal access to opportunities, and a lifelong stigma of a criminal record.

“I ended up having a hard time finding employment,” said Stewart, 50, a native Washingtonian who grew up in Southeast, and who’s been out of prison since 1985. He’s now chair of the nonprofit, the Reentry Network for Returning Citizens, which connects returning citizens to jobs, housing and recovery programs. “The community needs to see the faces of those affected, who’ve been targeted and disenfranchised as a result of the school-to-prison pipeline.”

To close this pipeline, MAMEC suggested some actions, such as outreach to at-risk youth before they’re in the system; develop ways to eliminate youth gangs; address drugs and their impact; eliminate the availability of guns; and identify organizations that provide education,

What Do You Think? We’d Like To Know.

A woman prays during a rally at Freedom Plaza in Northwest on Friday, March 29. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

work creation and advocacy.

There should be collaboration between poor and affluent African Americans to combat the problem.

Author and professor of so-

ciology at Georgetown University, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, agreed.

“I’m marching and speaking on behalf of the millions racially profiled, inappropriately

stopped and frisked, unjustly detained, and disproportionately incarcerated,” said Dyson, the rally’s keynote speaker. “The pipeline must be clogged, disabled and destroyed.” wi

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15

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

PGCC’s Health Care Center Trains Students for High-Demand Careers

By Michelle Phipps-Evans WI Staff Writer Jennifer Jones is a first-year student who’s working toward a two-year associate degree in nursing. Jones, a mother of a two year old, said that while her daughter is in day care, she can go to class.

“I was a medic in the military,” said Jones, 35, who lives in Prince George’s County, and attends the newly opened Center for Health Studies at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) in Largo, Md. “My husband is in the military and I can finish the degree before we move to the next base.”

Torrie Liverman is also a firstyear student who’s earning an associate degree in radiography, the practice of taking X-ray images

of body parts.

“It’s the only college offering the radiography program I want,” said Liverman, 19, who recently graduated from Chopticon High School in St. Mary’s County, Md. Jones and Liverman are two of the more than 1,000 students getting trained in the high-demand health care field at PGCC’s health center, a new 100,000-squarefoot state-of-the-art facility. The school works with those at the beginning of their careers, as well as those who are well established in their fields.

Students may be current employees of fire/emergency medical service departments who are already credentialed as emergency medical technicians or civilian students, said Angela Anderson,

16 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

More than 1,000 students benefit from the new state-of-the-art Center for Health Studies at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Md. /Photos by Khalid Naji-Allah

dean of health sciences, who showed off the life-sized replica of an ambulance, equipped with a mannequin one warm day in March.

The Washington Informer

“This is like a real ambulance with simulation recording software to capture the student (on video) who can see an assessment and see (his or her) mistakes,” said Anderson, the dean since 2007.

Opened at the beginning of the fall semester, the center features cutting-edge technology and the latest interactive educational tools, including digital monitoring, simulation mannequins, electronic medical records software and digital X-ray units.

“The new center allows the college to expand and enhance existing clinical programs and develop new areas of specialization to address workforce shortages,” Anderson added.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment growth for the health care field would increase significantly between 2010 and 2020. Job opportunities are expected to grow by 26 percent for registered nurses, 32 percent for pharmacy technicians, 28 percent for radiologic technologists and 33 percent for emergency medical technicians.

To address the marketplace demand for highly trained students in a wide range of health care careers, the center provides class and laboratory space for new programs including medical assistant, physician’s assistant and surgical technology. Existing programs at the facility include health information management and medical coder/billing specialist, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, radiography, respiratory therapy, medical assistant, and pharmacy technician.

Undergraduates have access to 26 state-of-the-art simulation

labs that prepare them for clinical experiences in real-world hospital settings, said Anderson.

Virtual health care facilities include high-fidelity patient simulator mannequins, critical care and long-term care beds, electronic medical records system and sophisticated diagnostic and interventional equipment. The experience includes tiny apartments and small spaces that students will encounter in the real world.

More than $43 million in funding was provided by the state of Maryland and Prince George’s County for the construction project, which began July 2010.

Funds came from the school’s nonprofit foundation, and other areas. Established 1958, PGCC provides transfer and career programs to help students transfer to four-year colleges and universities and prepare them for the workforce. Each year, 40,000 students take part in more than 200 academic programs and workforce development and continuing education programs.

In terms of the students’ educational goals, Anderson said nursing graduates go on to become nurses.

Some make nursing a career.

“Others complete their associate degree, enter the workforce and maybe later become doctors, if they so choose,” she said. The students will leave the school well educated.

Liverman said she has no plans of pursuing a bachelor’s degree after graduating from PGCC. “For radiography, you only need an associate’s degree,” she said. “I can take what I learn here to work right away in a hospital.” wi www.washingtoninformer.com

Emotions Run High at Hearing on School Structure

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

By Gale Horton Gay WI Staff Writer Passion and frustration seemed to be shared emotions among many who attended the last public hearing on the controversial pending legislation to change Prince George’s County public schools administrative structure.

The hearing, which took place on April 1 at the Legislative Services Building in Annapolis before a joint meeting of Prince George’s County House and Senate Delegation members, brought together school and county leaders, parents, representatives of teacher organizations, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and other interested parties.

Members of the public gave impassioned speeches stating pro and con positions, while delegates and senators at times practically begged for guidance in helping to direct them on two different Senate and House bills that would shift power from the board of education to the county government. Several times those testifying before the legislators were asked if they found any parts of Senate Bill 1071 and House Bill 1107 that they favored.

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III wants the legislators to approve a measure that would have the school superintendent with budget and curriculum responsibility reporting to the county executive.

He also wants to restructure the board of education and include additional members.

Paul Thomas said he represented the 300-member group, Progressive Cheverly, and that 90 percent of its membership voted in support of Baker’s plan.

He cited “lack of success and a revolving door at the top” as the primary reasons.

“Desperate times call for bold measures,” said Thomas.

A man who identified himself as a former teacher said he was removing his two children from Prince George’s County public schools and supports the Senate bill, adding that it comes to “Are we satisfied?” and “Do we have a plan to get there?” He said currently the answers are “No” and “No.” Linda Thornton Thomas of Temple Hills, who said she was www.washingtoninformer.com

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker appeared before a joint meeting of the Prince George’s County House and Senate Delegation on April 1. Baker wants the legislature to approve measures that would require the school superintendent to report to the county executive. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

a former school board member, said the board is in need of expertise.

“This plan offers opportunity,” said Thomas. “We need people to come in to help in designing curriculum, someone to assist us with managing money.”

However, there were numerous individuals who opposed changing the structure with several saying that the matter needs more time for discussion and study.

A representative of the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association said his group was “steadfast opposed” to the legislation, which “raises more questions than answers.” He suggested that a task force study the issue and bring it back next session.

Robert Ross, president of the Prince George’s County NAACP, said Baker has “good intentions” but his plan has not been “vetted properly in the community.”

Theresa Mitchell Dudley, a parent and teacher, cast her eyes upward and said she was checking to see if the sky was falling.

She said her two children graduated from Prince George’s County schools and were doing well in college. “[By] saying our schools are failing, we are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said Dudley, a teacher at Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie. “I am tired of hearing it.”

Another speaker said she opposed the proposed legislation because “it adds too many layers.

The school board is accountable to us, [and to] teachers. We are the ones [who] stay. We stay because of the children.”

While Baker chose not to make an opening statement, Verjeana Jacobs, chair of the Prince George’s County Public Schools Board, re-emphasized as she has

during the past two hearings that Baker’s plan to have the school superintendent become a member of his cabinet is flawed.

Jacobs pleaded with the legislators to recognize that the public schools have made “double-digit” gains in recent years and to “take the adults out and look at the children.”

Jacobs faced a mixed bag of questions from the delegates and senators who raised concerns about the school board’s search for a new superintendent, superintendent turnover, academic achievement, budget surplus and more.

Sen. Joanne C. Benson said it was “shameful” that the county had a surplus while bus drivers and teachers haven’t received raises.

Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk verbally spared with one speaker, repeatedly asking if he found any aspects of the bills worthwhile.

In addition to the Senate, House and joint public hearings, Baker held his own telephone town hall meeting on March 26 involving 16,000 individuals. He answered questions for more than an hour.

Before the Maryland Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee on March 29 Baker reiterated the benefits of his proposal to end the “status quo” of school governance, provide more accountability and oversight of the public schools, create an environment that will allow the incoming superintendent to succeed, and assure a high quality education for students.

The fate of these bills before the legislature will be known soon as the Maryland General Assembly is scheduled to close its session on April 8.wi The Washington Informer

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

17

NATIONAL

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 45 Years Later District Residents Recall the Devastation of April 4, 1968

By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer Forty-five years ago, the most famous – or infamous – shots rang out in Memphis, Tenn., and reverberated around the world.

Civil Rights Champion Martin Luther King Jr., lie dead, struck by an assassin’s bullet and no other place in the country proved to be more adversely affected by the devastation and despair caused by his death than Washington, D.C. “I was 20 years old and a sophomore at Howard University when King was killed,” said Wade Henderson, former president of the Washington Bureau of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and current president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights in Northwest.

“It is hard to believe it’s been 45 years. We were gathered inside Cramton Auditorium at Howard for the announcement that King had been shot and the grief was palpable,” said Henderson, 64, a lifelong resident of the District.

Virginia Ali, who along with her husband, Ben, opened Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street in 1958, said the riots began just one block away from her restaurant. Ali said a brick was thrown through the window of the Peoples Drug at 14th and U Street in

Northwest, but Ben’s Chili Bowl remained open for business and unscathed.

“I remember the sadness more than anything else. The radio stations were playing hymns, and people were coming in crying,” Ali, 79, told the Public Broadcasting Service earlier this month.

“People were out of control with anger and sadness and frustration. They broke into the liquor store across the street and were coming out with bottles of Courvoisier. They had no money, these youngsters. They were coming into the Chili Bowl saying, ‘Could you just give us a chili dog or a chili half smoke? We’ll give you this,” she said.

Silver Spring resident George Pelecanos recalled returning to his Maryland home from the District after the riots erupted.

He said smoke could be seen as far away as Silver Spring.

“I’ve met National Guard guys who have told me how incredibly scared they were,” said Pelecanos, 56, who was 11 when King was killed.

“They had chicken wire on the fire trucks because they were being pelted with bottles and rocks while trying to get to the fires,” he said.

King’s son, Martin Luther King III, said his father’s death naturally devastated his family.

“It’ll be challenging going back

14th and U Street prior to the 1968 riots. /Courtesy Photo

to where it happened,” said King, 55. “It’s where my father lost his life, it was the most traumatic event in our lives.”

That dark day in Memphis, Tenn., struck a nerve in African-American neighborhoods around the country.

Three days of rioting in the District, which began on April 4, would leave 13 people dead and thousands injured. More than 6,000 people were arrested and 2,100 stores and buildings burned.

“When I left school at Howard that day to go to the clothing store where I worked at 7th and Q Street in Northwest, someone

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threw a rock and broke a window and that’s when I knew there was a big problem,” Henderson said.

The sky was filled with smoke and flames quickly followed.

President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the deployment of more than 13,000 federal and National Guard troops to help local police restore order.

It was the largest deployment of troops in an American city since the Civil War. “It seemed like the whole city was burning, there were people looting, it was devastating,” Henderson recalled.

Mayor Walter E. Washington imposed a curfew, banned the sales of alcohol and guns and on April 5, solicited the help of the most popular black musician in the world, James Brown.

Brown had already helped to quiet rioters a day earlier in Boston where he called for calm during a concert at the Boston Garden. “The mayor said, ‘Get me James Brown,’” said activist Al Sharpton, Brown’s long-time friend.

“James Brown empathized with the hurt and the anger the community felt, but he told them not to terrorize, but to organize,” said Sharpton, 58.

“Don’t burn, give the kids a chance to learn, James told the people,” Sharpton said. Brown told them to go home and be qualified and to be somebody, which is black power.”

The “Say it Loud, I’m Black

and I’m Proud,” singer was later invited to the White House where he was praised for helping to calm blacks in the District.

“James Brown did come out here and help, I remember when they asked him to come,” Henderson said. “It was a big deal with so much going on and he went out into the streets and saw the devastation himself.”

King and Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union (AFSCME), are planning to mark the 45th anniversary of the civil rights leader’s death with a march on the Lorraine Motel, where he died.

“It’s time to rebuild the coalition of labor, civil rights and faith-based groups,” said Saunders, 63. “We will be in Memphis to re-ignite Dr. King’s Poor People’s campaign,” he said.

One day before King’s death, he delivered a memorable speech in Memphis which, proved prophetic.

“I’ve seen the Promised Land.

I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land,” King said.

The next day, he was shot to death.

“I was 10, living in the Brightwood section, right down the street from Walter Reed Hospital and we saw jeeps full of soldiers going up and down SheriSee king on Page 19 www.washingtoninformer.com

NATIONAL

Decades later, the 14th Street corridor experienced a renaissance after nearly 40 years of blight. /Courtesy Photo

king continued from Page 18 dan Street,” said Keith Allen of Northwest.

“My father gathered me and my brother to go get my mom who worked at Dorothy Queens Style-o-Rama as a beautician at 14th and Spring Road. Fourteenth Street was ablaze, filled with smoke. It was a day I’ll never forget,” said Allen, 55.

The riot taught hard lessons to everyone.

“I was living with my husband and baby and we could smell the smoke,” said Northeast resident Maureen Nichols. “There were military vehicles driving up and down the street and several stores on 12th Street had their windows broken and were looted. When I walked down the street to talk with a neighbor, who was white and her husband (who was) a cop, she told me she was glad it happened,” Nichols, 73, said.

“I was horrified by her words and then, as I walked to buy some milk, a young black child looked at me because I am white and said, ‘You killed Martin Luther King.’ I said, no I didn’t, I loved him. That was the day that I really understood what it meant to be judged solely by the color of your skin,” Nichols said.

Today, despite King’s efforts, the American Dream he spoke so eloquently of remains out of reach for too many people, Saunders said.

“Unemployment remains stubbornly high, especially among African-American males and it is unfortunate that women’s rights, Affirmative Action and Voting Rights have been www.washingtoninformer.com

attacked at the same time that unions have been targeted by powerful forces in richly funded coordinated efforts to crush workers rights,” Saunders said.

King traveled to Memphis to show his support of sanitation workers and to stand with AFSCME to see that union members ultimately would be treated with dignity and respect, the younger King said.

“We want to create a climate in America where a decent job comes with decent pay, and actually a living wage,” King said.

“Here we are 45 years later, and the president has challenged us to raise the minimum wage to a higher level. Dad, 45 years ago, was talking about a living wage and he was way ahead of the curve as we are still trying to get the minimum wage raised,” he said. “It’s kind of interesting as it relates to where we are in this nation when it comes to true progress.”

Rueben Brock, a Southeast resident who attends West Virginia University, said plenty of work is still needed for King’s dream to be realized. “What’s interesting about Dr. King’s legacy is that a lot of people right now have the assumption that because we have a black president, the dream has been realized,” said Brock, 24.

“If you look a little deeper you realize that’s not necessarily the case. There’s still a lot of work that’s left to be done,” he said. wi The Washington Informer

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

19

For our 10th anniversary, African Ancestry is exploring the African influence on various areas of African American life today. This month our focus is art.

Our most personal and innate connections to Africa often happen in artistic ways that are subtle and unrecognized. We don’t even realize that there are spiritual beliefs and social purposes that have historically and ancestrally defined the art in our world. From the brightly colored, highly patterned fashions we wear to the “bling” we sport to the tattoos that adorn our bodies, we are Africa.

Gelede mask, Nigeria

What do you think of when you think of African art? Do you think conceptually in terms of color, pattern and symbolism? Or do you imagine objects such as jewelry, sculpture and fabric? One of the first things that comes to mind for me is African masks.

Do you know that masks are an African tradition-based art that were actually functional items? They weren’t created to hang on walls, which is how we experience them today. They held unique significance, were worn on various parts of the body and were “danced” during daily rituals and special ceremonies to represent the spirits of our ancestors.

Ask any Black man which African tribe he thinks he is from and there’s a good chance that he will say “Mandingo”! The 1976 film is often the impetus for this response.

Do you know that the true Mandinka reputation is one of being fierce, highly skilled warriors? They founded the Mali Empire in the 13th century.

Traditionally, the Mandinka face mask is worn by men in Senegal, Gambia and Mali and represents strength, courage, virility and male tribal roles. It is made out of materials such as animal skin, tree bark and calabash and frequently adorned with cowrie shells. Pierced ears are another common feature of the Mandinka mask.

Mothers play a special role in African and African- American families. Big Mama, Ma’dear and Nana are revered for their female power and wisdom.

Mandinka mask, Senegal

Do you know that Yoruba men of Nigeria wear Gelede masks during a special celebration that honors women? The celebration recognizes the power of women as elders in the society. The Gelede mask is worn on the head while the male dancer calls on divine spirits for protection and blessings. Facial adornments are a consistent feature in this mask.

One of the ancestries that we find most often for African Americans is Mende from Sierra Leone. A large number of enslaved Mende were taken from Africa to farm rice plantations in South Carolina and Georgia.

Do you know that Mende women have a secret society, Sande, which initiates girls into womanhood? The Sande society is led by an elder who is the “Sowei”. She wears the Sowei helmet mask, the only mask worn by women.

It embodies the ideals of Mende culture including wisdom, health, elegance and serenity. Rites of passage programs in our communities are often modeled after the Sande and Poro (male) societies.

Africa is in you! I encourage you to celebrate the art of your ancestry and explore the places that it lives and can live in your life. Share your favorite African and African-American art with us at doyouknow@africanancestry.com or facebook.com/africanancestry.

Sowei sculpture, Sierra Leone

Photography credit: Kea Taylor/Imagine Photography (http://imaginephotography.com) Artwork credit: Dr. Koura Gibson/galleri Sowei (202-277-0588)

20 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

The Washington Informer

President Joyce Banda. /Photo by Roy Lewis

Presidents Discuss Countries’ Successes and Africa’s Future

By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer It is customary for the evening news and other media outlets to characterize Africa in the most negative and derisive manner.

Droughts, coups, famine, civil unrest and poverty often take center stage while any number of success stories and the many positive developments occurring among the continent’s 54 nations are often ignored.

So last Friday’s panel discussion with three presidents and a prime minister at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) was a breath of fresh air because an audience of several hundred heard the leaders talk about their efforts to institute and strengthen good governance, the rule of law, and transparency. The leaders took part in a wide-ranging discussion entitled, “Consolidating Democratic Gains, Promoting African Prosperity” at USIP in Northwest, at a function that was televised live and on Twitter.

“The Africa of today is far from the cliches of war, famines and coups,” said Senegalese President Macky Sall. “We’re moving toward democracy and growth.

We’re the cradle of mankind, a magical continent with diversity and resources. Africa today is a continent on the march.”

Sall was joined by Presidents Ernest Bai Koroma and Joyce Banda and Prime Minister José Maria Pereira Neves. Each detailed their governments’ roles in fostering the social and economic upswings of their respective countries, the seemingly intractable challenges and their vision of an

independent, self-sufficient and transformed Africa during what moderator Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnny Carson called “a very stimulating and delightful” conversation.

“They’re here because of the contributions they’ve made to strengthen democratic institutions in their countries,” said Carson, who retired from the State Department on Friday, March 29.

“They have developed independent judiciaries, free press and vibrant economies to protect their democracies. Sierra Leone held free, fair and credible elections where 90 percent of the citizens participated peacefully.”

“This was the second term for President Koroma to continue his agenda for prosperity. The economy is expanding rapidly.”

The quartet was invited to the White House by President Barack Obama on Thursday, March 28 because of what Obama said was recognition of the fact that each leader had “undertaken significant efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, protect and expand human rights and civil liberties, and increase economic opportunities for their people.”

Carson spoke of Sall’s election a year ago, and the instability and economic contraction surrounding his predecessor’s attempts to secure a controversial third term.

Since then, Sall has instituted economic reforms, worked to reduce conflict, unrest and tension in the southern Casamance region. In fact, Carson said, Senegal’s economy is expected to grow by five percent this year.

Sall prompted laughter when

See LEADERS on Page 21 www.washingtoninformer.com

President Barack Obama met with leaders of four African nations at the White House on March 26. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

LEADERS continued from Page 20 he said he was putting one of the two presidential jets up for sale but with no takers, may have to offer it to a museum. Both he and Banda said they have scaled back on ministerial perks and she has gotten rid of fleets of vehicles as well.

Banda was the vice president in President Binguwa Mutharika’s government until he died suddenly in April 2012. Mutharika dismissed Banda and attempted to appoint his brother leader of his political party and Malawi’s next president. When he died, some in the cabinet, his wife and others questioned Banda’s legitimacy to succeed Mutharika even though the constitution was clear on succession. Banda is said to have called Malawi’s army commander who agreed to support her and stationed troops around her home.

She also acknowledged America’s role behind the scenes in ensuring her ascension to the presidency.

Toward the end of his presidency, Mutharika managed to alienate the U.S., Britain, the European Union, the World Bank and other lending institutions and all, including some other European countries suspended financial assistance. His critics expressed concern about his erratic policies and actions that threatened Malawi’s democratic institutions.

“One year ago, she implemented tough political and economic reforms, including a currency devaluation, and removed price controls for fuel,” Carson explained.

“In the first 100 days, she turned the country around. The economy has expanded and continues to grow.”

Banda, who has been involved in women’s issues for 30 years, said a number of austerity measures and policy proposals that she’s enacted have been deeply disliked www.washingtoninformer.com

We’re on track, strengthening government institutions and increasing the level of comfort for donors to return. The 100 days was used to also improve relations with our neighbors. I reversed all the laws that were not good and in July 2012, we started a national dialogue on the economy. Using mining, energy, tourism, infrastructure and agriculture, we will be able to create wealth for Malawians.”

–President Joyce Banda

but vowed to continue even if it costs her personally.

“We’re on track, strengthening government institutions and increasing the level of comfort for donors to return,” she said. “The 100 days was used to also improve relations with our neighbors. I reversed all the laws that were not good and in July 2012, we started a national dialogue on the economy. Using mining, energy, tourism, infrastructure and agriculture, we will be able to create wealth for Malawians.

“For 14 months, we have implemented a very, very unpopular reform program. I should have backtracked because elections are next year but it’s OK …”

Koroma is guiding a country that still bears the scars of a brutal civil war that ended in 2002. He spoke of developing institutions to foster democratic change, such as the Independent Media Commission and the National Commission on Democracy, the work undertaken to bolster the economy and critical sectors such as mining and agriculture and restructuring police and security forces so they adhere to human rights standards.

Despite the challenges, he said he’s pleased with the progress.

“What we take pride in is that we’re committed to moving forward,” he said. “We have peace and a rapidly developing country

… we’ve built on the peace and positioned ourselves for growth.

This is why we believe that Sierra Leone is no longer a country of blood diamonds … I believe that Sierra Leone is on the move.”

Neves presides over a string of islands – Cape Verde – off the coast of West Africa that have been lauded by Obama and other administration officials for fostering a favorable environment for investment, for its high and steady economic growth and for having one of the highest literacy rates in the world.

“I think that in order to ensure continuity, we must respect scrupulously the rules of the game,” said Neves, in answer to a question about keeping democracy on-track. “We must build consensus on the issues and we must strengthen the social dialogue with unions, businesses and management. By carrying out a government of rules, governments become more legitimate every day.

They must provide answers to social needs, develop new channels of access and ensure that civil society has room to develop and grow.”

Neves said it is critical to cater to the needs of young people and women, adding that every African country’s success is tied to including them in all aspects of the country’s growth and development in ways that go well beyond lip service.

“We must invest in education, university training and professional and technical training to create conditions so that they can be employed,” he said primarily of young people. “Women represent the future of humanity, period. I have budgets that include gender questions and issues. We must reduce the inequality of the distribution of power and wealth.”

“We must now say, ‘beside every great man is a great woman …”’ wi The Washington Informer

Notic

e

The District of Columbia Housing Authority will suspend new applications for its waiting list for housing assistance on

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2013 Applications are available at • www.dchousing.org • DC Housing Authority main office at 1133 N. Capitol Street NE, Washington DC • 45 additional application sites listed at www.dchousing.org/sas

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Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

21

CP SIDE 1

business Business Exchange

Stand by Your Man

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CNN contributor Roland Martin, who departs the network on April 6, has been named the National Association of Black Journalists’ (NABJ) 2013 Journalist of the Year. In today’s American media there are a number of Black faces on the screen as anchors, pundits, and hosts. But none represented the views and interests of Blacks as well as Martin. In NewTue - 12/18/2012 - 9:45:49 310503.8632 sOne’s poll AM to select the nation’s Top 10 Black News Pundits, Mar-

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22 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

The Washington Informer

By William Reed tin came in at No. 1.

Martin is an “under 50” award-winning journalist. Primarily known for his work with CNN, Martin is a nationally-syndicated columnist, television host, and radio and television commentator. The award follows a February meeting between the NABJ and new CNN honcho Jeff Zucker to discuss concerns over Zucker’s vision for the network. So, as Martin makes his exit from CNN, NABJ’s Board of Directors appear to be making a public endorsement of Martin by giving him their most coveted award, “celebrating the accomplishments of Black journalists and those who support Blacks in the media.”

Many African Americans have reacted negatively to CNN’s failure to renew Martin’s contract, but not all have. Some have said, “good riddance,” citing what they considered his arrogant personality. But among so many in the media that feel obliged to “hide their Blackness” Martin has singularly been front and center on Blacks and their issues. “No other African-American journalist brought more news and analysis to Black communities about the most important stories than Roland Martin,” said Vanessa Williams, former NABJ president and an editor at The Washington Post.

Martin has enjoyed an enviable career as a multimedia journalist, becoming a respected and trusted voice in print, on air and online,” said NABJ President Gregory Lee, Jr. “He is unapologetic about his quest to provide well-rounded coverage of the African-American community, and to provide unique insights to diverse audiences across the many platforms on which he is asked to contribute on a regular basis.”

Throughout his career, Martin has contributed much for his race. A lifetime member of the NABJ, Martin served as national

secretary of the board from 2009 until 2011. Surrounded mostly by Whites in network news settings, Martin is comfortable “being the Black in the room.” Early in his career, Martin was a radio talk show host for Chicago’s Black Talk radio station WVON-AM. He is the former executive editor and general manager of The Chicago Defender, one of the nation’s oldest Black newspapers. During the 1990s, Martin was a contributor on the BET Sunday morning news program Lead Story. He was the founding news editor for Savoy Magazine, and the founding editor of BlackAmericaWeb.com.

As he departs CNN, Martin, no longer has a “cross-over audience.” Some African Americans will talk about protesting CNN’s treatment of Martin and rally crowds in front of CNN offices. In reality, more of us need to channel our remotes to the Blackowned network to watch Martin host TV One’s one-hour Sunday morning news show, Washington Watch. During weekday mornings, millions hear him on the Tom Joyner Morning Show.

In what may well be the perception of the majority of Americans, during an interview with Rush Limbaugh, who openly criticized the TV One television network, saying it isn’t worth “salt,” and called Martin, “angry”, more Blacks should support Martin’s “anger.” Studies say that network news conveys more stereotyped impressions – a narrower range of positive roles – for Blacks than for Whites. Representations of Whites in network news are more varied and more positive than that of Blacks. These studies’ findings raise questions about journalists’ ability to “represent” the “reality” of Black America. The reality is that Martin has represented that “reality.”

Black Americans need to recognize news organizations are businesses, and that they can alter the field with their eyes and ears by tuning into Black programming.

The more people who watch, Washington Watch, the higher TV One’s ratings will soar and the higher Martin’s chances will be of making the same, or more money, than he did with CNN. wi William Reed is publisher of “Who’s Who in Black Corporate America” and available for projects via the BaileyGroup.org www.washingtoninformer.com

BUSINESS

Come visit us at facebook Payday Lending Drains Nearly $1 Billion from Communities One of the worst ironies of the nagging economic recession is that consumers with the fewest financial resources have lost the most. Now, a new report finds that payday loans not only strip much-needed income from low-income families, but harms the economic viability of the communities where they operate, draining nearly $1 billion a year. Written by the Insight Center for Community Economic Development (Insight Center), it also reveals other net negative impacts of these small-dollar, high cost loans on economic growth and personal bankruptcy filings.

The Insight Center examined the net economic impact of the $3.3 billion in interest that borrowers paid to non-bank payday lenders in 2011. The study found that if consumers collectively had an additional $3.3 billion in discretionary spending, it would have resulted in $6.34 billion in economic activity and created 79,000 jobs. In comparison, payday lending activity added $5.56 billion to the national economy and created 65,000 jobs.

Combining these figures shows a net loss from payday lending of $774 million in economic growth and more than 14,000 jobs. That’s in addition to $169 million lost through Chapter 13 bankruptcies.

“This nearly $1 billion loss in economic activity should serve as a strong signal that, in addition to the well-documented harm to the families directly receiving payday loans, payday lending harms local community economies and the overall economy,” the report states. “Payday lending drains over $2.5 million from the economy each day. In addition, we estimate that more than 38 people lose their jobs each day due to the economic drain of payday lending.”

Payday lending has been a centerpiece of the Center for Responsible Lending’s research and policy efforts over the past decade. CRL also supported the new report’s development.

Earlier CRL research determined that each year 12 million www.washingtoninformer.com

By Charlene Crowell Americans become entrapped in payday loans, taking out an average of nine loans per year. With more than 22,000 locations, there are more than two payday stores for every Starbucks coffee store.

CRL has also documented how storefront payday lenders tend to concentrate locations in low-income and communities of color. The Southern states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina had the highest number of payday stores per 10,000 residents.

Outside of the Deep South, Missouri and Nevada were the only states with comparable density of payday storefronts.

Similarly, the Insight Center found that five states charged the greatest amount of payday loan interest were California, Texas, Florida, Mississippi and Illinois. In these locales, financial payday losses ranged from $135 million in California to $55 million in Illinois.

Remarking on the Insight Center’s new findings, Keith Corbett, CRL executive vice-president said, “Payday lending is really financial assault on communities of color. By preying on consumers with few resources, this predatory product takes what little they have and winds up leaving borrowers worse off than before these loans.”

Corbett’s comments are underscored by the Insight report’s finding: “Far from creating opportunity, payday lending creates impoverished households and endangers local economies. wi Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at: Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.come

Where were you when MLK was shot?

Stan Stewart Growing up in NW DC, I remembered seeing it on the news.

And I’m saddened to say, I’d not heard of Dr King, boycotts or curfews until after his death (Click on the See more Link to see the whole reply).

My parents were from Mississippi, so I’m sure they knew of him and perhaps they’d either though...See More Marsha Beatrice Wallace Mayo I was 2 years old living in the projects of SW DC. My only remembrance is stories I have heard over the years from my older siblings and other elders. The same sadness of Stan Stewart’s account.

Linwood Watson I was in Vietnam Pat Faggett I was at work 29 months pregnant. Had to travel though NW DC to get home and the riots had just begun. I had never experienced anything like that before, or since.

Bernard Gaines I was 6 and traveled with mom in her car from grandparents house from 26th and Monroe and saw 3 tanks at the church stationed in front of the church on South Dakota and Rhode Island, before arriving on Hillside rd. in se. the 7- 11 was 40 feet high in flames. We watched the news and prayed.

Has the School Lottery got you concerned about a good school?

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Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

23

BUSINESS

Estate Planning 101: Don’t Wait to Probate

By Attorney Marlene S. Cooper Special to the Informer from NNPA I was first introduced to the court proceeding called “probate” as a result of a frantic call I received soon after I began practicing law. The caller, a real estate agent, was handling an escrow and found that the sale couldn’t be completed because the seller (his client) didn’t have title to the property. Unfortunately, the property in question was still in the name of the seller’s mother who had died several years earlier. Because the sell-

er didn’t have title, the escrow couldn’t be completed, the real estate agent lost his commission, and the matter had to be taken to court before any further action could be taken with respect to the property.

Many people who have inherited real estate are surprised to learn that they must go through probate in order to legally transfer the property into their name.

They usually learn of their need for probate only after they have decided to sell the property or borrow against it. When they find out that the average probate takes 15 months to complete, they are disappointed

2nd Annual

Many people who have inherited real estate are surprised to learn that they must go through an estate agent. / Courtesy photo

that their plans have to be put on hold. Then, when they find out what probate costs, they are

Own c heap than r er ent!

East of the River Homebuyer Education Fair

Presented by Manna, Inc. & The District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development

When: Sat, April 13 2013 11am-1pm Where: Thurgood Marshall Academy 2427 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE Washington, DC 20020 (Near Anacostia Metro; Parking available)

Learn about: • Financial Workshops • Credit Counseling • Available Properties • Downpayment Assistance • Mortgage Lending Services

Visit www.mannadc.org for more information.

24 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

F fam REE eve ily frie nt ndly for , with gam chil dre n of es age all s and refr esh men ts.

The Washington Informer

shocked. For the average home in Los Angeles County, now valued at $350,000, probate costs can exceed $25,000!

Even those that are aware that they must go through probate put it off for various reasons — primarily the cost, time, and/or “hassle” involved in a court proceeding. However, procrastination can lead to unforeseen problems down the road. For example, a person who inherits a piece of property might think that the property is worth a certain amount and has made big plans for the future based on the anticipated inheritance. However, the individual may not be aware of creditors or other heirs that have a legitimate claim to the property until their claim is revealed through the probate process. In one case I know about, a person was sharing in the rental income from the property for years, but when the probate was completed it revealed that the person sharing in the rental income had no legal claim to the property at all.

When probate procrastination goes on for years, it becomes a huge problem to sort out the various interests in the property. Many of us have heard of instances where a family inherited property “down South” a long time ago, never went through probate and now there are so many relatives involved that it seems hopeless and not worth any one person’s time and effort to get the title issues resolved.

Of course the best solution to probate problems is to avoid probate altogether through a living trust. A forward-thinking property owner would do well

By Attorney Marlene S. Cooper / Courtesy photo

to save his or her heirs the time, expense and “hassle” of probate. If, on the other hand, you are that unfortunate heir who is faced with probate, it is best do it sooner rather than later. © 2013 by Marlene S. Cooper.

All rights reserved. (Marlene S. Cooper, a graduate of UCLA, has been an attorney for over 30 years. Her practice is focused entirely on estate planning, estate administration and probate.

You may obtain further information at www.marlenecooperlaw.com, by e-mail at MarleneCooperLaw@aol.com, by phone at (626) 791-7530 or toll free at (866) 702-7600. The information in this article is of a general nature and not intended as legal advice. Seek the advice of an attorney before acting or relying upon any information in this article).wi www.washingtoninformer.com

End the ‘War on Drugs’ Now

By Ron Daniels Special to the Informer On April 4, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped to the podium of the Riverside Church in New York to vigorously proclaim his opposition to the War in Vietnam. It was one of the most powerful orations among numerous remarkable speeches delivered during his brief but extraordinary life.

In articulating a persuasive moral and practical framework for his stance, Dr. King said: “… I knew America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So, I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and attack it as such.”

Equally disturbing for King was the disproportionate impact of the war not only on the poor but specifically young Black men. He went on to say: “We were taking the Black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them 8,000 miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in Southwest Georgia and East Harlem.”

Dr. King’s decision to visibly and vocally oppose the War in Vietnam was no doubt complicated by the fact that the war was being promoted, prosecuted and defended by Lyndon Baines Johnson, the president who had courageously responded to Bloody Sunday and the Selma to Montgomery March by working for and signing the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965. President Johnson was viewed as a friend of civil rights and social programs favorable to poor and working people. Nonetheless, King saw the Vietnam as an ill-conceived and immoral war that would ultimately undermine the quest for social, economic and racial justice. Therefore, principle and conscience demanded that he not be silent even in opposition to a president who had signed milestone civil rights legislation.

It is in that same spirit, that on April 4, 2013, a group of social justice, drug and criminal justice policy reform advocates will intensify the demand for an end to the War on Drugs and mass incarceration and call on President Obama to invest resources to revitalize America’s “dark ghettos.” Just as

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Dr. King saw the War in Vietnam as wasting massive resources on an ill- conceived and immoral war, drug and criminal justice reform analysts, experts and advocates have concluded that the War on Drugs is a flawed strategy complete with a contemporary “demonic suction tube” which has wasted billions of dollars that could and should have been used to invest in distressed urban communities. Equally distressing, as Michelle Alexander brilliantly documents in her classic book The New Jim Crow, the War on Drugs is a racially biased policy/strategy targeting and disproportionately devastating Black and Brown communities. As the brothers and sisters in the “hood” say, “the war on drugs is a war on us.”

How else can we make sense of the fact that African Americans make up an estimated 15 percent of drug users, but account for 27 percent of those arrested on drug charges, 59 percent of those convicted and 74 percent of all drug offenders sentenced to prison.

The War on Drugs, policing, criminalization and mass incarceration have become substitutes for social, economic and racial justice in America’s dark ghettos. The damages to our communities have been devastating – and it must end.

As we gather in Dr. King’s memory on April 4 this year, our charge must be to call on President Obama to exercise leadership by proclaiming to the nation that it is time to end the War on Drugs and treat the crisis of drugs as a public health rather than criminal

www.washingtoninformer.com

justice issue – a dramatic paradigm shift which, at a minimum, will lead to decriminalization of marijuana, increased funding for drug education and treatment, and a national dialogue on the desirability and feasibility of regulating and taxing drugs.

It is time for President Barack Obama to have the audacity to declare a state of emergency in urban inner-city areas, where millions of Black people are suffering and struggle to survive. It is a moral and political crisis that demands direct, targeted economic and social policies and programs to create wholesome, sustainable communities. The president and the nation have reacted as if there is no face to the millions who are suffering in the “dark ghettos” of this land. These millions do have a face and it is overwhelmingly Black.

On April 4, we will honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his opposition to the Vietnam War and his call for an Economic Bill of Rights. We hope President Obama and the nation will heed our call and the walls of ignorance, indifference, hostility, blatant and benign neglect, racial bias and injustice will come tumbling down, clearing the way for the rescue and revitalization of the urban inner-city neighborhoods/ communities in this country. wi Ron Daniels is president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and Distinguished Lecturer at York College City University of New York.

He can be reached via email at info@ ibw21.org.

The Washington Informer

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Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

25

education D.C. Council member David Catania’s amended truancy legislation will not require parents be jailed, rather, parents, police and the District attorney general’s office will be notified when students miss the 15th unexcused day of absence from school. /Photo courtesy of Educationnews.org.

Black Memorabilia,

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Saturday: 10 am – 7 pm, Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm

Montgomery County Fairgrounds 16 Chestnut Street ** Gaithersburg, Maryland

- Vendors & Artisans from 15 States with Black Memorabilia and Collectibles

for sale including historical documents, slavery artifacts, black dolls, books, autographs, stamps, advertisements, toys, kitchen collectibles, jewelry, postcards, paintings, prints, photographs, coins, Civil War, political & Civil Rights memorabilia, sports & entertainment memorabilia, movie posters & More!

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- Celebrity Autograph sessions with Negro League Baseball Players and others.

- Verbal Appraisals of black memorabilia for a fee of $5 per item, Saturday only.

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Council Committee Approves EDUCATION Amended Truancy Bill

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26 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer After years of ineffective initiatives and task forces, coupled with a lack of concern from parents, school and city officials, the District of Columbia is finally getting serious about truancy.

It begins with D.C. Council member David Catania’s (D-AtLarge) “Attendance Accountability Amendment Act of 2013,” which included a provision for the parents and guardians of chronically-absent students to be put in jail. But the bill was amended in a 5-0 vote on March 27 by the council’s newly- resurrected Education Committee to exclude the requirement of jail time.

“I’m pleased that this legislation is moving forward and that this government will finally get serious about the rampant truancy among District students,” said Catania, 45, who chairs the Committee. “The Committee has been willing to listen to the community and stakeholders, and I believe that we have crafted legislation that will work.”

Dating back to the administration of former Mayor Anthony Williams, truancy has been cited as one of the main reasons for low test scores and low graduaThe Washington Informer

tion rates in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) system.

And, with about 2,000 students marked truant each day, the District’s rate of chronic absenteeism has the distinction of being one of the worst in the nation.

Among major points outlined in Catania’s amended legislation is inclusion of “The Straight A Act” – which expands efforts to put into place, an effective and comprehensive response to truancy in the District. That action will be supported by last year’s “South Capitol Street Tragedy Memorial Act of 2011” which will be the basis for delivery of related school-based interventions and services. The Memorial Act, which was crafted by Catania in 2010 following a drive-by shooting in Southeast in which four teenagers died, calls for an expansion of mental health services to students, and increased behavioral health screening at District agencies that deal with youth.

The bill also mandates that schools notify the police, Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and Court Social Services when students between the ages of 14 and 17 accumulate their 15th unexcused absence. In addition, with the exception of extreme

cases, the bill offers recommendations for schools to reduce or eliminate the use of out-ofschool suspensions and expulsions.

In his original bill which was introduced in January, Catania sought the prosecution of parents after their children missed 20 days of unexcused absences from school.

However, during a Feb. 23 meeting at Anne Beers Elementary School in Southeast, Catania was reminded that a similar law had already been enacted in the District, but was rarely enforced by the District’s attorney general, Nathan Irvin. That mandate imposes a $100 fine or up to five days in jail for parents, if a student misses more than two days of school.

To that end, the watered-down version of Catania’s legislation leaves the current mandate intact, but doesn’t require prosecution after students accumulate two unexcused absences in one month.

“Taking children away from their homes or putting parents of truant children in jail should be, as they are now, rare and extreme measures of keeping children in the classroom,” Irvin

See CATANIA on Page 27 www.washingtoninformer.com

education

“I’m pleased that this legislation is moving forward and that this government will finally get serious about the rampant truancy among District students.”

–D.C. Council member David Catania

 

 

      /Courtesy Photo

CATANIA continued from Page 26 said in a February interview.

Rita Jackson, a Southeast resident who has worked with DCPS students in after-school programs, said that although truancy seriously needs to be dealt with, sending parents to jail is not the answer.

“Truancy in this city has been going on for decades . . . but it seemed like with Catania’s bill they were just trying to put parents in jail to help fill up the cells,’’ Jackson said. “Putting parents in jail would be wrong because many would end up with a record or losing their jobs or both.”

Both Mayor Vincent C. Gray, 70, and Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry had assailed Cata-

nia’s jail proposal, but said after the bill’s revision that they were glad the matter was generating more attention.

Barry, 76, was particularly pleased, saying, “the bottom line [had been] that there [were] no real consequences if these kids [didn’t] show up for school.”

While Barry maintained that city officials – including DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson – had not taken truancy seriously enough, Lee F. Satterfield, a judge in the D.C. Superior Court, stated in a recent editorial that in 2011, after Gray sought to address truancy, a citywide task force was created.

Satterfield, 54, wrote that his colleague, Judge Zoe Bush who presides over family court issues, approached Henderson about re-starting a truancy diversion

www.washingtoninformer.com

 

program involving judges, principals, school attendance counselors and mental health professionals. The program would be similar to the Citywide Truancy Task Force, that fell by the wayside four years ago when Adrian Fenty was mayor.

“To her credit, Henderson did not give us the polite ‘no,’ as Rhee did, but agreed to programs in two middle schools,” Satterfield wrote. “Unfortunately, school officials dragged their feet for so long that by the time the programs were approved, half of the school year was over, dramatically reducing what could be accomplished.” wi The Washington Informer

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

27

education

Chicago’s Urban Prep celebrated its 4th consecutive year achieving a 100% college acceptance rate. / Courtesy photo

Urban Prep Seniors All Accepted to College Mayor Rahm Emanuel was among the officials at Urban Prep Academies – Englewood Campus recently as the boys-only charter school celebrated another milestone.

For the fourth time, 100 percent of the graduating seniors from Urban Prep’s Englewood campus and the inaugural graduating class from its West campus, all African American males, have been accepted to a four-year college or university, school leaders announced at a special, hourlong assembly.

“I want everyone in this city, I want everyone in this country to look up here,” Emanuel said, pointing to the young men lauded for their academic achievements.

Urban Prep students are distinguished by their school uniform – which includes a navy blue blazer and red tie.

Throughout the year, the school’s seniors ceremoniously exchange their red ties for one with a red and gold striped design as they receive college acceptance letters. Thursday, more young men made the special exchange, signaling their recent college acceptance.

Students at the Englewood and West Campuses were joined by students from Urban Prep’s Bronzeville campus for a collaborative commemorative event.

Urban Prep co-founder, Tim King, made national headlines three years ago at the first announcement of 100 percent college acceptance. The class of 2010 was the school’s inaugural graduating class.

A spokesperson for the school

28 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

The Washington Informer

Among Urban Prep’s Rites of Passage for its graduating seniors is the exchange of their burgundy neckties for the striped burgundy and gold ties – signaling their crossing over. / Courtesy photo.

said recently that Urban Prep continues to follow and mentor the former graduates, including the first graduating class, members of which are now mostly in their third year of college.

Urban Prep officials said they have some 300 alumni enrolled in higher education.

Next fall, that number is expected to increase by 167 as members of the class of 2013 head for campuses around the country.

Urban Prep Academies is a nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by education entrepreneur Tim King and a group of African-American education, business and civic leaders. Urban Prep’s mission is to provide

a comprehensive, high-quality college preparatory education to young men that results in graduates succeeding in college.

The Urban Prep motto, “We Believe” is a constant reminder that Urban Prep students will not fall into the trap of negative stereotypes and low expectations.

Instead, Urban Prep students believe in their potential and believe in their ability to exceed that potential. The Urban Prep family (teachers, administrators, staff, board of directors, community members and donors) also believe in these young men, and in their important and long lasting role in student lives.wi www.washingtoninformer.com

& The CurrenT april 23, 2013 ■ special election about the Voters Guide

VoTers Guide

anita Bonds

Michael Brown

Matthew Frumin

Anita Bonds, 67, lives in Bloomingdale and has served as the interim at-large D.C. Council member since the D.C. Democratic State Committee appointed her in December. She is on leave as director of corporate relations for the Fort Myer Construction Co., which performs roadwork.

Her previous D.C. government experience includes working in the administrations of mayors Marion Barry, Sharon Pratt and Anthony Williams, and as chief of staff for Kwame Brown when he was an atlarge member. She has chaired the D.C. Democratic Party since 2006.

If elected to the permanent at-large seat, Bonds said she would focus most on public safety, employment training and healthier neighborhoods.

Bonds, who is currently assigned to the council’s public safety committee, said the city needs to look harder at its linked fire department and emergency medical services, possibly splitting the See Bonds/Page V8

Michael Brown, 48, lives in Chevy Chase and lobbies on Capitol Hill for Fortune 500 companies and public entities.

Brown, now a Democrat, previously held a D.C. Council at-large seat as an independent for four years starting in 2008. During his council tenure, he chaired committees dealing with economic development, housing and workforce development.

If elected again to the council, he said his three major priorities would be affordable housing, jobs and improving the safety net.

On affordable housing, Brown said his record speaks to his attentiveness to the issue.

“One of the first things I did after being first elected was get the rent control law extended for 10 years,” said Brown. “I strengthened our tenants’ rights laws to protect their ability to purchase a rental building when it is sold.”

See Brown/Page V6

Matthew Frumin, 53, has been an American University Park advisory neighborhood commissioner since 2008 and has worked for two major law firms as an international trade attorney. As chair of the Wilson High School Management Corp., he helped oversee the school’s modernization process; he currently is a member of the mayor’s task force on undergrounding utilities.

If elected, he said he would concentrate on education, infrastructure and affordable housing.

On education, Frumin said the city must address the disparity between the public schools in its eastern and western sections.

“In areas west of [Rock Creek Park], we have an increasingly successful but overcrowded local school system,” Frumin added. “Elsewhere, we see a weakening ... system competing with a growing charter sector made of some great and some not-so-great See Frumin/Page V7

patrick Mara

perry redd

Elissa Silverman

paul Zukerberg

Patrick Mara, 38, lives in Columbia Heights and has served as the Ward 1 D.C. State Board of Education member since 2011.

A two-time candidate for the D.C. Council seat, Mara does consulting and business development for his company, Dolan Group LLC. If elected, he would be the council’s only Republican.

As a legislator, he said, he would focus on education, fiscal responsibility, and open, honest government.

On education, Mara said he supports the recent reconstitution of the council’s education committee as “a very good step to continue with education reform,” noting that the new stand-alone committee will provide oversight and resources for both public and charter schools.

He said he supports recent school consolidations because larger schools can offer greater diversity in programs and activities. Elementary schools that are struggling to increase enrollment See Mara/Page V7

Perry Redd, 48, lives in Brightwood and works as a volunteer community organizer. He directs Sincere Seven, a nonprofit workers rights advocacy group.

If elected, Redd would be the first Statehood Green Party member on the D.C. Council since 1999. As a legislator, he said, he would prioritize promoting statehood, making residents employable and getting justice for residents who have served in prison.

On statehood, Redd said his party’s name speaks to the issue’s importance.

“Statehood is the chief issue and our party’s reason for being,” Redd said.

“With a city of 600,000-plus residents, statehood is a justifiable demand.”

Redd said that the District of Columbia — excluding the National Mall, White House, Capitol and surrounding federal core — should be admitted as a state, with the Republican-leaning Puerto Rico added to offset the liberal representatives See redd/Page V8

Elissa Silverman, 40, lives in Capitol Hill and is on leave from her job analyzing the District’s budget and workforce development programs for the DC Fiscal Policy Institute.

A longtime journalist, Silverman has previously written for The New Republic, the Center for Responsive Politics and The Washington Post, and is perhaps best known locally for the time she spent writing the “Loose Lips” column in the Washington City Paper.

If elected, Silverman said she would focus most on integrity, accountability and investment.

She said there are three principal roles for a council member: “Perform tough oversight over the executive branch, legislate where there are public policy gaps, and be an advocate and a voice for residents.” Many who run for the D.C. Council, she remarked, seem to be seeking the role of police chief or schools chancellor.

See Silverman/Page V7

Paul Zukerberg, 55, lives in Adams Morgan and works as a sole practitioner trial lawyer dealing with criminal and civil matters.

If elected, he said his prime goals would be to make health care reform succeed here, reform portions of the criminal justice system and improve city schools.

Zukerberg calls universal health care “the social issue of our time.” He is concerned that the city is “not nearly ready” to implement key provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act, often known as “Obamacare,” in time for the impending deadline. “We are way behind,” he said. “There is no conceivable way this can be done by Oct. 1.”

Major steps and decisions remain, Zukerberg said, such as deciding whether purchase through the D.C. exchange will be mandatory or optional. “There has been no period of public comment because there are no proposed regulations for the D.C. See Zukerberg/Page V7

The Current’s staff interviewed candidates running for the at-large D.C. Council seat vacated when Phil Mendelson was elected council chairman. The interviews provided the basis for profiles detailing candidates’ biographical information and their top priorities, as well as charts offering brief positions on a variety of issues.

The Current’s Voters Guide for the April 23 special election appears in The Current and The Washington Informer. It is also available online at issuu.com/currentnewspapers.

Budget autonomy referendum The April 23 ballot will include Proposed Charter Amendment VIII. The Board of Elections’ summary reads as follows: “Currently, the Home Rule Act requires affirmative Congressional action with respect to the entire District budget (both federal and local funds).

“This Charter Amendment, if ratified, enacted and upheld, would permit the Council to adopt the annual local budget for the District of Columbia government; would permit the District to spend local funds in accordance with each Council approved budget act; and would permit the Council to establish the District’s fiscal year.”

Under the proposed process, the budget would become law unless Congress passes a disapproval resolution within 30 days that the president subsequently signs, as can occur with other legislation approved by the council.

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Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

29

D.C. CounCil at-larGE SEat

anita Bonds Democrat

Michael Brown Democrat

Matthew Frumin Democrat

patrick Mara Republican

perry redd statehood Green

Elissa Silverman Democrat

paul Zukerberg Democrat

How would you differentiate yourself from your fellow candidates?

I have a long history of public service in Washington.

I’m talking about what I’ve done; they’re talking about what they will do.

I’ve been deeply involved in local issues through work in the schools, as an advisory neighborhood commissioner, and a member of various cityoriented task forces.

I will put my foot in the revolving door of oldguard District politics, and I understand citywide education issues better than my competitors.

I’m unequivocally for statehood. I won’t accept corporate contributions. My agenda favors lowerincome people.

I have a 15-year track record on transparency, accountability and advocating for investment in our city’s people and places.

I’m the only one giving straight, practical answers to people’s problems.

What do you think of Mayor Gray’s proposed legislation on political contributions, which he says is designed to restore trust in the District’s elected officials?

It’s difficult to use legislation to restore honesty. It would put a damper on ordinary citizens running as it takes money to tell one’s story.

It’s a good first step. I favor public financing for campaigns.

He has offered a positive framework to pursue campaign finance reform.

It’s inadequate. I think we should go to publicly financed campaigns after a specific amount has been raised from individuals only.

I’d like it to go further. I favor public campaign financing.

It is too complicated. I support a ban on direct corporate contributions to local candidates.

No law will prevent dishonest people from being corrupt. What we’ve seen is a character failure of certain elected officials.

In considering the District’s next budget, what spending areas, if any, would you like increased?

Decreased?

Would look at reducing personal property taxes, spending more on affordable housing, helping homeless and repairing infrastructure.

Can’t identify any reductions at the moment.

Increase affordable housing, job training and safety net. Unsure as to decreases.

Increase schools’ operating budgets.

Invest more in infrastructure, parks, affordable housing and the social safety net, especially for homeless youth. Increase efficiency of providing special education.

Decrease bureaucracy.

Improve contractor quality. Every school should have a library and librarian. Have more language immersion programs.

Slightly increase police foot patrols.

Increase affordable housing, homeless services and green energy projects.

Decrease tax abatements to large corporations.

Increase spending on housing production trust fund. Would look at cutting transitional employment program as I don’t believe our money is spent well.

Spend more in early childhood education.

Increase salaries and bonuses for highperforming teachers in low-performing schools. Invest in affordable housing and job training. Eliminate council member skyboxes and SUVs.

Given the District’s current budget situation, which taxes would you like to see increased? Which taxes would you like to see decreased?

Would reduce residential property taxes and taxes for new small-business start-ups. Could do surcharge on very wealthy to build up reserves if there is really a need; they are willing to help.

Favored past increases for people earning more than $350,000.

Would like cut for teachers and other public-sector workers if they live in the District.

I would like to see what the tax commission proposes. I would like them to be revenueneutral.

Opposed to any increases. Make business taxes more similar to Maryland’s and Virginia’s. Look at reducing taxes on individuals across the board.

Decrease for middleincome earners.

Modestly increase taxes on those making over $1 million. They would not move out.

Provide property tax relief for homeowners earning up to $50,000.

I favor a progressive income tax, but would await tax commission recommendation before making decision.

No increases. Provide relief for all working men and women, homeowner tax relief, and payroll relief for lower-income groups.

Some argue that high income tax rates encourage wealthy retired people to leave D.C., yet they need few services and their presence helps our treasury. Should there be a tax exemption on pensions, Social Security and 401(k)s, as in Pennsylvania?

It would be a good way to try to keep them here. But these people do need some services.

We should examine it.

No.

We should strongly consider it.

No.

I would ask the tax commission to look at that issue. I don’t know the data.

Low-income seniors shouldn’t have to pay taxes on Social Security. High-income people should.

For commercial real estate in a high-landcost area such as D.C., the price per square foot is far lower for high-rises than it is for low-rises. Should parts of wards 7 and 8 be allowed under D.C. law to have high-rises in an attempt to reduce unemployment levels?

We are going to have to build up there. I’m in agreement with that.

Yes.

I would support it subject to input of local advisory neighborhood commissions and residents.

I would like to see the report that the U.S. Government Accountability Office is doing on it. I could see it in wards 7 and 8.

No. They wouldn’t employ D.C. residents to build them.

Our unemployment is due to issues of literacy and skills. Building height has nothing to do with unemployment in wards 7 and 8.

I support easing height restrictions where appropriate, after community input, in exchange for an affordable-housing contribution.

Mayor Vincent Gray says D.C. gets little tax revenue from high-tech firms but could expand the sector since the city is very attractive to potential employees.

He favors lowering District profits taxes to better compete with Virginia and Maryland, and lowering capital gains taxes for their investors, and he says any taxes D.C. collects will be additional city revenue. Do you agree with this approach?

That’s a premise that can work, but is not necessary as we are a mecca and we are very exciting for IT workers.

Yes to profits taxes, no to capital gains taxes.

I think we should await the tax commission’s conclusions.

Yes to both.

Yes to both, if they hire mostly D.C. residents.

No to capital gains taxes. Aside from that, I would want to get the tax commission’s recommendations first.

Yes to corporate taxes.

Need more data on capital gains taxes.

30 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

The Washington Informer

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District of Columbia Board of Elections

When and where can I vote in the Special Election?

You can vote on Tuesday, April 23 at your neighborhood polling place from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Election workers will confirm your name and address using electronic poll books.

If you do not know the polling place that serves your residence address, visit the Board of Elections’ website at www.dcboee.org, or call the 24-hour automated telephone service at (202) 727-2525 for your correct polling place.

Some polling places have recently changed.

Can I vote early?

You can vote early from Monday, April 8 until Saturday, April 20 at the One Judiciary Square (OJS) vote center only.

One Judiciary Square Vote Center 441 – 4th Street, NW Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

• You can choose to cast a paper ballot or use the touch screen equipment to cast your ballot.

• The early vote center is closed on Sunday, April 14 and Emancipation Day, Tuesday, April 16.

SPECIMEN BALLOT

Already Registered?

Confirm your registration. Call the Board of Elections at (202) 727-2525, or visit the website at www.dcboee.org to verify your registration information.

Need to Register?

To register at the polls, bring a driver’s license or DMV identification card to cast a provisional/special ballot.

If you do not have a driver’s license, you can also bring: • Bank statement • Utility bill • Lease or residential agreement • Occupancy statement • University housing or tuition bill • Statement from a homeless shelter • Other government document …showing your current name and address in the District.

Questions?

Telephone: 202-727-2525 Website: http://www.dcboee.org Twitter:@DCBOEE District of Columbia Board of Elections

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Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

31

D.C. CounCil at-larGE SEat

anita Bonds Democrat

Michael Brown Democrat

Matthew Frumin Democrat

patrick Mara Republican

perry redd statehood Green

Elissa Silverman Democrat

paul Zukerberg Democrat

What approaches, if any, should be taken to decrease the likelihood of lower-income, longterm D.C. residents being forced from their homes because of increasing real estate values and taxes, or are our current policies generally adequate?

We have the homestead act.

Perhaps we could give retirees a tax incentive to stay here and fix up their homes.

I led the charge for $50 million of affordable-housing initiatives over the past two years.

I like Ward 4 Council member Muriel Bowser’s proposal for a moratorium on property tax increases for people who have owned homes for a long time, regardless of income.

Lower the cap on residential property tax increases due to higher assessments to 5 percent annually.

We shouldn’t raise property taxes on those earning less than $40,000.

I support property tax relief for residents with incomes under $50,000.

Increase the homestead exemption.

Control utility bill increases. Relax accessory dwelling regulations.

D.C.’s commercial real estate and business taxes are the highest in the area by far.

Business groups say Virginia attracts many District firms due to tax rates. Should there be an effort to reduce them to compete?

It should be considered.

Unsure. We are examining them. It would blow a hole in our revenue receipts.

Studying this issue is part of the mandate of the tax commission. I would like to see their proposals.

Yes. Especially for areas with high unemployment.

No.

If the tax commission recommends lowering business taxes, I would seriously consider supporting it.

From what I can see, we don’t have a problem now attracting new businesses.

Should the sales tax include services, such as gym memberships?

Yes.

No.

Yes.

No.

No.

I’d want to see what the tax commission says.

Absolutely not.

What steps do you believe should be taken to improve public education?

Truancy and discipline problems would be reduced with a more interesting curriculum and instructors. Serve free breakfast and lunch every day to everyone regardless of income.

More per pupil funding to the classrooms and not the administration.

Better wraparound services.

Support local schools and give disadvantaged kids the support needed for them to succeed.

The stand-alone education committee is a start to provide oversight, but we cannot micromanage D.C. Public Schools nor the charter schools.

Have charter and regular schools under one umbrella. Include civics education in curriculum. Set a moratorium on school closings and new charters.

Better oversight of both D.C. Public Schools and charter schools.

Increase early childhood education.

Have high schools focus on job skills.

Increase resources for lower-performing schools.

What line items, if any, should be reduced, struck from or added to the school budget?

Add free breakfast and lunch. Reduce size of classes in underperforming schools. Offer more enrichment activities and more art and music. Look at cutting administration.

Libraries, physical education, art teachers and nurses should be in every school.

Reduce central office expenses and budgets for special education transportation and private placements.

Make food service more efficient and increase its quality.

Allow principals to hire more tutors, social workers or teachers where kids have great needs.

Add libraries and librarians, and offer a minimum level of music and art at all schools. We need additional resources for language immersion programs, particularly at elementary levels.

Add line items for at-risk youth, family support services and disabled. No further charter school spending.

I’d have to take a closer look at the school budget.

Increase early education, before- and after-school programs.

Offer year-round programs and high school job and skill training. Can’t think of any cuts.

Charter school advocates claim the government does not follow the law by giving them first crack at many closed school buildings. What, if anything, would you do about that?

Charter schools should have the right only based on the quality of their programs.

They should not get first crack in every case.

I think the city is appropriately working to address charter school demands for buildings.

In many cases, they should have the right of first offer when D.C. Public Schools will not maintain the facility for future use.

Nothing. I’m against giving away our public assets.

They should have the chance to locate in closed buildings and co-locate in currently operating schools.

We need a comprehensive review of all school facilities and a plan to effectively utilize them.

Charter school advocates say that charter schools do not receive as much per pupil funding as the public school system does, since most charter schools have to fund their own buildings. Do you agree? If yes, what should be done about it?

It is going to be very hard to make it fair, as they are regarded as businesses. We could help them with start-up money. It’s difficult to be independent and take government money.

Generally no, but there are cases where charters are at a disadvantage.

I don’t agree. They get an allowance to cover their building costs.

Their cost structures differ from the public school system’s.

I agree. We need to give them access to adequate facilities or finance the building if they are deemed highquality.

I don’t necessarily agree. They make a choice to become a charter. They can get corporate money, which evens the playing field.

No decision should be made before advisory neighborhood commissions, the Office of Planning, business owners and other community stakeholders have given their recommendations.

There needs to be unified facilities planning for both charter and D.C. public schools. The charter school board and school system administration should have a joint task force on facilities, which could match new charters with closed D.C. public schools.

The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services has been criticized for alleged lax supervision of juvenile offenders. Do you believe the agency overall is doing a good job? If not, what should the council do?

It needs improvements.

It should have steady, dependable offender supervision. Give more thought to returning juveniles back to the communities. Improve their education so they feel like they belong in society.

It has had systemic issues for years.

Aggressive oversight by the council would help.

The New Beginnings facility is doing better than its predecessor.

It would be hard to give it high marks. Today, I have no specific proposal to solve its problems.

It’s not doing a good job, as youth offenders seem to have a revolving door.

It’s not doing a good job. The oversight needs to be compartmentalized and much more detailed on placement, personnel and support services. Reports should be bimonthly rather than annually.

More oversight.

We should decriminalize marijuana and not criminalize truancy to assure that youth services focus exclusively on serious problems.

32 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

The Washington Informer

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D.C. CounCil at-larGE SEat

anita Bonds Democrat

Michael Brown Democrat

Matthew Frumin Democrat

patrick Mara Republican

perry redd statehood Green

Elissa Silverman Democrat

paul Zukerberg Democrat

What steps, if any, should be taken to help former prison inmates find jobs?

We need an ombudsman to arrange prisoner job training wherever they are incarcerated.

I changed the “First Source” law to ensure returning citizens get job opportunities, and changed the language from ex-offenders to returning citizens to eliminate the stigma.

Give businesses incentives such as tax abatements to hire them. We should also establish support groups.

Establish targeted workforce development programs for jobs that really exist. Many current programs have no measured outcomes.

Provide automatic, citysponsored insurance for their employers, stipend-based employment training and skill-matched job placement.

Train them for appropriate available jobs after assessing their skills and literacy levels.

Increase job-training programs for returning offenders and prohibit discrimination on offenses unrelated to the job position.

Is the present level of enforcement for quality-of-life offenses generally adequate, too heavy-handed or not tough enough?

It’s more than enforcement. Many who commit crimes need health assistance and wraparound services.

Not tough enough.

Not tough enough.

It’s generally adequate, but more policing is needed.

Too heavy-handed. We need to enforce other things.

We should properly enforce our laws and legislate where changes are needed.

Too heavy-handed.

Some of these laws are draconian.

Should D.C. turn over citizenship information to U.S. immigration officials when suspects are arrested? When they are convicted?

Just when convicted of a violent crime? Or not at all?

When they are convicted.

After conviction, but not before.

When convicted of a violent crime.

When convicted of a violent crime.

When convicted of a felony.

I would ask criminal justice experts about it.

Just if convicted of a violent crime.

How would you get better enforcement of laws on jaywalking, bicycle riders ignoring moving vehicle laws, and drivers ignoring yield signs, using cellphones and blocking the box? Or would you eliminate some of these laws?

Parking ticket people should have scooters with authority to pull individuals over and ticket them.

Leave it to the judgment of the police.

Traffic cameras help.

We need more police to enforce these kinds of issues. Bicyclists should pay the same amount as car drivers do.

It’s an issue that varies in different parts of the city. Get rid of the laws that are not directly correlated to safety.

Would eliminate jaywalking law. The others should be enforced in full or not at all.

Criminal enforcement is more important.

Police officers should ticket lawbreakers, especially where there are accidents caused by them.

Everyone must obey traffic laws. But improved transportation planning and facilities can help eliminate these issues.

Do you think we have an adequate number of police officers?

We need more, but many sit behind desks.

Many are on leave for extended periods. We should consider changing the union contract to limit this.

Yes, coupled with the other law enforcement branches operating here.

A modest increase will help.

I think we need some more, but we should have an independent commission to evaluate the number.

Yes.

Yes, there are enough on the payroll, but not on the streets.

Yes, but they’re too busy making small marijuana arrests.

Should the city substantially raise fines for cyclists who violate traffic rules?

Should bicyclists be allowed on sidewalks?

Yes to increased fines, no to sidewalks.

Bicycles should be registered.

No to increased fines at this time, but we should re-examine it if the bicycle population continues to increase.

No to sidewalks.

Increase fines to the same level as car drivers. Only allow on sidewalks if they are so designated.

Increase fines only if it’s co-related with safety. No sidewalks where there is highdensity foot traffic.

No to both.

I would look at best practices elsewhere.

Yes to sidewalks outside of downtown and other dense areas.

I think fines are adequate. No to sidewalks unless they are accompanying children.

Is the District’s present open-meetings law adequate?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

No. Notice requirements are often only 48 hours. It’s difficult to find out what’s going on with many boards and commissions.

No. Meetings should be recorded and accessible to the general public in real time.

Yes, but not in spirit.

Council budget sessions are open, but there are no seats for the public.

No. Too many decisions are made in executive sessions by officials improperly claiming they involve personnel matters or other exceptions.

Should the D.C. Council seats become a fulltime job, with a ban on members earning outside earned income?

There should not be a ban, but it should be a full-time job.

No.

No, Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh’s teaching at GWU is not a conflict. The key is the time they spend on the council and whether they opine on matters where there might be a conflict.

Yes, but current members can be grandfathered.

Yes.

Yes, but current members should be exempted.

Yes.

Should D.C. Council members be allowed to keep constituent service funds? If yes, should they be larger, smaller or left as they are now?

Yes. They should remain as they are now.

Yes. They should be larger. There are many people in need.

Yes, subject to full transparency, including the names of beneficiaries.

No. There is no measurement of need when paying constituents’ utility bills.

Yes. Increase them.

I would ban individual funds, but have a councilwide fund as a part of the budget for emergency needs.

No. They are just slush funds.

Should D.C. allow residents to set up selftaxing districts where residents pay extra to receive extra services, similar to business improvement districts?

No. It sounds like a good idea, but it could get out of hand.

No.

No. It would take us on a road to deeper divides in the city between the haves and the have-nots.

Yes, if they want to.

No.

No.

No. Everyone should get the same level of services.

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The Washington Informer

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

33

D.C. CounCil at-larGE SEat

anita Bonds Democrat

Michael Brown Democrat

Matthew Frumin Democrat

patrick Mara Republican

perry redd statehood Green

Elissa Silverman Democrat

paul Zukerberg Democrat

More than 60 percent of D.C. government employees live outside the District, so the city doesn’t collect their income taxes. What if anything should be done about this?

The primary reason for it is the lack of affordable housing. We need to increase the supply of belowmarket-rate housing based on income.

We need to do a better job attracting D.C. government employees to live here. That’s why affordable housing is so important.

Consider providing a $500 monthly voucher for police, firefighters and teachers for mortgages or rent on District housing. It could be revenueneutral or even revenue-positive given increased income-tax receipts.

Offer police, firefighters and teachers who purchase homes in the District a tax credit (the amount of which would be less than their District income taxes).

The city should provide tax incentives to its employees to entice them to live here.

Improve schools and create more affordable housing so people with moderate incomes can live here.

I have no specific suggestion.

Some observers say D.C. statehood is a hopeless cause as Republicans don’t want two more Democratic senators and Virginia and Maryland don’t want a commuter tax. They say we should go for territorial status so we wouldn’t pay federal income and corporate profits taxes, attracting businesses to reduce unemployment. What do you think?

I think we should stick with statehood as a goal.

I don’t agree with territorial status.

Pursuit of statehood and a vote in Congress is a high priority. We should look at ways to pursue a commuter tax.

I support statehood, but think we should concentrate on what’s attainable in the near term — first obtain budget autonomy, then consider other options.

Statehood is an achievable goal.

Anything less is unconstitutional.

I want statehood. All Americans have the right to representation in Congress.

I’m a supporter of full D.C. statehood and think we shouldn’t settle for anything less.

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ENERGY FOR A CHANGING WORLD

34 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

Brown also takes credit for restoring $50 million to the affordable-housing budget’s many programs: the Housing Finance Agency for rental assistance, the Housing Production Trust Fund for producing and preserving affordable housing, the Home Purchase Assistance Program for down payment help, the Local Rent Supplement Program, and programs helping families on the verge of becoming homeless and for young people leaving foster care.

“I would like to try to figure out how to increase the available funds ... to stop the wave of diminishing affordable housing,” Brown said.

On job creation, Brown said training and placement for residents is essential.

To ensure that local jobs are available for residents, he said, he co-wrote D.C.’s revised “First Source” law, which established local hiring requirements for projects that receive between $300,000 and $5 million in government subsidies and added to them for projects over $5 million.

But significant training is still required to prepare much of the D.C. workforce for jobs, Brown said.

“You can do self-checkout at grocery stores, so we must retrain those folks,” he said. “Construction may be the most visible form of job creation, but it actually is very small. Tourism, hospitality, local universities’ service side, weatherization, green jobs and IT are where the jobs are.”

Brown noted he helped increase the budget for the city’s community college — by $6.7 million in the 2013 fiscal year. Its programs, he

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said, are an important component of job training.

Brown also said he supported a proposal by Mayor Vincent Gray to offer tax breaks to tech firms, provided that the majority of their employees are D.C. residents.

Additionally, Brown said he helped overhaul the summer youth jobs program, making it cheaper and more efficient, and blocking non-residents from participating.

On the city’s safety net programs, Brown said he has an extensive record of defending the most vulnerable residents.

He “took a leadership role in modernizing and strengthening” the city’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. One of the reforms sought to identify barriers that keep families unemployed.

About 6,000 families, with about 14,000 children, rely on a mix of District and federal funding, according to Brown — and the money isn’t always sufficient. “The current payment for a family of three is $428 a month. That’s why we have a spike in family homelessness,” he said.

He said one of his key initiatives was securing federal money for the District — $20 million for food stamps, and funding to cover 180 children cared for by grandparents and other seniors. He said he also lobbied for $17 million to help the chronically homeless, and for increased federal funding for disabled residents.

Brown said he hopes to restart a previous unsuccessful attempt to provide increased property tax relief for low-income residents.

A third-generation Washingtonian, Brown graduated from Clark University and the Widener University School of Law in Delaware. He is divorced with two children.

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FruMin From Page V1 schools. The big challenge is ensuring we have successful local schools everywhere.”

Frumin said the upcoming closures of more than a dozen public schools are concentrated unevenly in certain sections of the city.

This will result in “neighborhoods ... that don’t have great local options or at least the hope they are going to get them,” he said.

“Resentment is building. When you have closures in one part of the city, it gets very, very difficult to explain the need for expansion in another part.”

The school system also needs to improve its wraparound services, Frumin said. “The best charter schools have tutors and social workers,” he said. “In Denver and Houston, they’ve increased staffing in public schools to

ZuKErBErG From Page V1 exchange,” he said. In addition, “major issues have not been decided by the council,” which he said “needs to promptly hold hearings, propose regulations and solicit participation from providers.”

If elected, Zukerberg vowed to “work 24/7 to see that our exchange is set up on time, that our software is easy to use, and that our prices and plans are the most competitive in the country. Oregon and some other states are already online.”

“When people log in on Oct. 1,” he said, “I want them to ... see their choices and the prices.”

Successful implementation of affordable health care would be a boon to the city, Zukerberg suggested — encouraging “businesses to locate and stay here” and giving both employees and companies “a major perk” through competitive health plans.

On criminal justice reform, Zukerberg suggests decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of marijuana and instead making that a civil infraction. “For adults it would mean a fine; for juveniles, it’s parental notification plus an educational class,” he said.

Zukerberg said current penalties for marijuana create “an enormous drain on police resources” when police are needed more urgently to

Mara From Page V1 need “hooks” or “things that represent what higher-performing charter schools are doing” to remain competitive, such as language immersion programs.

Mara also said he supports using school facilities — both public and charter — for after-hours vocational training for both students and adults in “industries and skill sets where jobs exist in the city and will continue to grow.”

Athletics, art and music should be used to help engage kids in schools, he said. Students should be awarded academic credit for their work in art or music, and more sports teams should be set up so more students can participate. Students are less likely to skip school if they are held accountable by teammates and coaches, Mara said, and the in-class time set aside for athletics could also be used for remediation or Advanced Placement classes.

Mara also said he sees a need for better marketing of schools. He cited Columbia Heights’ Tubman Elementary as a well-marketed example and said others should follow its lead. He also proposed a comprehensive A-through-F rating system that would make it easy for parents to understand the performance levels of all public and charter schools.

On fiscal responsibility, Mara said it’s essential to maintain the independence of the chief financial officer. However, the new chief needs to make less conservative fiscal estimates so the city doesn’t have so much unanticipated revenue.

Mara also said the city should be considering “tax relief for individuals and businesses”

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implement lessons from charters. And it is working.”

He also recommended locating more specialty programs within comprehensive high schools. And he said funding for athletics must not continue to focus disproportionately on boys teams.

Frumin pointed to his experience with Wilson’s $105 million modernization. “I worked on that project from soup to nuts and gained an expertise that I can bring to other projects,” Frumin said.

Discussing the city’s infrastructure needs, Frumin said he agrees with Mayor Vincent Gray that green measures like rain gardens and permeable pavement can help address a federal mandate to prevent sewage spills into the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. Lowimpact alternatives, he said, are preferable to constructing multibillion-dollar tunnels to store surplus stormwater.

Frumin suggested that the city find a way to establish a commuter tax in order to fund a regional infrastructure bank with a board including District, Maryland and Virginia members — similar to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

For further investments, Frumin said he favors increased spending on recreation. A facility akin to Montgomery County’s SoccerPlex might be appropriate for Anacostia Park, he said. “Kids in lowerincome areas do not have parks with playing fields,” he said. “It’s why Wilson and Bell [high schools] dominate soccer and Wilson dominates baseball.”

On affordable housing, Frumin said the city’s growth “must benefit all our communities” and that part of the resulting revenue should fund ways to allow lower-income residents to live in the District. This should include government employees like librarians,

fight violent crime. “We arrest over 4,000 people each year for small amounts of marijuana,” he said.

He also argued that the current approach saddles “young black men with permanent criminal records, which becomes a lifetime impediment to employment and advancement.”

He noted that Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and 18 states have already decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.

On education, Zukerberg said the city must support and replicate successful programs, rather than focusing just on the D.C. Public Schools system — “I don’t care if it’s DCPS, charter or parochial.”

He takes issue with “high-stakes

now that the city’s reserves are close to its average spending for two months.

To increase transparency, he proposed a website that would publicly track government expenditures. He also called for improved record keeping to prevent waste and fraud.

Mara also said that there should be better evaluation of nonprofits so government money isn’t wasted on those “that aren’t capable of doing what they say they do.”

On ethics, Mara said he supports moving to a system where political campaigns are partially publicly financed. Candidates would have to raise a certain amount of money through individual contributions, and then would be awarded a specified amount from the city. Corporate and union contributions would be banned.

Mara believes that once in office, council members — exempting the current legislators — should not be allowed to hold outside jobs unless cleared by the council. If elected, he said, he would devote himself full-time to the council. Members should also not be allowed to receive gifts or even cups of coffee from lobbyists, Mara said, but they ought to be able to receive free admission to widely attended events such as Chamber of Commerce dinners.

Mara also said the city’s open meetings law needs stricter enforcement, especially for boards and commissions. “In a number of these meetings, people aren’t able to follow what goes on,” he said.

Mara, a native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., graduated from Marist College in 1997, where he majored in environmental science and political science. He received a Master of Business Administration in entrepreneurship from Babson College. He is newly married.

police officers and firefighters, he said, and should also exist beyond separately subsidized affordable-housing units.

“We need to use carrots to attract our workforce to the city: a voucher of something like $500 a month for mortgage or rent in the District for, at first, teachers, firefighters and police,” Frumin said. “If it proves successful, it can be expanded to other city employees.

We could then offer incentives to businesses to offer something similar.”

He also supports a proposal from Ward 4 Council member Muriel Bowser to enact a moratorium on increased property taxes for longtime residents at all income levels.

Frumin grew up near Detroit, graduated from the University of Michigan and moved to the District to attend law school at George Washington University. He is married with three children, who all have attended D.C. public schools.

testing with one big test” to measure performance. Instead, he said he supports “evaluations throughout the year with quizzes and mini reviews.” Teacher evaluations, meanwhile, “should include surveys of satisfaction by students, parents and other teachers.”

Advanced Placement classes are important, he said. “Students who can advance should have that opportunity.”

But the city also needs more focus on job training and skill development during the high school years. “Good jobs,” Zukerberg said, “are going vacant because our high school graduates do not have the skills necessary to fill them. High school graduates can make it as

SilVErMan From Page V1 On integrity, Silverman said that she supports transparency in government so that its “actions are understandable and accessible to taxpayers.”

“I have a track record of pushing transparency,” Silverman said. “Until three years ago, decisions about the budget were made behind closed doors,” and “I led nonprofit groups advocating to push [then-Council Chairman Vincent] Gray to open up those negotiations, which wouldn’t have happened without my advocacy.”

One of the future reforms Silverman said she would seek is to establish a practice of posting city contracts online.

She also said called for more oversight of the Children’s Youth Investment Trust Corp., which offers out-of school-programs for District children. The group lost more than $300,000 in recent years, stolen by then-Ward 5 Council member Harry Thomas Jr. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer, too, needs increased oversight and accountability, Silverman said. “We need to revisit how the CFO works with our agencies to make sure it is a structure that is beneficial.”

In general, she said, there needs to be “better oversight of all of our agencies.” It shouldn’t be “a once-a-year thing with the budget” but rather “year-round work with … the tax and revenue committee.”

Silverman supports banning direct corporate contributions to local candidates, noting that her campaign is not accepting them.

On accountability, Silverman said her career examining city government from the

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dental hygienists. ... They can take courses to prepare for food service management careers.”

Zukerberg noted that fewer than 10 percent of D.C. high school graduates complete college within six years. In addition, he said, there’s a problem of “for-profit colleges … snapping up high school graduates desperate to learn marketable skills and saddling them with huge student debts and graduating a very small percentage.”

Born in Paterson, N.J., and a graduate of Hamilton College, Zukerberg came to D.C. in 1981 to attend American University’s law school. He is married and has two children who attend local public schools.

outside gives her a strong background. “I have detailed where the city spends its money.

This is the kind of accountability I’m talking about: a comprehensive map of where the city spends its workforce dollars. I think we should be doing this kind of oversight and then I would ask the question, ‘What outcomes are we getting for these dollars?’”

On investment, Silverman said the city should put more money toward affordable housing and schools because of substantial gaps here both in opportunities and income equality.

She said the key reason for the significant unemployment east of the Anacostia River is that “schools are not performing to the level of Janney or Brent,” referring to high-demand elementary schools in Tenleytown and Capitol Hill. “We need to be honest [to parents] about their [children’s] skills and literacy levels and how we get them jobs,” she added.

Silverman said she supports schools offering breakfast, lunch, and, if necessary, dinner for students who don’t get proper meals at home. “Then we need to make sure we’re funding housing programs so that the kid is not sleeping in a park, shelter or motel room,” she added.

Silverman said the city should “put more money into the Housing Production Trust Fund,” which is the “best generator of affordable housing.”

To further stimulate affordable-housing construction, Silverman said the District needs to enforce its existing inclusionary zoning laws, as well as explore other approaches.

Silverman, who is single, grew up in Baltimore. She earned her bachelor’s at Brown University, where she studied economics and history.

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

35

BonDS From Page V1 two into separate agencies to save money and improve service. “Eighty-five percent of the calls are for emergency services, not for fires,” she said.

Bonds supports increasing the number of police officers in the city. She also said she is “a fan of community policing where officers walk the beat, so you build trust between police and neighborhood businesses … [and] it’s easier to report suspicious people in the neighborhood.”

Asked about civic groups that want to fund their own security presence for their neighborhoods, as the Citizens Association of Georgetown has done for several years, Bonds said such groups have “a right to do that as long as it does not infringe on others’ rights. We don’t want gated communities.”

In response to recent acts of violence involving D.C. youth, Bonds has urged a comprehensive approach and an “infusion of resources to address the root causes.” She criticized decisions to reduce — and, in some cases, eliminate — funds for effective programs such as the Weed and Seed Initiative and the Roving Leaders Program.

On jobs, she wants the District to do more to help ex-offenders integrate into the workforce. “The city should put money into their training while they are incarcerated, no matter where,” she said. “We should match them with a job for which they have been trained and that is appropriate to their skill set and their crime.”

Bonds also believes schools should expand their job-training capabilities for specific positions, she said. “That includes open-

ing buildings for evening courses for adults who are unemployed or feel they are underemployed.”

She also suggested that “for the hard-core unemployed,” the creation of a service corps could be helpful. Workers could “plant trees, do landscaping and cleaning and sprucing up our neighborhoods,” she said. “They could help our disabled seniors tidy up their properties. They could clean up invasive species in Rock Creek Park.”

On the subject of “healthy neighborhoods,” Bonds spoke of the importance of improving the quality of life of District communities.

The city must make proper investments in infrastructure like streetlights, and provide opportunities for commercial entities to thrive in neighborhoods. And the “Great Streets” program should be expanded, she said.

Cleanliness and healthiness are important for both businesses and residences, according to Bonds. “We have to create a process for grading business establishments for cleanliness and safety as they do in Los Angeles and Singapore,” she said.

She also said the city should help residents ensure that front yards and porches remain clutter-free. “It’s helpful to have someone get rid of some of that debris.”

In some neighborhoods, such as Adams Morgan, the government must “pay attention to oversaturation with liquor licenses,” she said.

Bonds, a widow with three children, studied for four years at the University of California at Berkeley. Her background also includes working as a community organizer, chairing the Perry School Community Services Center and managing a youth mentorship program at Georgetown University.

rEDD From Page V1 Washingtonians would likely elect. “The representation from the two jurisdictions would be akin to when Alaska and Hawaii joined the union,” he said.

The issue is a matter of civil rights, said Redd. “Disenfranchisement is unacceptable and un-American. Constitutional rights, selfdetermination and self-government should be equal among all Americans.”

Some advocates have suggested that the District become a territory, like Puerto Rico, in which residents pay no federal income tax.

Redd disagreed with that approach, saying representation in Congress is more valuable both to residents and to the country. “Taxes are a part of the American responsibility,” he said.

On employment, Redd said the District should “aggressively support” its “First Source” law, which requires that certain city contractors hire primarily D.C. residents and sets out penalties for out-of-compliance firms.

Furthermore, he said, the District should do more to encourage people to live here, including property tax breaks or reduced pay for city employees who live in other jurisdictions. “Living outside of D.C. and working here has no consequences,” he said. “I would create incentives to live where you work.”

Redd also the city should increase its jobtraining budget, and tie programs to the types of jobs that are available. “I commit to legislation to open accredited training for tech positions, administrative, management level and in-demand occupations such as green jobs.”

On returning citizens who were formerly

incarcerated, Redd said it’s important to treat all residents equally — preventing discrimination by employers based on criminal history, and reinstating ex-offenders’ rights to serve on a jury.

Helping returning citizens establish a stable lifestyle is valuable not only for them but for the city as a whole because it reduces the likelihood they will return to crime, Redd said. He recalled data stating that 70 to 80 percent of unemployed returning citizens are arrested again, compared to 20 percent of those who are employed.

“It’s a reality that idle time is the devil’s workshop,” said Redd. “So to ensure public safety, provide opportunity and for their selfesteem, employment is a necessary tool.”

In addition to providing employment protections, Redd said the city should help returning citizens get back on their feet by using the Housing Production Trust Fund to connect them to subsidized living arrangements. “A majority of them go to shelters or couch surf,” he said.

Redd noted that there are times when it’s not appropriate to ignore a citizen’s history.

For instance, he said, a convicted child molester should not be hired by a school or the Department of Parks and Recreation, and a bank should retain the right to not hire someone convicted of robbery or fraud.

“Ex-offenders should be able to be barred from employment in appropriate cases,” he said, but “I disagree with the part which allows an employer to bar employment just based on any conviction.”

Redd, a native Washingtonian, graduated from H.D. Woodson High School and Northwest Academy in Chicago. Divorced, he has a grown daughter, two stepsons and six grandchildren.

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education

Barry Pushes Preschool Legislation

By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer D.C. Council member Marion Barry is following President Barack Obama’s lead to expand educational opportunities for the District’s toddlers with a proposal that makes it mandatory for threeand four-year-olds to enroll in early childhood programs.

But while the city already supports preschool education for that age group, Barry’s legislation would change the minimum age at which children are traditionally required to attend school, from age five to three. In the process, Barry (D-Ward 8), believes the change might play an integral role closing the achievement gap between the city’s minority and white students.

“My proposal will make a significant difference,” said Barry, 76, who added that he’s only waiting now for a hearing on the matter.

“We need to get started as early as we can getting our children in these kinds of programs so that they’ll be more likely to succeed in school – and later, in their careers,” Barry said. “Right now, two-thirds of the 42,000 students who attend District public schools come from low-income communities where there are low test scores, high dropout rates and low graduation rates,” he said, explaining that with the compulsory school ages in the District being 5 to 17, his legislation would help reduce those rates by reaching out to students as early as possible.

Information from Governing. com, a political-oriented website, states that currently, 13,000 out of 15,000 of the city’s three year-olds are already enrolled in preschool.

With his thrust toward guaranteeing improved academic outcomes for more children, Barry’s bill would also require parents to take advantage of preschool education or enroll their children in private schools before they enroll at public facilities.

For example, Governing.com further reports that the AppleTree Institute, a D.C. charter preschool in Northeast, teaches three- and four-year-old at-risk students, and that during their two years at the school, the average student improved academically moving from the 35th to the 75th percentile level.

Citing that Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration is already www.washingtoninformer.com

focused on getting children into preschool earlier, Phil Pannell, a former school board candidate, said that anytime a child’s formal education gets a jump-start is good because it helps them excel sooner in subjects like grammar and reading.

“One of the biggest problems we have here in the District of Columbia is low reading scores among our students, and that’s because a lot of them are not read to by their parents when they’re younger,” Pannell, 62, president of the Congress Heights Civic Association said. “So, when they start school [at age five], they’re already handicapped.”

Obama unveiled his plan to expand preschool education in February during his State of the Union Address. At that time, he expressed his intent to work with states to make high-quality preschool available to every child in the country.

“The sooner children start learning, the better she or he is down the road,” said Obama.

But speaking almost in contrast to Barry’s proposal, the president acknowledged that most middle class parents can’t afford the weekly bill of “a few hundred dollars” for private preschool and for poor kids who need help the most. “[As a result,] this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives,” Obama said.

On the other hand, Mary Filardo, executive director of the Northwest-based 21st Century School Fund – a nationwide nonprofit schools advocacy organization – said she isn’t so sure preschool programs should be mandatory.

“As a mother, I’d want a choice as to whether my three-year-old was sent to school or kept at home with me,” said Filardo. “And I think that would be true whether one was a low-income parent or not.”

She added that the notion that children are better off in a day care setting rather than at home, is simply not true.

“So, if they want to talk about school choice, that should be one of the big choices parents would have,” Filardo said. “But whether preschool programs should be available for women who want or have to work, I think absolutely.” wi

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The Washington Informer

3/27/13 12:38 PM www.washingtoninformer.com

Editorial

opinions/editorials

All Play a Role in Ward 8 Transformation Council member Marion Barry’s State of the Ward Address last Thursday served as just the latest reminder of how much the ward is changing.

While we haven’t seen all the cranes dotting the landscape or earthmovers turning over soil at the rate that we’ve witnessed in other parts of the District of Columbia, change is definitely coming.

The overriding question is what are Ward 8 residents going to do?

Will we ride the wave or be washed aground by it?

Will we be reactive or proactive?

Will we complain about gentrification, the migration of young professionals and those of other ethnicities across the Anacostia River or will we find a way to the table where decisions are made?

Will we roll up our sleeves and do the necessary dirty work or leave it for others to do?

Barry was right when he encouraged, coaxed and cajoled Ward 8 residents to assume greater personal responsibility, to throw off those habits and behaviors that hinder rather than help, and work actively for the transformation of the ward.

Yes, inequities and a host of other reasons have led to many communities across the Anacostia River falling behind and yes, stereotypes still cloud the perceptions of those who would seek to hire Ward 8 residents but it would behoove all those who love the Ward 8 to begin to look at new ways to confront and defeat the varied problems residents face.

Residents have to speak out forcefully and loudly for and against issues that concern them. There’s no doubt that the squeaky wheel gets the oil – and in our case, that’s a strong voice. We have to be on the streets and in the suites, be on the streets and in the Wilson Building, the Hallowed Halls of Congress and everywhere our elected leaders gather. Christopher Barry told the audience at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church that everyone within the sound of his voice should buy a $5 Metro card, pack a lunch and go across the river to Congress. He, too, was right.

And while some would say that the responsibility for any transformation lies solely with residents, we disagree. As Barry and local businessman Phinis Jones noted, there’s an important role city government can play.

Jones said black business owners must have a seat at the table, and city officials need to give more black businesses access to Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) programs, and encourage major developers to mentor black businesses. Most importantly, he said that the District needs to be more diligent in giving black businesses a slice of the pie.

Residents need a responsive local government that will listen to and act on our behalf even though most of us lack the capital and power that lubricates the political system.

Save Butler-Wyatt Clubhouse #2 Kudos to former Georgetown Basketball Coach John Thompson who saved the day for the Bill Butler-Julius Wyatt Boys and Girls Clubhouse #2 last week. News spread quickly that the Northwest club would be closing its doors forever if it failed to come up with $42,500 to halt an impending closure.

Thompson tapped his non-profit organization to provide the cash that will allow the club to remain open at least for the next three months.

Thompson said that he remembers how the club helped him. The clubhouse, which is located at 120 M Street, not only helped him, but also helped his son, current Georgetown University Basketball coach John Thompson III, as a youngster growing up in the District. Today, his grandson frequents the club, as well. It was his grandson, the elder Thompson said, who told him about the club’s ultimate demise.

There’s never a time when a community bounded by elementary, middle and senior high schools, along with households filled with children should allow an athletic club to close. It wasn’t supposed to happen in 1979 when District officials threatened to close the Butler-Wyatt Clubhouse #2 in order to build a parking lot, and it shouldn’t happen now.

The future of the clubhouse still depends on others who are willing to help raise $250,000 needed to secure its future. We can do it.

Visit www.bgcgw.org/dc/. Donate today and help save the Butler-Wyatt Boys and Girls Clubhouse #2.

www.washingtoninformer.com

Keep Up the Good Work!

Thank you and the staff of The Washington Informer Newspaper for your continued support of our children through the paper’s sponsorship of the 31st Annual Spelling Bee. The Spelling Bee supplement in this week’s paper is full of wonderful photographs of past participants and winners, and it shows your longstanding commitment to the black community.

I would like to congratulate all of the young people who participated in this year’s contest and wish them nothing less than continued success in their lives.

Robert Wilson Washington, D.C.

Let’s Think First!

After reading Gale Horton Gay’s article, “Showdown in Annapolis: Proposed Changes for Prince George’s County Schools,” March 28, 2013, it seems that what Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker is saying about the schools in the county is very similar to what former D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty

said about D.C. public schools when he took over the District’s public school system. It hasn’t worked in D.C.; the school system is in a mess.

Everything is political, and parents have no say in the decision making process about what’s in the best interest of their children.

Prince George’s County is in a unique position with its wealth and highly-educated population to show the state of Maryland that it can function like any other county. Mr. Baker is doing a great job so far, but this is a wrong move and it sends the wrong message. If Mr. Baker wants change, he should work for change at the ballot box. If he feels the school board isn’t working, he should help to enlist new candidates to run for office, work to ensure the school board meetings are open and school business is being handled, but he should do it through the ballot box.

We must never let our ability to elect officials be taken away simply because those currently in charge think they know better.

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Joyce Covington Oxon Hill, Md.

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The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer.com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

39

opinions/editorials

Guest Columnist

By Julianne Malveaux

Medical Condescension Can be Deadly Anna Brown, a St. Louis-based homeless woman, needed treatment for a sprained ankle. She went to three emergency rooms seeking treatment. In the third hospital, St. Mary’s Health Center, Brown was emphatic about needing care. Instead of being treated, she was arrested for trespassing, and died in a jail cell.

Was she ill-treated because she was homeless? Black? Broke?

All three? It really doesn’t mat-

ter. What matters is the hospital that failed to treat her may have contributed to her death.

Too many African Americans are treated in emergency rooms as criminals, not people in need of health services. After learning of the Anna Brown case, a sisterfriend shared that she had such an extreme anxiety attack that her 10-year-old son called 911. When she got to the emergency room (with health insurance, thank you), she was queried about her use of drugs and alcohol, not her health condition.

It was only after her blood was tested that she was treated. So she spent four agonizing hours on a hospital bed with raspy breath, a frightened son, and no medical care.

She isn’t the only one who was mistreated. African American and Latino men with broken bones are less likely to get pain medication than others.

Even children of color are less likely to receive painkillers than White children, because some physicians think they are faking the severity of their pain. When

Guest Columnist

we look at health disparities and wonder why African Americans are more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney failures, breast cancer, AIDS and other diseases, one might point to the many ways that doctors, especially those in emergency rooms, signal that Black pain is not worth treating. The result is that someone who is really hurting chooses to forgo medical care instead of dealing with medical condescension and arrogance.

To our society’s shame, emer-

gency rooms often become the health providers of last resort.

Those without a regular physician are stuck going to an emergency room when all else fails. A cold becomes the flu and the flu becomes pneumonia and only when a patient is struggling for breath does she seek treatment in an emergency room. I can understand a doctor’s frustration because the patient did not deal with her challenges earlier. But well-paid emergency room doc-

See MALVEAUX on Page 61

By George E. Curry

Supreme Court Determined to Kill Affirmative Action A decade after carefully ruling in two University of Michigan cases – striking down the undergraduate admissions procedures and upholding those implemented by the law school – the U.S. Supreme Court seems on course to strike down even the mildest form of affirmative action admissions in higher education.

After oral arguments in a case brought by a White student who was denied admission to

the University of Texas at Austin, the justices are expected to hand down a ruling in late June or early July. Rather than await the outcome of that case, last week the court accepted another challenge to affirmative action in Michigan, which will not be argued until the October term.

The fact that the court accepted the Texas and Michigan cases, after higher education officials thought the matter was settled law, is a clear indication that the conservative-leaning court

plans to eviscerate race- and gender-conscious college admissions programs, no matter how conservative or narrowly drawn.

If the court had other intentions, it would have left lower court rulings favorable to affirmative action in the two cases stand.

Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, the case the court is expected to rule on in late June, was brought by Abigail Fisher, a 22-year-old White woman who was rejected for admission in the fall of 2008. Under the Univer-

Guest Columnist

sity of Texas admissions program, the top 10 percent of each high school graduating class was guaranteed admission to the state’s flagship university. When Fisher applied, 90 percent of the students were selected that way.

The other 10 percent of applicants were admitted based on a variety of factors, including extracurricular activities, awards and honors, work experience, socioeconomic status, standardized test scores and race. Of all of those factors, Fisher decided

to challenge admissions because the university considered race as one of many factors.

“Race is only one modest factor among many others weighed; it is considered only in an individualized and contextual way… and admissions officers do not know an applicant’s race when they decide [who] to admit in UT’s process,” the university argued in its brief.

University of Texas officials

See Curry on Page 61

By Bill Fletcher, Jr.

The 1963 March on Washington, Black Labor and Today

August 2013 represents the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington. Publicly associated with Dr. King’s famous “I have a Dream” speech, this march brought more than 250,000 people to Washington, D.C. to demand freedom and jobs. Initiated by Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters President A. Philip Randolph, this became a joint project with the Southern Christian Leadership

Conference (SCLC), and went down in history as a powerful show of force against Jim Crow segregation.

It is barely remembered that the March was for freedom and jobs. The demand for jobs was not a throwaway line in order to get trade union support but instead reflected the growing economic crisis affecting the Black worker.

Over time this great march has risen to levels of near mythology. The powerful speech by Dr. King, replayed—in part—for us

40 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

every King Day has eclipsed all else, so much so that too many people believe—incorrectly— that the March was King’s march rather than that he was a major player in a project that was much larger than himself.

As August 2013 approaches, it has been noticeable that there has been very limited public discussion regarding an anniversary march to commemorate the 1963 event. What has, apparently, been taking place are a series of closed door discussions regarding some sort of celeThe Washington Informer

bratory action. What has been particularly disturbing are the suggestions that any one person, organization, or family can claim the legacy of the March.

But, should any one constituency claim that legacy it is a group that does not appear to be at the table: Black labor.

Randolph and other Black labor leaders, particularly those grouped around the Negro American Labor Council, responded to the fact that the Black worker was largely being ignored in the discussions

about civil rights. Additionally, the economic situation was becoming complicated terrain for Black workers. As writer Nancy Maclean has pointed out, the elements of what came to be known as “de-industrialization” (which was really part of a reorganization of global capitalism) were beginning to have its effect in the U.S.A., even by 1963.

As with most other disasters, it started with a particular and stark impact on Black America.

See Fletcher on Page 61 www.washingtoninformer.com

opinions/editorials

Child Watch©

By Marian Wright Edelman

The NRA is Afraid of the Truth gun violence, and how to make themselves and their children safer. Why else would they have Congress pull gun injury prevention research funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health? Why have we put up so long with efforts to block all research on a huge public health threat that injures and kills tens of thousands of Americans every year?

As Drs. Arthur Kellermann and Frederick Rivara wrote an article titled, “Silencing the Sci-

Why is the National Rifle Association so afraid of the truth?

There are many misconceptions about guns and gun violence swirling around in Americans’ minds—and in many cases, this misinformation is no accident.

For years the NRA has blocked the truth and actively fought against and prevented research in the causes and costs of gun violence because they don’t want Americans to know the truth about guns, how to prevent

ence on Gun Research” in the February 2013 Journal of the American Medical Association.

They wrote, “What can be done to reduce the number of US residents who die each year from firearms, currently more than 31,000 annually? . . . The nation might be in a better position to act if medical and public health researchers had continued to study these issues as diligently as some of us did between 1985 and 1997.”

Instead, they note that beginning in 1996, pro-gun members

Guest Columnist

of Congress began mounting an all-out effort to eliminate any funding for research connected to gun injury prevention. And as Drs. Kellermann and Rivara explain, this continued refusal to fund any research isn’t just an academic matter. “Injury prevention research can have real and lasting effects. Over the last 20 years, the number of Americans dying in motor vehicle crashes has decreased by 31 percent.”

Why is the NRA afraid of seeking the truth and having citizens make informed decisions

about how best to ensure their and their children’s safety? Their concerted campaign to hide the truth and block research is finally facing new scrutiny and opposition. President Obama’s proposed gun safety package would end the freeze on gun injury prevention research although the amounts requested are inadequate. Ignorance is not bliss or sensible or sound policy, and in the case of our national gun violence epidemic, ignorance is

See Edelman on Page 62

By Raynard Jackson

Republicans Have Learned a Lesson Since last November’s elections, my party has seemed to have reflected on what happened during last year’s elections and have been open to positive criticism on how to best learn from the past. So, it’s not so much that my writing has changed as the facts have changed.

Current party chair, Reince Priebus has begun to change the makeup of the party by beginning to hire minorities throughout the Republican National Committee (RNC). My writings have reflected my support for

Several of my readers of have questioned why I am writing positive articles about my Republican Party. The simple answer is that they deserve it. In the past, I have been very critical of my party because they have ignored the Black community, disrespected our current president with incendiary language, and strayed away from our core principles and values.

some of these changes and a continued willingness to work with the party to help it get back on track.

People need to remember that Priebus and the RNC are not policy making entities. Rather, they are responsible for the execution of the principles advocated by the members of the RNC board and GOP members of Congress. The Congressional side of this equation leaves a lot to be desired, but one person on the Congressional side who really understands this issue is

ASKIA-AT-LARGE

House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor.

I was happy to receive a phone call from Cantor two weeks ago to discuss some of his recent activities to engage with the minority community, specifically the Black community. I have known Cantor for many years and we have always enjoyed stimulating, honest conversations.

Last month, Cantor accepted the opportunity to go with Civil Rights icon and fellow Congressman John Lewis, to attend the annual march across the Ed-

mund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. Cantor grew up in segregated Richmond, Va. during the 60s. Somehow the hatred of Blacks in the 60s didn’t seep into him and his family.

I hope Cantor will let me put together a town hall meeting with him to give him a forum to share with the public his reflections from Selma. He brought his son along with him and there is a fascinating event that happened as a result of this trip, but

See Jackson on Page 62

By Askia Muhammad

Black Doctor Stepped in over His Head Dr. Ben Carson is a brilliant neurosurgeon. He is director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University. He was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2008.

I first learned of Dr. Carson a decade and a half ago, because his brilliant career in a difficult scientific field, after being reared by a single mom on the www.washingtoninformer.com

mean streets of Detroit is proof positive that any person can excel in even a difficult field if he or she puts his or her mind to it, regardless of race or humble beginnings.

He made the medical world stand up and take notice when he successfully separated Siamese-twins, children conjoined at the head. His medical accomplishments deserve the admiration of us all.

There is idle talk in conservative circles that Dr. Carson might even be a formidable Republican

presidential candidate. Hold it right there, however.

In the first place it’s just been a little more than two months since President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term. He’s got three and a half years left in office before the next election, so nobody needs to start measuring the drapes in the Oval Office and looking at carpeting and upholstery samples.

No one who is being talked about this far from the time Americans will choose the next

president can possibly remain in serious contention until 2016 and keep a day job. So it is with conservative darling Ben Carson.

Dr. Carson has already committed a political-career-ending blunder. After winning favor with conservatives at the National Prayer Breakfast in February, he stepped into waters above his head recently on a Fox News program in response to a question about same-sex marriage.

He opposed it, and compared homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia. He went too far.

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Students at his own medical school where he has worked and distinguished himself for more than 30 years rose up in protest over the school’s invitation to Carson to be this year’s commencement speaker. They protested him at his own medical school! Rather than further fan the flames there, he wisely withdrew himself as a speaker, illustrating the validity of the “Peter Principle.” That is, in a meritocracy, folks tend to rise to

See Muhammad on Page 62

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

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LIFESTYLE

s d r y b lB ack /Courtesy Photo

42 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

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www.washingtoninformer.com

LIFESTYLE

r o f t h g i l F e k a T r e d n u o F Group’s

T

he ‘Byrd’ flies again.

Songs like “Happy People,” and a Washington, D.C., favorite, “Rock Creek Park,” are certain to get audiences on their feet when the legendary Blackbyrds celebrate the life and legacy of their founder, Donald Byrd.

“Donald Byrd got us off the ground and taught us a lot,” said Keith Killgo, a District native and the group’s lead vocalist and drummer.

“We feel it is our responsibility to carry Byrd’s banner,” said Killgo, 59, a Howard University graduate.

Byrd, the famed jazz trumpeter who collaborated on scores of records with some of the most notable musicians of the 20th century, died in February at the age of 80.

“Let’s remember Donald as a one-of-a-kind pioneer of the trumpet, and of the many styles of music he took on,” said keyboardist and nephew of the celebrated musician, Alex Bugnon.

While collaborating in the early 1970s with some of his students at Howard, where he was founding director of the university’s jazz studies program, Byrd formed the Blackbyrds in 1973 and the group immediately turned out hits like, “Walking in Rhythm,” and “Rock Creek Park,” a nod to the District’s urban park that extends several miles from the Potomac River to Maryland’s border.

The song was celebrated in

Famed D.C. Group Honors

Donald Byrd

at THEARC wn

By Stacy M. Bro WI Contributing

Writer /Courtesy Photo

the District and toasted nationwide with its catchy lyrics, “Doing it in the park, doing it after dark, oh yeah. Rock Creek Park, oh yeah.”

Rap music artists such as Public Enemy and LL Cool J count among the many to sample “Rock Creek Park” and other Blackbyrd hits.

“What makes The Blackbyrds music so different is its timelessness,” said WHUR-FM radio disc jockey Joe Gorham. “Before we had go-go music, Byrd had a sound that was this R&B and D.C.-oriented vibe. As a group, they blended R&B and jazz and Byrd mixed in this jazz-funk flavor that was just great,” Gorham said.

Byrd, the son of a Methodist minister, grew up playing music in the churches of Detroit, Mich.

Later, he collaborated with such renowned artists such as Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins.

Byrd’s given name was Don-

www.washingtoninformer.com

aldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II. His distinguished music career began with Art Blakely’s Jazz Messengers, a bebop group that was formed in 1955.

Later, he joined several jazz artists who included Miles Davis to begin fusing jazz with R&B and funk. In 1973, Byrd released a solo album, “Black Byrd,” which quickly rocked the Billboard Hot 100 charts and helped Byrd grab the attention of a younger audience.

“Many of the nobles in the music business would come out to work with or see Byrd,” said Killgo, who lives in Northwest.

“I mean, you had Miles and Monk and cats like that and so, for the rest of us, it was great because we got to see and meet these guys who were our idols.

This is what Don did for us.”

While it was fun meeting the legends of the industry and playing with Byrd, Killgo compared his mentor to a drill sergeant

when they performed.

“We were always under the microscope. We had to be conscious at all time of what we did while we were performing, what we were wearing and how we were wearing it,” Killgo said.

“There was no part of our mental or physical anatomy that he didn’t scrutinize. It was like being in the Army,” Killgo said.

The band produced a number of Top 10 R&B albums in the 1970s, including, “Happy Music,” “Street Lady,” “Stepping into Tomorrow,” and “Place and Spaces.”

They also recorded the lead song for the soundtrack, “Cornbread Earl and Me.” By the 1980s, Byrd’s focus had shifted. He honed in totally on education and received a doctorate from New York’s Teachers College.

He taught music at North Carolina Central University, Rutgers University, the Hampton Institute, New York University, Queens College, Oberlin Col-

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lege, Cornell University, and Delaware State University.

Byrd earned a masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music and two masters from Columbia University.

He created a curriculum called, Music + Math (equals) Art, in which he transformed notes into numbers to simultaneously teach music and math.

“There’s no doubt, Byrd was a genius,” said Gorham, 60. “He knew his music and he was a great educator.”

Byrd, whose 1980s, “Love Byrd,” album featured the late Isaac Hayes on drums, received the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, the highest jazz honor in the country.

“Byrd has always nurtured and encouraged young musicians,” the famous jazz musician Herbie Hancock said.

Hancock said he learned a lot from Byrd and his collaborations with the jazz master led to Hancock creating such hits as “Rockit,” and “Sound-System,” both Grammy award-winning hits.

“He [was] a born educator, it [seemed] to be in his blood, and he really tried to encourage the development of creativity,” said Hancock, 72.

In short, Byrd was an avid, eternal student of music until his death,” said Bugnon, 54. “That’s what I try to be everyday,” he said.

Flautist Bobbi Humphrey, whom some music critics laud as, the “First Lady of the Flute,” is scheduled to perform in Byrd’s honor during two tribute shows at THEARC in Southeast on April 12 at 7 p.m., and 9:30 p.m.

Humphrey was one of the first female instrumentalists to record for the famed Blue Note Jazz record label. She has performed with Duke Ellington, George Benson and Stevie Wonder and once was named Best Female Instrumentalist by Billboard magazine.

“We’re going to give audiences what we’ve been doing all of our lives, which is what Byrd taught us. To go out, make great music and entertain our fans,” Killgo said. wi Two shows will be held on April 12 with separate seating at 7 and 9:30 p.m. General admission tickets for each show are $20. VIP tickets, which include reserved seating and admission to a wine and cheese reception, are $35.

Parking is free and, for more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.thearcdc.org.

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

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Zero and Counting

By Cheryl Pearson-McNeil Special to the Informer Are you a Zero-TV household?

No, I don’t mean restricting the kids’ TV viewing to the weekends or until after they’ve completed homework. I mean – do you watch TV the traditional way or on any of the growing techy options available to us? So many of us are watching video content on our phones, computers, or tablets, that Nielsen designates this group of consumers: Zero-TV Households.

This consumer segment is so significant; it will soon be included in our measured samples.

For those of us who are hard-core holdouts or just plain tech-challenged, don’t worry.

Ninety-five percent of Americans still get entertainment and information the old-fashion way – via traditional TV. In fact, according to Nielsen’s latest Cross-Platform report, American TV viewing time was up in late 2012 over the same period the previous year, averaging more than 41 hours a week.

That makes sense. There were a few notable, life-altering events towards the end of 2012 which kept our eyes on the continued coverage. Several states along the East Coast suffered the catastrophic Hurricane Sandy. The Newtown, Conn. tragedy touched all of our hearts, and the highly anticipated 2012 Presidential Election was also noteworthy. Since you and I have been together in this space for a while now, you know that the Black community tends to log more TV viewing hours a week than other demographic groups.

The latest numbers show that African-Americans average 55 hours a week in front of the telly.

The new kids in town, the Zero-TV households, do own televi-

sions – about 75% of those in this category have at least one in the house, but they prefer to watch, or consume content, on other devices. The data shows that 36% of viewers feel cost and 31% of viewers say a lack of interest are reasons for their preferred choice. Right now, about five percent or five million American households fall into this Zero-TV category. African-American consumers make up almost 10% of that number. Nielsen’s latest African-American consumer report looks at our alternate traditional TV viewing numbers more closely. We enjoy our multiple-screen options. Thirty-one percent of us watch video online.

I have to admit it took me a minute to get there, but I’ve learned to appreciate the charms (and convenience) of other screens. (I know, I know. In some instances, size does make a difference and only a nice, large, flat screen will do). And, these are our favorite video sites: YouTube (48%), Other (31%) Netflix (10%) Hulu (8%) VEVO (3%) Yahoo! (1%) Our technological world is spinning so rapidly, and the way we respond as consumers is having such a tremendous impact. Another adjustment could ultimately be made in the way TV ratings are measured. As much as we love to watch TV, we also love to let our fingers do some of the talking, too.

A new Nielsen/SocialGuide study shows that 32 million people in the U.S. tweeted about whatever they were watching in 2012. You know what I’m talking about. Some 68% of African-Americans own smartphones and we tweet on those phones 30% more than oth-

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er groups. So, chances are, when you’re nearly hyper-ventilating over the antics of your favorite Real Housewife or blown away by a performance on your favorite talent competition show or the score during some championship sporting event, you’re talking about it with the rest of the world by tweeting. Fun, isn’t it? The data confirms what most of us already know – as consumers, we are master multi-taskers. At least several times a month, 80% of U.S. tablet and smartphone owners use those fancy gadgets to visit a social network while watching TV. Research shows that the decision-makers in the TV industry would be smart to take notice of the numbers attached to all that tweeting that’s going on while live television is being watched, whether traditionally or through multiscreen viewing because tweeting affects the numbers. And, it’s interesting how the Twitter numbers correlate with ratings depends on the age group. For younger people, 18-34, an eight and a half percent increase in Twitter activity equals a percent ratings point increase. But, it takes a 14% increase in Twitter volume to see an extra ratings boost of a percent among 35-49-year-olds. (I can’t help but wonder where that leaves those of us who have outgrown that demo, but watch TV and tweet, too). Once again, our behavior, our choices as consumers have the power to influence industries. What you watch and how you watch it, matters. So, choose wisely. wi Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of Public Affairs and Government Relations for Nielsen. For more information and studies go to www.nielsenwire.com www.washingtoninformer.com

Remembering Septima…

By Dr. Thandekile Mvusi Special to the Informer “We are young at heart when we have a tremendous faith in God and in the future, when we have a sense of exaltation in the sweeping movements of a rapidly changing society and world.

We are old when we rise against our times, when we resist all change. We are as young as our dreams, our hopes and enthusiasm. We are as old as our fears, our frustrations, our doubts. We need to feel wanted and to find the joy that grows out of service to others if the last of life for which the first was made is to be a time of happiness for those of us who are growing older.”

Delivered in 1971, these endearing comments of Septima Poinsette Clark were spoken in the twilight of her years. They were spoken about her life of service, and in particular, a life of service devoted to providing adult learners with the opportunity to exercise their human rights as citizens of these United States.

During the 1950s and 1960s, thousands of disenfranchised African Americans passed through Citizenship School classes in which they learned to read and write in order to pass the literacy tests required by southern states to register to vote. Beyond preparing adults to gain access to the voting booth, Clark’s curriculum taught students how to wield the power of the ballot to transform everyday life. Initially sponsored by the Highlander Folk School, the program spread throughout the South after the Southern Christian Leadership Conference adopted it in 1961. Clark brought four decades of practical experience as a public school teacher and civic activist to bear as she designed the Citizenship Schools.

Clark’s work began in the South Carolina and her vision traveled across the country and around the world. In exploring the life of Clark, “Seppie,” which produced the vision that manifested as the Citizenship Schools Movement, one finds extraordinary dedication amid social turmoil.

Some report that the initial purpose of these schools was to teach Black adults to read and write in order to pass the South Carolina literacy tests for voter registration, but the more far-reaching goal was citizenship education for democratic empowerment. www.washingtoninformer.com

How did “citizenship education for democratic empowerment” come to be a more far-reaching goal of Black adult literacy? Part of the answer to this question lies in the intersection of the lives of individuals like Clark, Myles Horton, Esau Jenkins, and Bernice Robinson, as well as organizations like Highlander Folk School, the Southern Leadership Conference, and the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee.

Another part of the answer remains in the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people across the South who were young at heart, ready to rise against their times, and find joy by serving “those of us who are growing older.”

The South Carolina was a place of challenges and opportunity. The challenges resulted from the unique experiences of people of African descent born and raised in the United States.

The city of Charleston, Clark’s hometown, however, had its own unique qualities. In Clark’s view, “It was good for [her parents] to be together because [her] mother, with her arrogance, and [her] father, with his gentleness, made her feel “that [she] stood on a platform that was built by both.”

Clark credits her parents for her strength, fortitude, and insight: “When I went to Mississippi and Texas and places like the, I had a feeling that his nonviolence helped me to work with the people there and her haughtiness helped me to stay ... I got into many place where we had a lot of harassment from the Ku Klux Klan and the White Citizens Council in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Grenada, Mississippi, and Natchez, Mississippi.

I stood on the platform built by my mother and father,” Clark wrote.

Clark’s long teaching career began at a Black public school on John’s Island and in 1918 she accepted a teaching post at Avery. At that time, she was instrumental in getting about 20,000 signatures on a petition to have black teachers hired by the Charleston County School District. After moving to Columbia in 1927 to teach, she helped in a campaign to equalize teacher salaries. In 1956 she was fired from a teaching job in Charleston for being a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored

People (NAACP).

That fighting spirit, according to Clark was something that had to be ignited. Ultimately, self-awareness and pride would push fear aside in any oppressed people. By teaching others how to push forward, Clark dismantled centuries-old beliefs of racial inferiority.

“It gave people the courage to say I am going to be a registered voter. When they understood the relevance and the connectedness between being registered to vote and righting a lot of the other things that were wrong in the community, that’s where the courage came from to say let’s do it. Everywhere there was a really effective movement in Mississippi, at the heart of that

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Septima Clark / Courtesy photo

movement was the people who had taken the citizenship education program,” noted Victoria Gray, who trained under Clark.

Through her efforts, Clark challenged elders, who knew

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firsthand the brutality and long-reaching retaliatory nature of white supremacy. By aiding them in mustering their courage, defining their personhood, and demanding the proper scope of citizenship, Clark effectively invigorated multi-generations of African Americans to social victory.

Clark’s autobiography, “Echo in My Soul,” was published in 1962, and her struggles in the Civil Rights Movement were reported in 1986 as a first-person narrative in “Ready from Within,” which won the 1987 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation.

Clark died in 1987 at the age of 89.wi

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

45

Horo scopes

apr 4 - apr 10, 2013

ARIES You may feel an extra burst of energy this week. This is a good time for you wrap up any miscellaneous details on a project that you’ve been working on. Your vibrations are very conducive towards generosity and general well-being that you’ll want to extend to friends and family. Soul Affirmation: I find many things about myself that I really love. Lucky Numbers: 17, 25, 31 TAURUS Any nervous energy you may be feeling can be dispelled with some physical activity. You are doing just fine, so take long walks or try a yoga class and leave your worries behind you. Everything is working out in a perfect way. Soul Affirmation: Helping others is the true measure of my worth. Lucky Numbers: 27, 44, 47 GEMINI A conflict may arise, but you can handle it. Let your life be shaped by the choices you make, not through choices made by others. You’re a very independent sign, and you may be feeling downright feisty this week! Act with love. Soul Affirmation: This week I forgive myself for everything that has happened. Lucky Numbers: 23, 34, 52

DCTV will host a special one-day w o r k s h o p f o r q ua l i f i e d n o n p r o f i t s interested in expanding their outreach, as w e l l a s t h ei r k n o w l e d g e o f s o c i a l m e d i a a n d o t h er c o m m u n i c a t i o n t o o l s .

P a r t i c i p a n t s r ec e i v e : - P r e s en t a t i o n s b y l o c a l m ed i a e x p er t s - S o c i a l m e d i a t o o l s a n d s t r a t eg y t r a i n i n g - C o m m un i c a t i o n s t r a t e g y d e v el o p m e n t - A o n e - m i n ut e p ub l i c s e r v i c e announcement (PSA) produced by DCTV that will air on DCTV channels and web – r e a c h i n g m o r e t h a n 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 v i ew er s ; a n d - A o n e - y ea r b r o a d c a s t m e m b e r s h i p w i t h DCTV! Members: $300 without PSA, $400 with PSA Non-members: $450 wi thout PSA, $550 wi th PSA

To register, contact Tonya Gonzalez tgonzalez@dctv.org or call (202) 526-7007x104 95 & 96

10, & 11 10, 11 & 28

46 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

@DCTVTeam facebook.com/dctvteam

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CANCER Love gets you back on an even keel, and you feel balance and much appreciation for all of the blessings in your life.

Your creativity is soaring; let some of your wilder ideas free and watch them fly! Soul Affirmation: Success is mine because I feel successful. Lucky Numbers: 32, 47, 54 LEO This week your thoughtfulness and generosity is very evident among those close to you. Do something adventurous, and surprise & impress your lover. Try to sneak away at lunchtime together and enjoy each other’s company. Things will be looking even brighter for you in the next few weeks. Stay happy! Soul Affirmation: I face each week with a smile and the week smiles back at me. Lucky Numbers: 20, 47, 48 VIRGO Exercise your social skills in a new and inventive way at work. Make yourself noticed in a positive way. Buy a new scent or wear that daring red item that you’ve been too shy to put on! Try to resolve the conflict between two of your friends, but you might have to let them go through the motions of anger, and stay out of it. Soul Affirmation: Time is the greatest peacemaker of them all. Lucky Numbers: 31, 37, 55 LIBRA Nobody expects the world from you, but a little more effort would be appreciated. Let go of the grudge that you’ve been harboring and start living again! You’ll feel much more light-hearted and free when you forgive and forget about the past. Soul Affirmation: With my spirit I co-create my week. Lucky Numbers: 2, 46, 47 SCORPIO This week you will feel like you’re on top of the world when you finish completing the project that you’ve been working feverishly on. Take some time off and splurge on a vacation spot that has been tantalizing you! Soul Affirmation: I focus on the positive things that are happening in my life. Lucky Numbers: 12, 21, 30 SAGITTARIUS This week is a good week for remembering that without the help of your colleagues it would be impossible for you to expedite the tasks that need to be done. Thank them ahead of time. Thank them graciously and celebrate with them. Soul Affirmation: Appreciation leads to recognition. Lucky Numbers: 32, 35, 47 CAPRICORN Little by little you will come to realize that you are too good to be second choice. This week don’t even think about why your recent romance failed. It wasn’t meant to be. There are many more fish in the sea ready for you to hook them. Go for it! Soul Affirmation: There are other fish in the sea waiting for me. Lucky Numbers: 8, 19, 20 AQUARIUS Offer a shoulder to cry on to someone you know that has been going through some difficulty. They need a friend right now, and you can be that person. Listen and don’t speak. Your sensitivity and compassion will mean a lot right now. Soul Affirmation: Newness of outlook helps me deal with the monotonies of life. Lucky Numbers: 7, 34, 36 PISCES If you need some time to yourself this week, take it.

You’ll be doing yourself an act of kindness. Since you do so much for others, why not treat yourself as well as you treat them? Your world is the way you are living. Live with love. Soul Affirmation: I let go of the old in order to make room for the new. Lucky Numbers: 16, 28, 29

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LIFESTYLE

Celebrating Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean

MTV Tried, But Couldn’t Ignore the King of Pop

By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer The words on Michael Jackson’s bathroom mirror underscored his determination not to be denied.

Angry after being snubbed by the Grammy Awards and rejected

by MTV following his 1981 hit album, “Off The Wall,” Jackson prophetically declared by writing in red lipstick on his mirror that his next recording would sell, “50 million records and I won’t be ignored.”

The “Thriller” album, his next recording, would sell in excess of 50 million copies and, 30 years later, there is still no ignoring the LP’s second single, “Billie Jean.”

The song’s video saved MTV from extinction.

“That (the playing by MTV of the “Billie Jean” video) was a pivotal moment in the history of music and for all African-American recording artists,” said Joe Gorham, a disc jockey at WHURFM radio station in Northwest.

This week, marks the 30th anniversary of Jackson’s historic performance of “Billie Jean,” on the Motown Records 25th anniversary television special. It also marks the 30th anniversary of the song’s video debut on MTV. “Michael opened the door for black artists to have their videos played on MTV,” Gorham said.

The debut of the video in 1983 proved to be a pivotal moment in pop culture history.

“MTV’s playlist was 99 percent white until Michael Jackson forced his way on the air by making the best music videos anyone had ever seen,” said Rob Tannenbaum, co-author of, “I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution.”

“It’s not enough to say that the ‘Thriller’ videos forced MTV to integrate. Michael helped save the network from being shut down,” Tannenbaum, 38, said.

“MTV executives had expected to lose $10 million before they showed a profit. The network quickly lost $50 million, and its parent company was prepared to shut down the network and call it quits. However, Jackson’s

three ‘Thriller’ videos, “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller”, debuted in 1983 and, by the first three months of 1984, MTV had [earned] their first quarterly profit,” he said.

Ironically, MTV was rescued from failure by a musician who didn’t fit the channel’s original rock-and-roll only format, Tannenbaum said.

The single, “Billie Jean,” was released on Jan. 2, 1983 and topped the Billboard singles chart for seven weeks. It also topped the Hot 100 charts in the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Rolling Stone magazine lists the song as 58th in its 500 greatest songs of all time. Additionally, Jackson won two Grammy Awards and an American Music Award for “Billie Jean.”

“I recently learned that Michael wrote the baseline to the song himself,” said music producer Will Eastman, who co-owns the U Street Music Hall in Northwest. “He had the longest intro before a vocal drop ever at that time. It was historic, an amazing track,” said Eastman, 43.

As a result of the song’s success, Jackson earned induction into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame.

Shortly after MTV played the video, Jackson thrilled audiences with an Emmy-nominated performance of “Billie Jean,” during Motown Records 25th anniversary celebration.

After a reunion with his brothers, The Jackson 5, Jackson donned a black fedora, one white glove, and put on a performance for the ages that was punctuated by the debut of his trademark dance, the moonwalk.

“I will never forget that day.

Thirty years ago, I was sitting in my living room as a little kid watching television and I saw Michael Jackson performing,” said WPGC-FM radio disc jockey, Tony Redz.

“Michael started off in his all black [outfit] with his glittery glove and socks, and he was danc-

www.washingtoninformer.com

/Photo courtesy of CBS

ing and singing. In the middle of the song, he did that historic moonwalk,” said Redz, 31.

Already excited about the Jackson brothers reunion on the Motown show, Gorham, 60, said Jackson’s solo performance left him and millions of others

in awe.

“Motown 25 was historic because that was the first time the Jackson brothers had been together as a group in a public performance in such a long time,” he said.

Jackson died after suffering

cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles, Calif., home in 2009. He was 50.

“When he performed ‘Billie Jean,’ at the Motown anniversary show, Michael showed the world what an electrifying entertainer he was,” Gorham said. wi

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202-488-3300 www.arenastage.org Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

47

DC-CAP Talent Show Wows Crowd

LIFESTYLE

Area Students Captivate Audience

By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer

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FAME is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing equal access to all children and young adults, regardless of social and economic need, to quality music and music education as part of their lifelong journey to adulthood.

48 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

For a magical couple of hours, young people from area high schools regaled an enthusiastic, appreciative audience at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Northwest.

The 10 finalists – who sang, danced and played musical instruments at the DC-CAPital Stars Talent Competition – were competing for thousands of dollars in scholarship money from the DC College Access Program (DC-CAP). The celebrity judges included Grammy Award-winning vocalist Patti Labelle; opera legend and mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves; singer and actress Jordin Sparks; and Amber Riley, of Glee fame. The judges’ votes, plus those of the audience helped determine the eventual winners.

When the dust settled on the evening of March 26, 17-yearold Chabeli Arroyo, a senior at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts – by virtue of a flawless, controlled yet sassy rendition of Betty Jackson King’s “Ride Up in de Chariot,” – copped the first prize. She received a $10,000 DC-CAP college scholarship that will be applied to her first year of college.

Her performance left judges and the audience alike in awe.

“It was a wonderful mixture of head and chest and you kept your bravado,” said Graves, 49.

“It was a fantastic job. I think you’re an angel, a treasure.”

Sparks agreed, calling Chabeli’s performance powerful and tasteful.

“I felt the Holy Ghost when you were singing,” she said effusively. “It was such a different and unique juxtaposition. It messed me up. I felt straight joy when you hit the high note. It was beautiful – I felt lifted up.”

Savannah Cranford, who danced to “Bitter Earth” by Dinah Washington, placed second and received a $6,000 scholarship, while Rocky Garcia who played “Loving You” by Minnie Ripperton on his saxophone placed third and earned a $4,000 scholarship. Both students are 17-year-old seniors at Duke ElSee DC CAP on Page 48 The Washington Informer

First place winner Chabeli Arroyo, wowed the crowd at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 26. /Photo by Hyon Smith

Savannah Cranford, a student at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, placed second in the competition on March 26. /Photo by Hyon Smith

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LIFESTYLE DC CAP continued from Page 48 lington in Northwest.

Master of Ceremonies and WJLA Anchor Leon Harris captured the mood and purpose of the evening during which the late Joe Albritton, one of the founders of DC-CAP, and educator Dave Domenici, co-founder of the Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools, a network of alternative schools in the District, were honored.

“This showcases the incredible talent of D.C. students who are performing in the hopes of winning big-time scholarship money,” Harris said. “… DC-CAP ensures that every student has the opportunity to enroll in and finish college. It changes young people, it changes families, it changes the community, it changes this, the most important city in the world.”

“You thought you came to see a show but you came to change the world.”

The talent competition is in its fifth year and DC-CAP President and CEO Argelia Rodriguez said before the show that she was amazed by the talent of the young people and the slate of judges.

“We’re psyched,” she said during a recent interview. “This has been so successful we decided to do this every year. It’s sort of a [mini-American] Idol. The kids audition from DCPS and charter schools.”

A local panel of independent professional vocalists, dancers, musicians and educators from the metropolitan area, and more than

6,500 online votes helped select the top 10 finalists. Rodriguez said there were 41 semifinalists and the finalists were the Top 10 voted in on the DC-CAP Gala website.

All finalists received college scholarships.

Of the finalists, five were vocalists, three were instrumentalists and two danced. The high energy Tango, Salsa and Flamenco numbers, the congas and marachas, coupled with the driving music of Richie Valens, Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan and Marc Anthony defined the show’s Latin theme.

The semifinalists, adorned in costumes bearing a fluorescent rainbow of colors, danced and sang before and after the 10 finalists performed.

At a reception following the gala, former Washington Redskins great Ken Harvey shook his head in amazement and laughed.

“It was outstanding. It’s one of the things you want to invite all your friends to,” he said. “The level of talent of the kids was amazing. Every year, it seems to get better. The criticisms of the judges [had] very few words of correction. That tells you about the level of talent of these young people.”

Amneris Rodriguez agreed.

“I’ve been here before and the caliber has come up, definitely,” said the D.C. resident. “It’s more competitive and the talent has skyrocketed. It was one of those competitions where you didn’t know who’d win.”

The talent show and the reception were underwritten by His Excellency Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba of the United Arab Emir-

ates who said he was honored to be supporting such a worthwhile cause.

“DC-CAP is an important and essential community organization [in Northwest] that has had a direct impact on the lives of thousands of students in Washington, D.C. in a very short time,” the ambassador said. “By providing talented and driven area students with needed resources to pursue their higher education, DC-CAP has attracted a broad base of support from sponsors and contributors who see the value of the work that the organization is doing.”

“There is no reason why every child in Washington, D.C. should not have the ability and opportunity to pursue higher education, and I commend DC-CAP’s pursuit of this goal.”

Each time he attends this special event, Al Otaiba said, he’s “simply blown away by the talent, dedication and skill of all of the

student performers.”

“This year’s show was no different. In fact, it might have been the best one yet. All 10 finalists who performed should be proud of themselves for performing and displaying their artistic abilities in front of such a crowd.”

Former Virginia Congressman Tom Davis (R), chief sponsor of the bill that created DC-CAP, said what he saw during the program was proof of the program’s effectiveness.

“It allows D.C. kids to pay instate tuition and makes college an affordable dream. And, DC-CAP has made that even better in terms of opportunity,” he said.

DC-CAP is a privately funded non-profit organization established in 1998 with the expressed purpose of encouraging and enabling all students attending the District’s public and public charter high school to enroll in and graduate from college. Over the past 13

years, it has helped almost 18,000 students enroll in college, awarded $26,000,000 in college scholarships and supported the success of 3,800 college graduates.

Argelia Rodriguez, who has headed DC-CAP since 1999, said she’s gratified to see young people succeed.

When the program started, she said, between 25-30 percent of high school graduates were going on to college. Now, that figure stands at 52 percent. In addition, the average college graduation rate is now 40 percent, up from 15 percent over the past 10 years.

“A lot of our kids get beat down and often don’t have resources.

Seeing them reach their potential is great. We get to see kids flourish possibly in ways they might not have otherwise.Tuition assistance grants have made the difference,” she said. wi

Uplifting Sister’s Presents

4th Annual Prom Dreams

Prom Dreams

Dresses • Shoes • Accessories

April 13, 2013 10:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.

Helping dreams of attending prom come true by donating dresses, shoes and accessories.

We need support with gently worn dresses, shoes and accessories.

For monetary donations please visit us at

www.upliftingsisters.com Contact: Sheena Brown, 571-262-1519 or Tina Latimer, 240-535-7353

Former Redskins player Ken Harvey, DC-CAP President and CEO Argelia Rodrigues, and D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 26. /Photo by Hyon Smith

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Donation Drop Off The Logos Building 1516 K Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 Monday — Friday 10 a.m. — 2 p.m.

The Washington Informer

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

49

LIFESTYLE

50 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

spring /Photos courtesy of William Floyd Martin and Derrel Todd

The Washington Informer

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Olympus Has Fallen Premiere

CTM LIFESTYLE

T

he red carpet at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood was on fire recently as Angela Bassett and her OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN cast mates Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Dylan McDermott, Rick Yune, Ashley Judd and director Antoine Fuqua celebrated the premiere of the upcoming film. Joining the celebs on the carpet were Cookie and Magic Johnson, Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete, Loretta Devine, Wilmer Valderamma and more.

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN opened in theaters ths Friday, March 29. For more information, visit www.olympusmovie.com

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The Washington Informer

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

51

sports

Nats Seek to Meet Expectations Washington Opens Season, Dreams of World Series

By Stacy M. Brown and Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writers Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are the primary reasons expectations are sky high in Washington and the duo opened the 2013 season wasting little time in displaying just why the Nationals are favorites to win the first pennant in franchise history.

Strasburg, the 24-year-old ace, threw seven shutout innings on Opening Day while the 20-yearold Harper belted two home runs to help the Nats beat the Miami Marlins, 2-0, in front of 45,274, a Nationals Park record crowd.

Strasburg allowed just three hits and struck out three. He retired 19 straight Marlin batters following a single by Juan Pierre to lead off the game.

Harper’s heroics included a first inning dinger to right field and a prodigious blast three innings later that resulted in the sell-out crowd giving its first curtain call of the season. Harper became only the second reigning Rookie of the Year Award winner to hit a home run on Opening Day the next season.

“It was a pretty special moment,” Harper said. “If I was 0 for 4, or 4 for 4, it wouldn’t have mattered to me. The crowd was really loud and crazy and, hopefully, they’re going to be like that all year.”

As a light rain fell, manager Davey Johnson lifted Strasburg after seven innings and 80 pitches, but insisted that the flame-thrower will not be on an innings or specific pitch count this year. The team shut Strasburg down in September of last season and many observers and fans said the move cost the Nats a World Series berth.

Johnson, who received his Manager of the Year award in a festive pre-game ceremony, said

he’s confident that his squad is ready to fulfill the lofty expectations of 2013 after winning a league high 98 games and its first division championship in 2012.

“I think the development of this ball club can culminate at the end of this year (with a championship),” Johnson, 70, said.

First baseman Adam LaRouche, 33, said the team’s ascent into a World Series contender is clear, judging by the atmosphere surrounding the home opener.

Pre-game ceremonies lasted more than 45 minutes and included the presentation of Silver Slugger awards to LaRouche, Strasburg and shortstop Ian Desmond, 27.

The team also unveiled its 2012 NL East title banner above the big screen in right-centerfield while military personnel and others converged on the field for festivities.

“This is a proud day for the organization,” said general manager Mike Rizzo, 52. “Today starts anew … and we’ll start looking toward doing something special.”

Mayor Vincent Gray delivered the lineup cards to home plate and Winthrop Roosevelt, the great-great grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, gave the “Play ball!” call.

Army Staff Sgt. Clint Romesha, a Medal of Honor recipient for his heroics in Afghanistan, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

The energy around the ballpark was electric with the color red dominating the landscape as people sported red baseball caps, Nats baseball shirts, T-shirts, lanyards and an assortment of team paraphernalia.

Along Half Street in Southeast, throngs of festive fans streamed toward Nationals Park Center Gate, walking under a large American flag unfurled between two extended fire engine

52 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

Nationals Stephen Strasburg. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

ladders.

A few yards from of the flag, two men on stilts, dressed in Nats gear and long, voluminous red-and-white striped pants, greeted fans with high and low fives.

Michelle Powell and her friend Michelle Hungate stood together not far from the ticket office hoping to snag some tickets to the sold-out game. Half an hour after the game began, things weren’t looking good.

“Expectations? Our expectation is that we can get some tickets on Opening Day and we’re not doing so well,” said Hungate with a laugh.

At that moment, Powell jumped up and reacted with glee as the crowd roared. She spun around to watch a monitor and a replay of Harper powThe Washington Informer

ering a ball from Marlin’s pitcher Ricky Nolasco into the right centerfield stands.

“We’ve been Orioles and Nats fans for the past 20 years,” said Powell.

“I love baseball. It’s like rounders, [a game played in England resembling softball and baseball]. “I actually understand the rules,” Hungate interjected.

“I was completely surprised, pleasantly surprised, at how well the team did,” said Powell. “I hope they go to the World Series.

I’m always hopeful …” “… Cautiously optimistic,” her friend chimed in.

D.C. resident Larrien Cauthen strode off the Metro Green Line “baseball train” that shuttled passengers to the game. A self-described “big time” Nationals fan,

attended his first game in a year, but he didn’t have a ticket.

“People here have been asking for a team for years, so now that we have one, they need to support it,” he said. “They deserve it, they deserve the support.”

Cauthen, 39, said he expects the Nationals to play in the World Series. As he walked along Half Street, he checked with a couple of men holding tickets to find out how much they were.

“Eighty dollars,” one man said.

“Nope, not paying that much money for a ticket,” said Cauthen.

“How much do you want to pay?” the man asked plaintively, as Cauthen ignored him and moved on.

To see more photos, visit www.informerphotos.com.wi www.washingtoninformer.com

Weekend Sports Highlights Marquette Golden Eagles forward Davante Gardner shields the basketball from Miami Hurricanes forward Kenny Kadji during NCAA Eastern Regional Men’s Division 1 basketball action on Thursday, March 28 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. Marquette defeated Miami 71-61. /Photo

by John E. De Freitas

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New York Yankees shortstop Eduardo Nunez makes it safely into second base before Washington Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa could tag him on Friday, March 29 at Nationals Park in Southeast. The New York Yankees defeated the Washington Nationals 4-2 before a crowd of 38,161. It was Washington’s first game at Nationals Park since the club blew a ninth-inning lead in the National League Division Series finale against St. Louis. Relief pitcher Drew Storen was greeted with applause and cheers when he entered the game. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

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The Washington Informer

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53

sports

Weekend Sports Highlights The audience at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC was surprised on Saturday, March 30, when the scheduled WIBA middleweight title fight between champion Tori “ShoNuff” Nelson and challenger Maria Lindberg was scratched about an hour before the two ladies were scheduled to step into the ring. In this photo, Promoter Cassandra White apologizes to the disappointed crowd. The fight was cancelled after The District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission received word from the Association of Boxing Commissions earlier Saturday that there was an issue with Lindberg’s medical records. /Photo by John E. De Freitas.

The co-main event on the fight card on Saturday, March 30 at the Renaissance Hotel in Northwest provided great boxing entertainment. In this photo, Davenna Morrison (left) misses her target as Jennifer “The Bolivian Queen” Salinas connects to her chin. This co-feature turned out to be the showcase matchup as Salinas, a Manassas, Va., featherweight, won a six-round unanimous decision over a very game DJ “So Fly” Morrison of Denver, Colo.

Salinas landed brutal body shots and showed solid head movement offensively and defensively to score a shutout (60-54) on all three judges’ scorecards. Salinas is now 14-3, with four KOs, while Morrison is 3-17 with two KOs. /Photo by John E. De Freitas.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper hits his first of two home runs during Major League Baseball (MLB) Opening Day action at Nationals Park in Southeast. Harper became the youngest player to hit two home runs on Opening Day. The Nationals defeated the Miami Marlins 2-0. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

54 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

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The Religion Corner

religion

Who Moved My Cheese: Coping After Change The closing verse of the Sam Cooke classic “A Change is Gonna Come” says, “There were times when I thought I couldn’t last for long, but now I think I’m able to carry on. It’s been a long, long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will.” This song has a message that resonates today in many ways. In this column, I’m expounding on one point; coping after change, finding peace of mind and taking life on. Isaiah 26:3 says, ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.’

There’s a book, Who Moved My Cheese that I read; a story of four characters living in a maze.

The characters faced unexpected change when they discover what they thought was a “lifetime of cheese” had nearly disappeared.

Sniff and Scurry are characters depicted as cartoon-type mice, and Hem and Haw, are depicted as little people. Each faces this life-changing scenario in a unique way. Sniff and Scurry, the mice; set out on a journey into who knows where these mysterious streets may lead, but they never stopped; determined to find more cheese.

This timeless tale reveals profound truths to individuals and organizations dealing with change. We each live in a “maze” a metaphor for the companies or organizations we work with, the communities we live in, the families we love; places we seek to visit; the things we want in life, “cheese.”

It may be an enjoyable career, loving relationships, wealth, or spiritual peace of mind. With

time and experience, one character eventually succeeds and prospers from the change in his “maze.” In an effort to share what he has learned along the way, he records his personal discoveries on the walls of the maze, the “handwriting on the wall.” Similarly, when we begin to see the “handwriting on the wall”, we discover the simplicity and necessity of adapting to change.

Full of modern-day insight, the story of Who Moved My Cheese invites individuals and organizations to enjoy less stress and more success by having the wisdom to deal with inevitable change.

Use the change models we see in our economy to navigate change and make it work to your advantage. Predict change and prepare for it; an example is finding ways to help all of the baby boomers who are now becoming senior citizens; beat the barriers that get in the way of changing; adjust to change and prioritize your efforts; and finally create lasting innovations.

Reflecting and reading my Bible, improved my attitude.

Consider the famous quote by Charles Swindol. He said, “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life… We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day… I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent of how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our attitudes.”

The moral of the Cheese story: “Life is change.” Goethe said it best when he said, “If I treat you

Twelfth Street Christian Church

Advertise Your Church services here:

(Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340

call Ron Burke at

Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor Service and Times Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m.

Communion every Sunday 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School 10:00 a.m.

Bible Study Tuesday 12Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday 6:30 p.m.

Motto; “Discover Something Wonderful.”

Website: 12thscc.org Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com

202-561-4100 or email rburke@washingtoninformer.com

Advertise Your Church services here: call Ron Burke at 202-561-4100 or email rburke@washingtoninformer.com

with Lyndia Grant as you should be, I help you become what you should be.”

Enjoy sunsets; nature, admire God’s creations; see the birds, butterflies, and enjoy taking walks. Pray without ceasing, meditate, and as you go about your daily routines, take a look at toxic people in your life. Those energy drainers! Get them out of your life. It takes a lot of positive energy to reach your goals.

Change is gonna come, will you be ready? Take life on, use every moment of your time, and find peace of mind! wi

Lyndia Grant is a radio talk show host on WYCB 1340 AM, Fridays at 6 p.m., a Radio-One Station; Religious Columnist; Media Coordinator; Major Special Events Coordinator; Author & Inspirational Speaker. Visit her website at www.lyndiagrant.com; call 202-518-3192; send emails to fanniestelle@yahoo.com .

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The Washington Informer

“Praise In The City”

The New Public Affairs Talk Show Hosted by Praise 104.1’s Sheila Stewart Saturday 5:30am-6:30am on Praise 104.1 For more info visit www.praise1041.com

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

55

religion BAPTIST

african methodist episcopal

Pilgrim Baptist Church

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Rev. James Manion Supply Priest Foggy Bottom • Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW • Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 • Fax : 202-338-4958 Worship Services 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.

Blessed Word of Life Church Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors 4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax Schedule of Services: Sunday School – 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service – 11:00 AM Communion Service – First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study – Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org e-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org

Campbell AME Church Reverend Daryl K. Kearney, Pastor 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., S E Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email:Campbell@mycame.org Sunday Worship Service 10: 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 Rev. John W. Davis, Pastor 5101 14th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20011 202-726-2220/ 202-726-9089 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 gsccm.administration@verizon.net

700 I. Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20002 Pastor Louis B. Jones, II and Pilgrim invite you to join us during our July and August Summer schedule! Attire is Christian casual.

Worship: Sundays@ 7:30 A.M. & 10:00 A.M. 3rd Sunday Holy Communion/Baptism/Consecration Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @12:00 Noon @ 6:30 P.M. – One Hour of Power!

(202) 547-8849 www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ Drs. Dennis W. and Christine Y. Wiley, Pastors 3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) (202) 562-4219 (Fax) SERVICES AND TIMES: SUNDAYS: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Worship Services BIBLE STUDY: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) SUNDAY SCHOOL: 9:45 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantbaptistdc.org

Morning Star Baptist Church Pastor Gerald L Martin Senior Minister 3204 Brothers Place S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032 202-373-5566 or 202-373-5567

Church of Living Waters

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew, Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Schedule of Service Sunday Service: 8:30 AM & 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

St. Stephen Baptist Church Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. State Overseer 5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Sunday Early Morning Worship - 7:45 a.m.

Church School - 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:45 a.m.

Tuesday – Thursday - Kingdom Building Bible Institute – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday – Prayer/Praise/Bible Study – 7:30 p.m.

Baptism & Communion Service- 4th Sunday – 10:30am Radio Broadcast WYCB -1340 AM-Sunday -6:00pm T.V. Broadcast - Channel 190 – Sunday -4:00pm/Tuesday 7:00am

“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org e-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., • Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE • Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 • www.acamec.org 2008: The Year of New Beginnings “Expect the Extraordinary”

Crusader Baptist Church

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews • Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 Fax: (202) 526-1661

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan, Pastor 800 I Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 Fax No. 202-548-0703

Sunday Worship Services: 8:00a.m. and 11:00a.m.

Sunday Church School - 9:15a.m. & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30a.m.

2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m.

Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study - 10:00a.m.

Tuesday Topical Bible Study - 6:30p.m.

Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study - 6:30p.m.

Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study - 6:30p.m.

Wednesday Children’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m.

Thursday Men’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m.

Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service - 6:30p.m.

Saturday Adult Bible Study - 10:00a.m.

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 E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org

“The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

“God is Love”

Third Street Church of God Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor 1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202.347.5889 office 202.638.1803 fax Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Prayer Meeting and Bible Study: Wed. 7:30 p.m.

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org

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

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax Sunday Worship Service: 8 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org emailus@gmchc.org

ST Marks Baptist Come Worship with us...

St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Dr. Raymond T. Matthews, Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews Sunday School 9:am Worship Service 10:am Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service 6:45 pm Thur. Bible Study 7:15 pm

We are proud to provide the trophies for the Washington Informer Spelling Bee

Service & Time Sunday Worship 7:45A.M & 11A.M Communion Service 2nd Sunday 11A.M Prayer Service Tuesday 7:00 P.M Bible Study Tuesday 8:00 P.M Sunday Church School 10:00 A.M Sunday “A church reaching and winning our community for Christ” morningstarbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.morningstarchurch-dc.org

Mount Carmel Baptist Church

52 Years of Expert Engraving Services

Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Sunday Church School : 9: 30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10: 45am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10: 45am themcbc.org

56 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

The Washington Informer

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religion Baptist

All Nations Baptist Church

Friendship Baptist Church 900 Delaware Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20020 (202) 488-7417 (202) 484-2242 Rev. Dr. J. Michael Little Pastor Sunrise Prayer: 6:00 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Morning Worship 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday-11:00AM www.friendshipbaptistdc.org Email: frienshipde1900@verizon.net

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. • Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591

King Emmanuel Baptist Church Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730

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

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

Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

“Where Jesus is the King”

Zion Baptist Church

Israel Baptist Church

Full Gospel Baptist Church

Emmanuel Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Clinton W. Austin Pastor 2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Come Grow With Us and Establish a Blessed Family” Sunday Worship 7:30am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service Tuesdays – 8:00pm www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Florida Avenue Baptist Church Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert SR. Pastor

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

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

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

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church

Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Charles Y. Davis, Jr. Sr. Pastor

5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Dr. C. Matthew Hudson, Jr, Pastor

4850 Blagdon Ave, NW • Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 • Fax (202) 291-3773

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288

14350 Frederick Rd. Cooksville, MD 21723 (410) 489-5069

Elder Herman L. Simms, Pastor

2616 MLK Ave., SE • Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 • Fax 202-678-3304

Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M.

Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 am Sunday School: 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study/Prayer: 6:30-8:00 pm Holy Communion 2nd Sunday Pre-Marital Counseling/Venue for Weddings Prison Ministry Knowledge Base

Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Web: www.FullGospelBC.org Email: fullgospelbc1946@verizon.net “IF YOU NEED REST, THIS HOUSE IS OPEN”

Sunday Worship Service 10:15AM- Praise and Worship Services 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

Mount Moriah Baptist Church

St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.

Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Study: Monday - 7:00 p.m.

Prayer Meeting: Thursday - 7:00 p.m.

Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, Senior Pastor 1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 Fax: 202-544-2964 Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 am and 10:45 am Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 am and 10:45 am Sunday School: 9:30 am Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon and 6:30 pm Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 pm Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 pm Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org

Rehoboth Baptist Church

St. Matthews Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor 1105 New Jersey Ave, S.E • Washington, DC 20003 202 488-7298 Order of Services Sunday Worship Services: 9:05 A.M. Sunday School: 8:00 A.M. Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer Meeting: 7:00 P.M. (Tuesday) Bible Study: 7:30 P.M. (Tuesday) Theme: “Striving to be more like Jesus “Stewardship”.

Philippians 3:12-14; Malachi 3:8-10 and 2 Corinthians 9:7 Email: stmatthewbaptist@msn.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.com

Mount Pleasant Baptist Church

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. Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged.

The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

New Commandment Baptist Church

Rev. Terry D. Streeter Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Pastor and Overseer

215 Rhode Island Ave. N.W. • WD.C. 20001 (202) 332-5748

625 Park Rd, NW • WDC 20010 P: 202 291-5711 • F: 202 291-5666

Early Morning Worship: 7:45 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.

Morning Worship: 10:45 a.m.

Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:45 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.

C.T.U. Sunday: 2:45 p.m.

Bible Study: Wednesday 11:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Prayer Service: Wednesday 8:00 p.m.

Noon Day Prayer Service: Mondays 12 p.m.

Sunday Worship Service - 11 am Sunday School - 9:45 am Bible Study & Prayer Wed. - 7 pm Substance Abuse Counseling 7 pm (Mon & Fri) Jobs Partnership - 7 pm (Mon & Wed) Sat. Enrichment Experience - 9:30 am

Salem Baptist Church

“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

Shiloh Baptist Church

Rev. R. Vincent Palmer Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

621 Alabama Avenue, 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) 232-4200

The Church Where GOD Is Working....

And We Are Working With GOD

Sunrise Prayer Services - Sunday 7:00 a.m.

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.

Morning Worship: 8:00 a.m Church School : 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship: 10:55 a.m.

Bible Study, Thursday: 6:30 p.m.

Prayer Meeting,Thursday : 7:30 p.m.

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

www.washingtoninformer.com

Motto: God First

The Washington Informer

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Early Worship Service 7:30a.m Worship Service 10:45a.m.

New Members Class 9:30a.m.

Holy Communion : 1st Sunday -10:45a.m Church School 9:30a.m.

Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: Wednesday 7p.m Bible Study : Saturday: 11a.m.

Baptism: 4th Sunday – 10:45a.m “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Peace Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Sunday Morning Worship Service 7:15 am & 10:50 am Sunday School 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service 10:50am Wednesday Prayer & Testimonies Service 7:30pm Wednesday School of the Bible 8:00pm Wednesday - Midweek Prayer Service 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm “The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address pbcexec@verizon.net

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church 602 N Street NW • Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595 Sunday Worship Services: 7:45am & 11:00am Sunday school For All Ages 9:30am Prayer Services Wednesday 11:30am & 6:45pm Bible Institute Wednesday at Noon & 7:45pm “Changing Lives On Purpose “ Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org

Mt. Bethel Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Bobby L. Livingston, Sr. Pastor 75 Rhode Island Ave. NW • Washington, DC 20001 (202) 667-4448

Sunrise Prayer Service 6:00 A.M. Sunday Church School 8:30 A.M. Pre-Worship Devotionals 9:45 A.M. Morning Worship Services 10:00 A.M. Holy Communion 1st Sunday Worship Services Bible Study Tuesdays, 6:00 P.M. Thursdays, 1:00 P.M. Prayer Meetings Tuesdays, 7:00 P.M. Thursdays, 12:00 P.M.

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 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

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor 2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 Fax: (202) 529-7738 Order of Services 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 Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.

Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

57

CLASSIFIEDS legal notice

legal notice

legal notice

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013 ADM 144 Elmer M. Whiting Decedent Louvenia W. Williams, ESQ. 9500 Arena Drive, #450 Largo, MD 20774 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Elbert Francis Whiting, whose address is 6423 24th Place, Hyattsville, MD 20782, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Elmer M. Whiting, who died on November 26, 2012 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. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before September 21, 2013. 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 21, 2013, 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.

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

Administration No. 2013 ADM 179

Administration No. 2013 ADM 268

Patricia Ann Yates Decedent

Evelyn H. Van Putten aka Evelyn Van Putten Decedent

George L. Garrow, Jr./Garrow Law Firm 300 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Jacqueline Yates, whose address is 3274 15th Place, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Patricia Ann Yates, who died on November 29, 2011 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. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before September 21, 2013. 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 21, 2013, 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 21, 2013

Jo Constance Bond, whose address is 1712 Second St, NW, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Evelyn H. Van Putten aka Evelyn Van Putten, who died on February 13, 2013 with a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 4, 2013. 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 4, 2013, 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 4, 2013

Anne Meister Register of Wills

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

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Reader Advisory: the National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the following classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals,

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physicians are not exempted.

Those who swim in muddy water reflect the muddy attitudes that are prevalent in our society.

Many doctors consider themselves “culturally sensitive” but they have come to certain conclusions about poor folks, Black folks, and others that they treat.

It is easier to write off a woman like Anna Brown than it is to find out what is really wrong with her.

The Hippocratic oath that physicians swear to says “first, do no harm.” From the facts that have been published about Anna Brown though, this homeless 29-year-old mother of two was harmed by a medical indifference that landed her in a jail cell instead of a hospital bed. The tragedy is

that Anna Brown is not the only one who has been treated this way.

We have health disparities because people are treated differently in our health care system.

We cannot talk about closing gaps without talking about the ways that medical attitudes shape the medical experience for those who are so underserved that they come to emergency rooms for help. While the jury is out on the ways that Obamacare will reform our health care system, the intent of health care reform is to eliminate tragedies like Anna Brown’s. mi Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer.

She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.

Court of Appeals in Cincinnati to rule 8-7 that ballot initiative, which amended the state constitution, violated the federal Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.

According to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the percentage of Black students enrolled at the University of Michigan had dropped from 6.7 percent in 2006 to 4.5 percent in 2010 as a result of Proposal 2.

The permissible use of affirmative action was thought to be decided for good in 2003. In Gratz v. Bollinger, the court ruled that the University of Michigan’s undergraduate admissions program violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment when it assigned 20 points to minority applicants.

But in Grutter v. Bollinger, the court ruled that when narrowly tailored, race can be lawfully used in combination with other factors as part of the University of Michigan Law School admissions process. In her written opinion, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor cited benefits of “obtaining the educational benefits that flow from

a diverse student body.”

O’Connor, who has since retired from the court, said she did not envision affirmative action in place forever. In fact, she suggested 25 years, without giving a reason why it would not be needed beyond that point.

Now, just 10 years later – and despite this nation’s horrible history on race – the conservative majority on the court seem unwilling to leave affirmative action in place for another 15 years.

As Justice Stephen G. Breyer, a supporter of affirmative action, said last October: “Grutter said it would be good law for at least 25 years, and I know that time flies, but I think only nine of those years have passed.” wi George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach.

Curry can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/ currygeorge.

MALVEAUX continued from Page 40 tors need to do their work without judgmental attitudes getting in their way.

Anna Brown deserved to be treated as a human being. She deserved to be treated as someone who was struggling with pain. Instead, she was treated as a criminal because she insisted on care. Thus, she was accused of trespassing, instead of being treated as someone who was hurting.

While many would describe our society as post-racial that is a specious and inaccurate description of the world in which we live. Racism muddies the water that we all swim in, and

curry continued from Page 40 said if the modest affirmative action program had not been in place, Fisher still would not have qualified for admission. The district and appeals courts agreed, ruling against Fisher. But the Supreme Court decided to accept the case anyway.

Even more surprising was the court’s decision to accept another Michigan case, Schulette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, while Fisher is still pending.

After the Supreme Court upheld affirmative action in the University of Michigan law school case, 58 percent of voters adopted Proposal 2 in 2006, which prohibited discrimination or preferential treatment in public education, government contracting and public employment based on race, ethnicity or gender. It was modeled after a ballot measure passed by California voters in 1996.

Supporters of affirmative action in Michigan, lodged a legal challenge to Proposal 2, paving the path for the U.S. 6th Circuit

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FLETCHER continued from Page 40 In 2013 the Black worker has been largely abandoned in most discussions about race, civil rights, etc. As National Black Worker Center Project founder Steven Pitts has repeatedly pointed out, with the economic restructuring that has destroyed key centers of the Black working class strength, much of the economic development that has emerged has either avoided the Black worker altogether or limitwww.washingtoninformer.com

ed the role of the Black worker to the most menial of positions.

Thus, unemployment for Black workers remains more than double that of Whites and hovers around Depression levels in many communities.

In 1983, I participated in the 20th anniversary March on Washington. Although it attempted to raise the issues of the day, e.g., the threat of Reaganomics, what could also be seen was the canonization of Dr. King as a central feature for too many of the marchers. One

of the worst ways to remember Dr. King, and for that matter the 1963 March, is by canonizing any individual. One of the best ways to remember Dr. King and the March is to use the inspiration from that great day in August 1963 as the energizing force for another round of struggle. mi Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies, the immediate past president of TransAfrica Forum, and the author of “They’re Bankrupting Us” – And Twenty Other Myths about Unions.

Follow him at www.billfletcherjr.com.

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Edelman continued from Page 41

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Muhammad continued from Page 41 the level of their incompetence, and no higher. Ben Carson, hello glass ceiling.

But I have some words for the right-wing zealots who feigned infatuation with Dr. Carson for one reason, and one reason only, because he’s a Black man, and by pretending to embrace him

Republicans could once again proclaim that the United States is now a “post-racial” society.

Bunk.

Granted, Ben Carson is a far more accomplished individual than the previous African American Republican “flavorof-the-month,” pizza magnate Herman Cain, or the one before that, Dr. Alan Keyes. But none of those men have ever

62 Apr. 4, 2013 - Apr. 10, 2013

which instituted a federal background check requirement for sales through licensed dealers, has denied 2.1 million applications to purchase a firearm.

Another bit of misinformation from the NRA is that universal background checks will lead to a registry of gun owners. The Brady Law explicitly bans the creation of a gun owner registry, and under that law instant criminal background checks have been made on more than 100 million gun sales in the last decade without leading to the formation of a gun registry.

Here again, misinformation has paralyzed effective gun safety protections. The vast majority of responsible gun owners support background checks because they know that the only people who will be negatively impacted are criminals and those who sell them firearms.

Please do your homework and decide for yourself. Edu-

cate yourself on what the NRA wants you to believe by reading the Children’s Defense Fund’s updated fact sheet “The Truth About Guns.” During this Easter recess, go to your members of Congress’ town hall meetings and let your members know that the time to be held hostage to the NRA lobby is over. Let’s break the NRA lock on the research door to learn and share the truth about the human, economic and public safety costs of gun violence in our nation. I believe the truth will set us free. wi Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org.

I will let Cantor share that story.

What is fascinating and embarrassing at the same time is that Cantor has come to understand that education is the Civil Rights of the 21st century for the Black community; not homosexual marriage as claimed

by Al Sharpton, Ben Jealous, and Marc Morial.

I find it astonishing that a White, southern Congressman is more in tune with my community than the media appointed Black leaders. Cantor is working through a series of policy issues that I hope will lead to legislation that will benefit the Black community.

Cantor is a man that deserves, at a minimum, more engagement from within the Black community and I plan on working with him to make that happen. As Ronald Reagan once said, “My 80 percent friend is not my 20 percent enemy.” It’s not necessary for you to agree with everything Cantor believes in or accept the party that he represents.

But if he is trying to create a better future for us and our kids, why would you not support and work with him?

If you agree with the media appointed Black leaders that homosexuality is the new Civil Rights, then continue to support them. However, if you believe that the new Civil Rights is education, then please reach out to

Congressman Cantor and let’s help create a better future together.

Cantor has shown the Republicans in the House a pathway to the Black vote. The question is, will they follow his example? Cantor is doing his part by reaching out to the Black community, now will we return the favor? I await my community’s response. wi Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.based public relations/government affairs firm. He can be reached through his Web site, www.raynardjackson. com. You can also follow him on Twitter at raynard1223.

been elected to any public office.

They are untried. They are rank political novices, and they each demonstrated their naiveté by fixing their mouths to say they thought they could be the GOP nominee to be president of the United States. Such flawed thinking alone disqualifies them from serious consideration as being “qualified” to lead this country.

Republicans will never admit it openly, but they will never nominate a “person of color” to be their nominee for the highest office in the land. They will not nominate Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, nor will they nominate South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who are both of Indian extraction. Latino Senators Marco

Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, Fuhgeddaboutit! Republicans want to nominate and elect a Caucasian male to be president and ditto vice president. Period.

You see the arithmetic works like this. Republican voters (dying breed though they may be) only want White guys to lead the country. If you’re not a White guy, you can’t be “whatever” enough to be “The Man.” Black voters – even conservative church-goers – will not support in sufficient numbers a Black candidate who is opposed to the so-called liberal “Black agenda.” Peeling off 15 percent or 20 percent of the Black vote for the GOP is not nearly

enough cushion to help a conservative Black candidate in an election when Whites will be voting their race, not their ideology.

And while we’re on the subject, the Democrats will not nominate another Black person to run for president for a long, long, long time either, no matter how successful President Obama’s second term might be. America’s been there, done that. The only thing another Black presidential candidate can do for Democrats (or Republicans) in the foreseeable future, is introduce the Party to a strong White candidate.

So, Dr. Ben Carson, stay out of politics. Stick to what you know – medicine. wi

actually fatal. We need to make decisions based on the truth and counter the NRA misinformation that has been infecting our nation.

It’s time to challenge and deflate NRA misinformation and recognize that it does not speak for most American gun owners or even the majority of its membership. For example, polling data shows that 85 percent of gun owners and 74 percent of NRA members support universal background checks—a policy position the NRA vehemently opposes.

The NRA argues that background checks don’t work. The reality is that criminal background checks do work and making them universal at the federal level would make them far more effective. Since its implementation in 1994, the Brady Law,

JACKSON continued from Page 41

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