Washington Informer - May 9, 2013

“Mother’s love is peace. It need not be acquired, Happy Mother’s Day! it need not be deserved.”

– Erich Fromm

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Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area / Vol. 48, No. 30 May 9 - May 15, 2013

Racing for

Glory!

Bishop McNamara High School sprinters Jaidlin Hill and Jaela Gay turned up the heat in the 4X100m event during the 2013 Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field on April 25. Bishop McNamara is located in Forestville, Md. See Story on Page 28. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

TANF Redesign Comes with More Cuts

By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program was never intended to be a long-term, multi-generational answer to the poverty that plagues some American families.

But over the decades, psy-

chosocial, mental health, poverty, homelessness and a range of other issues has produced a situation which has left families dependent on the program.

Officials from the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) said during a recent interview that they are in the process of redesigning the TANF pro-

gram, and as they do that, they will be moving more than 9,000 families off the rolls and help them to become more self-sufficient.

“We work on two major issues – homelessness and TANF,” said Department Director David A. Berns. “Food aid is another.

The biggest issue this week is

homelessness which is intimately tied to TANF ... we have never had a handle on housing needs [of families on TANF]. I was absolutely floored, dismayed and amazed that 43 percent of those on TANF are homeless, doubling up or on the verge of homelessness.”

“Families are the biggest part

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Langston Terrace Residents Celebrate Development’s History Page 11

School Budget Hearings Hit Key Issues Page 17

of homelessness. Too many people are housing insecure.”

Berns met representatives of the Washington Informer on Thursday, May 2 with senior staffers including Economic Security Administrator Deborah Carroll; Family Services Admin-

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Dr. Lynn Lightfoote and her Mother Dr. Marilyn Lightfoote

Seith “Mayhem” Mitchell “NBO Heavyweight Champion” (L-R) Cynee Simpson (News 7 Achor) with her Mom

with his Mother Jeanette

Cynthia Brock Smith (Secty of the District of Columbia) with her son

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To “Pearl” Mitchell - “A Special Happy Mother’s Day ” Love You - Signed #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #7 1/2 & #7 1/4 Kurt Pommonths, Sr, Photographer * Photo Enhancer * Graphic Designer TO SEE MORE GALAS, EVENTS - SUBSCRIBE AT WWW.SOCIALSIGHTINGS.COM 2003 © SOCIAL SIGHTINGS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — DUPLICATION IN ANY FORM REQUIRES WRITTEN PERMISSION | E-mail SocialSightings@aol.com

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5/9/2013 5/15/2013 AROUND THE REGION Black Facts Page 6 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Page 13 BUSINESS William Reed’s Business Exchange Page 16 COMMENTARIES Pages 20-21 SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Pages 28-29 RELIGION Lyndia Grant’s Religion Column Page 31 Ten-year-old Xochitl Granados, of the Maru Montero Dance Company, performs during the 21st National Cinco de Mayo Festival on the National Mall on Sunday, May 5. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

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SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

around the region the Cycle of Women Break Domestic Violence

By Tia Carol Jones

law enforcement. She said they had come together to bring a sense of uniformity in the way When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and Visit our updated Web site old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. and give us your comments of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal for a chance to win a gift from life, and the life of their child, story, her own personal pain to The Washington Informer she knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone Email comments to: of the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will rburke@ start the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the paign. case in such a way, the average washingtoninformer.com “It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said at the that won't turn my family end of the day, the book will loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a diashared Barnes. her story with theby audilogue about domestic violence.

Johnny /File Photo Khalid Naji-Allah ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exon May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to six consecWe represent victims of major sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without parole medical malpractice such as Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in Sandra Robinson Jack Olender cerebral palsy. said he hoped many more of By Barrington M. Salmon Center of the city of District he the Beltway Sniper attacks in All 5 lawyers were again elected them join the legal fight.

WI Staffand Writer Heights the National Hook- 2002.would Mildred Muhammad is “Best Lawyers in America” 2012 Citizens in as Up of Black Women. the founder ofcities After as thevaried Trauma, Karen Evans is a nurse/attorney Chicago, Philadelphia Johnny lead attorney Marlow Barnes, has written a book, Baltimore, an organization that helps the Attorney/Pediatrician Harlow Case Karen Evans Melissa Rhea New Orleans have taken to “Color Butterfly,” is a and for theMe group who which filed suit survivors of domestic violence Robert Chabon, M.D., J.D. is the streets, packed hearing and story about four generations of and their children. seeking to stop the city’s school Of Counsel. confronted domesticinviolence.

“I livedrooms in fearand for six years. Six closures its tracks,The said book that hisis meeting inspired by her own experiences, school and elected officials years in fear is a long time. who It is legal team has grown by two. and those of her grandmother, are closing schools, ostensibly not an easy thing to come out Barnes, who is representing her mother and her daughter. for of,” she said. budgetary, enrollment, space the local grassroots organization She said every time she reads andMildred Muhammad other reasons.

Empower said DC Empower DC,hersaid twoshewellIn Memoriam excerpts from book, still ispeople who want to help a a non-profit which helps DisDr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. known respected law came pro- domestic violence victim must can notand believe the words Wilhelmina J. Rolark trict residents become more enfessors are “Color joining the from her.

Me case.

Butterfly” gaged be careful of how they go into in community issues and The Washington Informer Newspaper “I am delighted to have Conwon the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER which advocates on issues such stitutional Law Professor Ja- that she may be in “survival Memoriam Books” Award.

NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is InDenise Rolark Barnes education, child care and afDr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. mie“I Raskin Education when Law as published weekly on each Thursday. was justand 16-years-old mode”. fordable housing.

Wilhelmina J. Rolark STAFF Periodicals postage paid at Washingmy eyeProfessor first blackened my expert John and Brittain “Before you get to 'I'm going Barnes and Empower DC Edton,THE D.C. and additional mailing of- NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published WASHINGTON INFORMER lipspart bled,” as of Marlow our legalsaid. team,” said to kill you,' it started as a verbal Denise W. Barnes, Editor fices.

Newsonand advertising deadlinepostage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional ucation Coordinator Daniel del weekly Thursday.

Periodicals Elaine Davis-Nickens, presiBarnes, 64. “They join the 12 Shantella Assistant Editor mailing prior offices.to News and advertising deadlineY.isSherman, Monday prior to publication. is Monday publication.

AnPielago, 39, said marches, rallies, dent of the National Hook-Up other young lawyers who have Announcements be received nouncements must must be received two two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2000 by The Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director of Black with Women, there is no demands by parents and calls for Washington Informer.

All rights weeks prior to event.

Copyright 2010reserved. POST MASTER: Send change of addressworked us said in developing consistency in the way domestic a moratorium on school closings es to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor

by The Washington Informer. All this case, signaling not only the D.C. 20032.POSTMASTER: No part of this Send publication may be reproduced without written permisviolence issues are dealt with by have yielded little or no response rights reserved. local importance of this case but Khalid Naji-Allah, Photographer sion from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannotStaff guarantee the return of change of addresses to The Washfrom Henderson, Mayor Vincent photographs. Subscription rates are $30 per year, two years $45. Papers will be received the national significance as well.” ington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor Gray or the D.C. Council. The not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: Barnes, who once served as lawsuit is a last-ditched effort King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor 20032. No part of this publication may the director of the American to stave off the closings. And as THE WASHINGTON INFORMER be reproduced without written permisYoung, Design & Layout 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr.Brian Ave., S.E. • Washington, D.C. 20032 Civil Liberties Union in the parents realize what’s happening, 202 561-4100 • Fax: 202 574-3785 sion from the publisher.Phone: The Informer Washington metropolitan area, they’re mobilizing and forming AssureTech /www.scsworks.com, Webmaster news@washingtoninformer.com Newspaper cannot guaranteeE-mail: the return said the addition of Brittain and groups of resistance to the prowww.washingtoninformer.com of photographs. Subscription rates are Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Raskin adds extensive legal ex- posed changes, the men said. $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will Mickey Thompson, Social Sightings columnist be received not more than a week after pertise, know-how and gravitas PUBLISHER The Northwest-based Empublication. Make checks payable to: Denise RolarkPalmer, Barnes Social Media Specialist Stacey to his team. power DC and concerned parSTAFF REPORTERS Empower DC is using the ents are incensed by HenderTHE WASHINGTON INFORMER Brooke N. Garner Managing REPORTERS Editor Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell, courts to fight District of Co- son’s January announcement to 3117 Martin Jr. Ave., S.E Carla PeayLuther King, Assistant Managing Editor Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, Washington, lumbia Schools Chancellor Kaya close more than a dozen schools, Ron BurkeD.C. 20032 Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, Joseph Young Misty Brown, Michelle Phipps-Evans, Phone: 561-4100 Mable202 Whittaker Bookkeeper Henderson who intends to close all of which are located east Eve Ferguson, Elton J. Hayes , Gale Horton Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS Fax:LaNita 202 Wrenn 574-3785 15 schools by the end of the of Rock Creek Park in NorthGay, Barrington Salmon, Stacey Palmer, John E. De Freitas Sports Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, news@washingtoninformer.com Victor Holt Photo Charles Editor E.John E. De Freitas, Maurice Fitzgerald, Sutton ,James Wright, Joseph 2014 academic year. www.washingtoninformer.com west, a historical dividing line Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Young Design Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert During an earlier interview, in the District between whites Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster Ridley, Victor Holt Barnes said he’d been contacted and blacks, the wealthy and the CIRCULATION by lawyers in other cities where working class in the city. Most PHOTOGRAPHERS Paul Trantham organizations and individuals are of the schools are located preJohn E. De Freitas, Roy Lewis, fighting against a school reform dominantly east of the AnacosKhalid Naji-Allah, Shevry Lassiter effort that critics say is margin- tia River. Among the casualties: alizing non-whites and those Spingarn Senior High School in 4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com who fall into the middle and Northeast. working class. Barnes also said Last month, the lawsuit, which they’d asked to see his filing, and was filed in D.C. Superior Court,

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WI Staff Writer

threat,” she said.

Among the programs Marlow wants to see implemented are stricter restraining order policies, more rights for victim's families to intervene on behalf of a victim, a domestic violence assessment unit coupled with further training for law enforcement agencies, a Child's Life Protection Act and mandatory counseling for batterers.

“If we are ever going to eradicate domestic violence, we must look at both sides of the coin.

We need to address both the victim and the batterer,” Marlow said.

Marlow would also like to see programs designed to raise awareness among children in public and private schools. She feelsbumped childrenup need to be educatwas to federal court. ed about domestic violence.

Judge James Boasberg set a May “We have to stop being pas10 date to hear with arguments to sive-aggressive poor as chilwhy he should act on the organidren about domestic violence,” zation’s Marlowlegal said.request.

Barnes legal to team is Marlowsaid has his worked break hoping a the cycletheofjudge abusegrants in her them family, and is confident the policies she temporary restraining order and pushing for will start that aispreliminary injunction. process.

The lawsuit is the tip of a “I plan to take these policies to contentious, high-stakes power Congress between and implore themand to struggle parents change our laws,” Marlow said. the District of Columbia Public “I will not stop until these poliSchool over the direction cies aresystem passed.” of Tia theCarol city’sJones traditional public can be reached schools.

Educators and educaat tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net tion advocates across the countryWI are watching the D.C. case closely since this is the first city where opponents of school closings have filed a lawsuit.

Barnes said the legal team filed its final brief recently. Empower DC plans to hold a rally at 9:30 a.m., on the morning of the hearing in front of the courthouse at 333 Constitution Avenue in Northwest. At 11 a.m., del Pielago and Barnes said their supporters will pack Hearing Room 19 to watch the deliberations which will be presided over

by Boasberg.

He said a final ruling is expected to be handed down by May 22, before the D.C. Council finalizes the city’s budget for fiscal year 2014.

“I think we have a strong legal case. We’re pretty confident that L.Y. Marlow the law is on our side but law and justice don’t always meet. I hope it meets in court. Our lawsuit has sparked cases all over the country. All are enjoined into our case. This is a national issue, a national emergency,” Barnes said.wi

Empower DC Gets a Legal Boost

“

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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“

4 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

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D.C. Political Roundup

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

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om

Bonds Will Keep Party Chairmanship Newly elected D.C. Council member Anita Bonds (D-At Large) made it clear that she has no intention of abdicating

You Can Say It Like A Pro!

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■ Executive Presentation Coaching Bonds, 68, ■ Media Training won her bid to keep her seat on ■ Image Consultations the D.C. Coun■ On-Camera Coaching cil on April 23, but faced criticism by some Democrats that she will not be an effective council member D.C. Council member Jim Graham hopes to while working honor two Ward 1 leaders by renaming various a full-time job streets in their names. /Courtesy Photo C O M M U N I C AT I O N S at Fort Myer 301.292.9141/FAX 301.292.9142/Mobile 703.819.0920 Construction in doris@mcmilloncommunications.com/www.mcmilloncommunications.com Northeast and lead the city’s dominant political party. The council member has said publicly that she will step down from her position at the construction company to devote her time to her job at the John A. Wilson Building in Northwest, but Robert Moore is the president of the Development Denise Rolark Barnes also said that she Corporation of Columbia Heights. / Courtesy photo Independent Beauty Consultant will remain chair www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com of the party.

202-236-8831 “I have been a good party D.C. statehood,” she said. “We chair,” Bonds said in an inter- will be welcomed in those placview on April 30. “We have es because of our work.” gotten a lot of things done and Hawaii Senate Supports we have a lot of respect from D.C. Voting Rights D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray rethe other state parties in the Democratic National Com- cently thanked the Hawaii State mittee across the nation. It has Senate for supporting a resolubeen under my watch that the tion urging the U.S. Congress Democratic National Commit- to grant full voting rights for tee passed the first resolution residents of the District.

The upper chamber of the supporting D.C. statehood.”

Hawaiian legislature passed the It’s not unusual for an elected pro-D.C. voting rights measure official to lead a political party, – State Concurrent Resolution though most choose to have activists at the helm. U.S. Rep. 135 – on April 26. Gray, 70, Debbie Wasserman Schultz said that the District and the from Florida is the chair of the Aloha State have always shared Democratic National Commit- a strong bond.

“The state of Hawaii has tee and Virginia’s Democratic Party is led by Del. Charniele a long history of supporting the District despite the nearly Herring (D-Alexandria).

Bonds said that connecting 5,000 miles that separate us,” “They have with other state and national the mayor ‡ said.

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 Beauty Consultant in 9-point step in Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica party leaders is key for the Dis- taken the important To the Independent Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may raising awareness of this issue trict to achieve statehood.

“We have built relationships in Hawaii and I hope that their that will be useful to us when outrage toward the District’s we visit statehouses across the disenfranchisement will spread country to press the case for across the country.” WI ennis.c .saded /www Dennis : Sade Photo

Graham Honors Leaders in Ward 1 Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) submitted resolutions on April 30 to the D.C. Council to honor the late civil rights leader Lawrence Guyot and Robert Moore, the president and chief executive officer of the Development Corporation of Columbia Heights (DCCH).

Graham, 67, asked that the D.C. Council approve changing the names of portions of U Street in Northwest, beginning at 5th Street to 6th Street, to “Lawrence Guyot Way” and Girard Street, beginning at 14th and Girard over to 15th and Girard Street, to “Robert L. Moore Way.” Guyot, who served as an advisory neighborhood commissioner and also as a member of DCCH, died on Nov. 23, at the age of 73. Moore continues to battle serious health issues.

Graham and Guyot waged wars over issues of economic development and political power in Ward 1 over the years.

It proved to be a highly contentious relationship. The veteran D.C. Council member also disagreed with Moore – who lives in Ward 8 – on aspects of economic development in the gentrified ward.

The renaming of portions of streets is non-controversial and is expected to easily pass the D.C. Council. When Graham’s resolutions pass, the District Department of Transportation will work to change the signs on the affected streets, with the support of D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.

While Graham has not always agreed with Guyot and Moore, he has nothing but praise for their work in his ward.

“Lawrence Guyot was a giant of a man,” he said. “He was known throughout the country as an activist for civil rights and justice. I worked sideby-side with Bob Moore on turning around [the] 14th and 15th Street [blocks] of Girard and I wish him the very best.”

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Week of may 9 TO may 15

Black Facts Louisianan.

1994 – After being released from 27 years of imprisonment for his battles against the racist system of apartheid, Nelson Mandela is elected the first Black president of South Africa.

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1970 JSU Police Shooting

May 9 1952 – The boxer-turned-actor Canada Lee dies in New York City at the age of 45. Second only to the legendary Paul Robeson, Lee was the leading serious (non comedic) Black actor of the 1940’s. He gave impressive performances in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller “Lifeboat” (1944), the boxing classic “Body and Soul” (1947) and “Cry, The Beloved Country” (1951). However, like Robeson, Lee’s film career came to an end during the McCarthy Era when a host of Black and white stars, who were also social activists, were labeled communists and denied jobs.

May 10 1837 – P.B.S. Pinchback is born in Macon, Georgia to a white plantation owner and a free Black woman. He becomes one of the leading Black politicians of the Reconstruction era, especially in Louisiana. After the Civil War, he became lieutenant governor of Louisiana and actually served as governor for 43 days. He was later elected to both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

He would also play a significant role in the establishment of Southern University and a major Black newspaper known as the

6 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

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May 11 1968 – Nine caravans of protesters arrive in Washington, D.C. for the first phase of the Poor Peoples Campaign – an anti-poverty effort conceived by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The campaign aimed to united Black, white and Hispanic poor people in an effort to pressure the government to do more to eliminate poverty in America. King had been assassinated the previous April, so the campaign was led by his lieutenant Rev. Ralph Abernathy. The campaign erected a Resurrection City near the Lincoln Monument and held daily demonstrations in Washington from May 14th to June 24th.

May 12 1940 – Jazz singer Al Jarreau was born on this day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

May 13 1865 – The last battle of the Civil War ends. Ironically, it appears the Confederate troops won the battle at Palmetto Ranch, Texas. However, it was the actions and bravery of the 62nd Regiment of United States Colored Troops which prevented the defeat from turning into a rout. The Confederates had actually underestimat-

ed the fighting prowess of the Blacks assuming they would run in fear when the fighting started.

Instead, what occurred was the rapid defeat of two white regiments but the Black soldiers of the 62nd held firm. The Confederates would later surrender.

1950 – Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder is born Steveland Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan.

Wonder has recorded 30 Top Ten hits and has won 24 Grammy awards – a record for any living artist.

May 14 1970 – A student protest on the campus of Mississippi’s Jackson State University leads to a massive confrontation with local police authorities. When the smoke cleared, two students had been shot and killed and another 12 injured or wounded.

Reasons given for the protests ranged from opposition to the War in Vietnam, racial tensions and anger over the National Guard killings of white students on the campus of Kent State University earlier in the month.

The university memorialized the disturbance by naming the area where it took place “GibbsGreen Plaza” after the two students who were killed – Phillip Lafayette Gibbs (21) and James Earl Green (17).

1985 – In a confrontation with the Black nationalist, back-to-nature group MOVE, Philadelphia police drop an incendiary device on the group’s home and headquarters. The decision to bomb had been apparently approved

by Black Mayor Wilson Goode.

Eleven MOVE members, including five children, were killed.

May 15 1942 – The 93rd Infantry is activated and assigned to combat in the Pacific. It thus became the first African American division formed during World War II.

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INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY LINDEN

Viewp int Curtis Jefferson Washington, D.C. Traditionally, homosexuality in the professional sports area has been taboo. Lately, it’s been more prevalent not just in sports, but in society. For me, it’s sad for the traditional nuclear black family.

Not coming out or being true to yourself is one thing, but being true to your significant other is a whole different realm in terms of him being dishonest with her. I really feel for her.

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Greg King Washington, D.C. Without knowing his personality, I will say it’s a challenge when you’re a public figure. He was a star player in college, and then he went on to play professional basketball. When you’re a public figure, it’s hard to keep your personal and professional life separated. Ideally, this will help the next player who struggles [with his sexuality]. Collins was honest in the end. In the long-term, his fiancée will be better off knowing now and not after they married. Perhaps the eight-year engagement should have been a tell-tale sign to her that things weren’t as they appeared to be.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON FORMER WIZARDS PLAYER JASON COLLINS COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET? SHOULD COLLINS HAVE TOLD HIS FIANCEE BEFORE IT REACHED THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION?

Kevin Jenkins Washington, D.C. It was his personal choice to come out when he felt comfortable enough to do so, and did. His being a professional athlete shouldn’t make a difference. With matters such as these, it’s up to that person.

I think it’s great for the sport.

Collins accepted his decision and took a stance on who he is, and that is important.

Reverend Anthony Farmer Mount Rainier, Md. I believe it takes great courage for someone to come out, as Collins has. I think he’s an inspiration for other people who are struggling with their sexuality or other aspects of their life – their spirituality. I support him for standing in his truth and will do so for the rest of his journey, because it will be a tough one for him. I wish he would have told his fiancée sooner, but I also know it’s not that simple. It sounds easy, but it’s not that simple.

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Crystal Kitt Washington, D.C. I think it’s irrelevant and I am curious as to know his motivation for coming out. Your sexual orientation has nothing to do with you scoring baskets and doing your job on the basketball court. That’s fine if you want to come out to your family members and close friends, but what is his motivation for getting on the national stage and making that kind of announcement? I feel for his fiancée as that would be a crushing blow to find that out about someone who I loved. The best thing that could have happened did for her in getting out of the relationship when she was able to.

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

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AROUND THE REGION “Our new philosophy is that no one deserves to be on TANF. Families on TANF are living at about 40 percent of the federal poverty level. When children are raised in poverty, their opportunities to succeed in school, their opportunities to be healthy and their likelihood to develop into successful adults are greatly reduced. No child deserves to live in poverty so TANF isn’t good enough.”

David A. Berns, the director of the D.C. Department of Human Services. /Photo provided by the D.C. Department of Human Services

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ASSISTANCE continued from Page 1 istrator Fred Swan; Public Information Officer Reggie Sanders; and Chief Operating Officer Nicole Neighbors-Jackson.

Berns said on October 1 of this year, half of TANF’s 14,000 work-eligible families now receiving assistance will see a 25 percent cut of their cash benefits, which comes on top of the 20 percent reduction that occurred two years ago. And by October 2015, more than 10,000 TANF families currently on the rolls will have exceeded their 60-month time limit and will no longer be eligible for cash benefits.

This is the first reduction of TANF benefits since Berns came onboard at the agency.

“The city council passed emergency legislation to delay cuts until October 1,” said Berns. “And the October 1 cuts have been delayed until next year. Our clients will be eligible to receive benefits for another two years.”

Berns said 6,000 families fall into this category and each month, 100-150 families reach the five-year limit. And the cuts will apply to 10,000 of the 14,000 families who receive assistance. He said the reductions are incremental and for a family The Washington Informer

who receives $400 a month, the reduction represents an $80 cut.

Over time, the cash benefits will be reduced by $80 increments until the family is completely off the rolls. And they will be phased out completely by October 2015.

After Congress placed the five-year limit on TANF benefits, most states eliminated local funding and imposed stringent work requirements and substantial penalties if families didn’t complete their Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP).

“But the District of Columbia went in the other direction,” said Berns. “Policymakers believed that the time limits were unrealistic for many of our TANF families and as a result, time limits were not imposed, work requirements were minimal and local money was used to replace federal funding that was no longer available.”

Although the original decision was intended to deal with this issue in a humane way, he said, there were unintended consequences and families remained on TANF for years.

But Berns said since he took over as DHS’s director two years ago, he has instructed his staff to knock down the silos that separate programs such as TANF and homelessness and break up each program then blend and

– David A. Berns fully integrate them.

“They [program heads] took the best people from CFSA [Child and Family Services Administration], Child Support, TANF and the homelessness program and put them in a room,” Berns said. “To their credit, they got it done … cross systems has allowed us to place 459 families and thousands have been diverted because of the unified system.”

When he came, Berns said, the agency had no mechanism to conduct needs assessments for people who came into DHS offices. Often, Berns said, clients would get certificates for participating in program training but some providers would do assessments and not share them.

So officials went to the federal government and together they developed a new tool to look at all aspects of a client’s life.

Carroll said the redesign ensures that each parent completes the assessment so that case managers can identify any potential barriers to work, health issues, and determine the level of each parent’s education, talents and knowledge, as well as the overall needs of that particular family.

With that done, then DHS can offer services that fit that per-

See ASSISTANCE on Page 9 www.washingtoninformer.com

around the region

A long line formed in front of the Department of Human Services’ Income Maintenance Administration in Northeast on Tuesday, May 7. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

ASSISTANCE continued from Page 8 son’s specific needs, with an eye to moving that person toward independence.

Advocacy groups like the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless had been critical of the department for the delays in implementation of the redesign.

DHS was also taken to task for: “being behind the curve in terms of providing support services to assist families; for not counting the time that families receive TANF when health issues prevent the parent from working; for not allowing the time parents spend caring for a disabled child to count toward the family’s lifetime limit on TANF; and for not making the months a parent can’t work because he or she is fleeing from domestic violence count against those limits.

But officials at the homeless clinic did say that “the new individualized approach holds great promise as we move away from the ‘one-size-fits-all system of the past.’”

Carroll and Berns said they are working with a greater sense of urgency and hope and remain committed to ending dependence on TANF by those in need.

“Our new philosophy is that no one deserves to be on www.washingtoninformer.com

TANF,” Berns said. “Families on TANF are living at about 40 percent of the federal poverty level. When children are raised in poverty, their opportunities to succeed in school, their opportunities to be healthy and their likelihood to develop into successful adults are greatly reduced. No child deserves to live in poverty so TANF isn’t good enough.”

Berns and Carroll acknowledged the challenges, citing mental and physical health issues, lack of affordable child care, a lack of education and job skills and domestic violence as barriers to employment. Under the redesign, as TANF is phased out, assessments, orientations and IRPs will determine conditions of eligibility. Failure to follow through on the negotiated plans may result in substantial financial penalties to families.

But the penalties and increased responsibilities families now bear is balanced out by what Berns and Carroll described as “carrots” – such as incentives, pay bonuses and income disregards. If for an example, a client makes $500 on a part-time job and receives $400 in benefits, the first $160 will be disregarded.

DHS gives clients money to help with child care, transportation and such.

Finding jobs for clients is key,

said Carroll.

“The average length of time people spend on the job is 6090 days,” she said. “So we gave providers [employers] incentives.

We also try to steer clients to hot jobs.”

So because of the glut of people who are certified nursing assistants, clients with this certificate are encouraged to get an associate’s degree or to become a licensed professional nurse.

Clients are also directed to construction trades, hospitality and some areas of the medical field such as medical or lab technicians. Carroll said clients receive financial aid and the transportation stipend has been increased from $10 to $15 a day.

Berns characterized the DHS thrust as “get a job, get a better job, get a career.”

“We offer our clients supports, bonuses and continued resources after they get a job. Our clients have more going on than we can identify. We’re not giving up on them. The economic climate is a barrier but we have enough jobs available to hire them all.

The message to our clients is that anybody who has a job will be better off than those without one. People cannot wait until the last minute. They have to take charge, have hope,” he said. WI The Washington Informer

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around the region

The District of Columbia expects the H Street/Benning Road Streetcars to bring jobs into the city. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

Streetcars Expected to Bring Jobs to the City

By Michelle Phipps-Evans WI Staff Writer District of Columbia residents will have something to celebrate once the city’s new streetcar system becomes operational this fall.

Some will have an additional public transportation option, while for others, there’ll be more employment choices for those seeking jobs.

“Getting the streetcar vehicles ready for testing is a major step toward implementing a new streetcar system,” said Gray, 70, at the launch of the streetcar testing phase on May 1 in Southwest.

“D.C. Streetcar is also looking to hire eight operations and maintenance employees – the first new hires in what will be many jobs created, both directly and indirectly, by the revival of streetcars in the District of Columbia for the first time in half a century.”

The initial eight non-union jobs expected to be offered at a D.C. Streetcar job fair on May 14 at the Northeast office of the D.C. Department of Employment Services, are for operators, mechanics, parts clerks and service attendants.

Once hired, the team will be led by an experienced transit management team, said Dara Ward, a spokesperson for D.C. Streetcar, a program that’s administered through the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT).

“RATP Dev McDonald Transit (RDMT) team is working in partnership with The Midtown Group, which will serve in a human resource and administrative capacity for the team,” said Ward.

“Together, they’re looking for a committed, community-minded

10 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

The Washington Informer

workforce. There is a strong belief in camaraderie with the management team – everyone is working toward the same goal and everyone is doing the job.”

RDMT which served as the operations and maintenance team for the D.C. Streetcar program since July 2012, is a joint-venture formed by RATP Dev America and its transit subsidiary, Fort Worth, Texas-based McDonald Transit Associates, Inc. Ward expects the streetcar program to eventually hire approximately 30 people for safety-sensitive positions from the Washington metropolitan area.

Candidates for the permanent positions must be drug-free, she said, adding that the hires fall under the District’s First Source Law, which requires about 51 percent of new hires be D.C. residents.

The city’s three streetcars are passenger vehicles that operate on fixed rails on public streets. The streetcars are modern with air conditioning and a low-floor center section for wheelchair accessibility.

Expected to start services in late 2013, the streetcars will run its first route between the H Street and Benning Road corridor in Northeast. It’s a 2.4 mile segment that’s expected to serve the residents, businesses, commuters and visitors between Union Station and the Anacostia River, and future routes to areas such as the Georgetown waterfront are also in the plans. The start of the regular service by the streetcars this fall marks its return to D.C. after more than 50 years.

Gray joined city officials May 1 to mark the launch of the streetcar

testing phase at the D.C. Streetcar Testing and Commissioning site on South Capitol Street in Southwest.

Testing will be conducted by engineers from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Inekon, the company that manufactured the vehicles, until the fall, when DDOT plans to move the streetcars to the H Street/Benning Road corridor to begin certification on the Union Station to Oklahoma Avenue line. Each line must be certified individually as it joins the D.C. Streetcar system. Similar to vehicle testing, certification involves testing each component of the line to verify its safety before the start of passenger service.

“We’re excited to start the post-delivery testing phase,” said DDOT director, Terry Bellamy, at the May 1 event.

Even beyond the direct employment the streetcars will provide, according to DDOT, the secondary employment impact of D.C. Streetcar will be much greater. The District expects that the economic development spurred by streetcars will provide a number of new jobs for District residents, and will provide greater access to existing jobs in other neighborhoods for residents who rely on transit to get to work.

“We are eager to get started,” said Lou Brusati, RDMT’s general manager for D.C. Streetcar. “The excitement around the project continues to build and working along with the District’s Department of Transportation, we are committed to getting the streetcars up and running here in the District.” WI www.washingtoninformer.com

around the region

Former Langston Terrace residents Jean Harris, 74, Vedie Jones, 78, Vivian Parker, 77 and Alton Vaughn, 76 reminisce during the 75th anniversary celebration of the Langston Terrace Dwellings in Northeast on Saturday, May 4. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

Langston Terrace Residents Celebrate Development’s History

By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer Nation’s Second Oldest Public Housing Development Turns 75 Two days before the 75th anniversary celebration of the Langston Terrace Dwellings in Northeast, Sheena Anderson, 28, sat atop a hill at the historic complex, enjoying the buzz of life taking place below, on Benning Road.

Every now and then, she’d point out something interesting to her two-year-old nephew who was perched on her lap.

“It’s nice to just sit out here and look at all that’s going on,” said Anderson, who’s lived at the 300-unit public housing project for the past four years.“People who don’t live here think it’s dangerous and violent, but to me, this is a community, a family. It’s a nice neighborhood that’s about our culture and our history.”

The Langston Terrace Dwellings, located at 21st and G streets – off the busy Benning Road corridor, is distinguished as the oldest public housing complex in the nation’s capital.

And, last Saturday, its predominantly African-American residents celebrated the complex’s storied past with a range of activities that included music, artwork and walking tours.

Speakers on hand for the merriment included Ward 5 Council member Kenyan McDuffie, D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton – and Eloise Greenfield, one of the

complex’s original tenants.

Langston Terrace is the second oldest public housing complex in the country, next to the First Houses projects in New York City that was dedicated in 1935.

Built during the mid-1930s with federal government funding, Langston which opened in 1938, was constructed at a cost of $1.8 million in honor of John Mercer Langston, a Virginia congressman and attorney who founded the law school at Howard University.

Like Langston, the complex’s architect and many of its builders who were from D.C. – were African American.

At its completion, the complex which boasts Bauhaus architecture, consisted of 274 units which provided affordable housing to working-class families who competed for the opportunity to live there during a period of extreme housing shortages for blacks in the District. Over the years, additional units were added. At its opening, the project which was part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s Public Works Administration, was noted in black publications as a place where a family of moderate means could dwell in modern comfort.

“Almost all of the construction workers were African American,” said Dena Michaelson, spokeswoman for the D.C. Public Housing Authority. “And what’s so wonderful about that is the devel-

www.washingtoninformer.com

opment was really targeted to African-American Washington residents – many of whom had come up from the South and were working in the city during post World War I years.”

Michaelson added that Langston Terrace – which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites in 1987, serves today as a “wonderful historical” development.

Greenfield, a noted children’s book author, who still lives in the District, grew up in Langston Terrace where her family moved to 75 years ago on May 5, 1938. She was just nine years old at the time, but recalls growing up in a warm, family-oriented community.

“I fell in love with Langston Terrace the very first time I saw it. Our family had been living in two rooms of a three-story house when Mama and Daddy saw the newspaper article telling of the plans to build it,” Greenfield, 84, wrote years later in her biography titled Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir.

“It was going to be a lowrent housing project in Northeast Washington, and it would be named in honor of John Mercer Langston . . . The red mud surrounding the concrete walks had not been covered with black soil and grass seed, and the holes … for young trees were filled with rainwater.

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See LANGSTON on Page 12 The Washington Informer

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

11

AROUND THE REGION LANGSTON continued from Page 11 But it still looked beautiful to me.”

Michaelson said that many seniors reside at the complex, and that they looked forward to Saturday’s celebration.

Among them were Patricia Gordon, 68, who’s been a resident for the past 30 years and Minnie Lovett, 76, who moved in 10 years ago.

Lovett refrains from much interaction with her neighbors, preferring she said, to stay to herself.

“I’ve been here 10 years,” she said of her move from the Kenilworth community just a stone’s throw away. “I have no desire to go back to Kenilworth because this is such a nice, comfortable environment.”

Asked about the renovations and influx of non-blacks mov-

COMING TO

Langston Terrace celebrated its 75th anniversary on May 5. /Photo by Dorothy Rowley

ing into the area that stretches from the Langston Golf Course on Benning Road, close to the H Street side of Union Station, Lovett said she doesn’t mind the changes.

“I don’t have a thing to do

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with those new folks moving in. If they don’t mind our business, we won’t mind theirs,” she said.

But Gordon said she and many of her neighbors take is-

sue with the trolley car tracks, increased traffic and the “not so subtle” hints of gentrification on Benning Road, saying it erodes the historical significance of their community.

“We don’t like it one bit. It takes [decimates] our history, including the city’s plan to close Spingarn [Senior High School],” Gordon said. “It seems like they’re trying to come in and force us out.”

Otherwise, Gordon makes it no secret that she’s content calling Langston Terrace her home.

“I tell everybody that I wouldn’t have it any other way. . . I came here 30 years ago because I had to have some place to live and I love my one-bedroom home,” said the North Carolina native who’s planted a variety of flowers and shrubs around her home’s entrance.

“At Langston Terrace, we have good managers and we have good neighbors – and I have a good place to live.” WI

Eric C. Brown, Director

Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development Places Two Homes in House Lottery for 2013 Housing Fair

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The Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will host its 2013 Housing Fair on Saturday, June 1st at the Sports and Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. At last year’s Housing Fair, DHCD held its first House Lottery and provided a home to the winner at a substantially reduced price.

This year, DHCD will provide two houses for the House Lottery and pre-qualified applicants.

Again, this year, applicants must be present at the Housing Fair where the winning names will be drawn by County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III. Both houses have been completely renovated, meet “green” building standards which include Energy Star appliances, and are offered to applicants at well below market rate.

The first house is located at 3620 Woodcreek Drive, Suitland, MD. This beautiful three story townhouse has 3 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths, a finished walk-out basement, an open floor plan with a wood-burning fireplace and new deck, granite countertops and new energy star appliances.

Renovation work for this home included: installation of a new roof and new air conditioning unit; replacement of existing kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, new ceramic tile in all three the bathrooms, and landscaping to enhance curb appeal. The home sets in a beautiful town home community and backs into a serene wooded area. The price of the home is $194,999.00.

Applicants’ income cannot exceed 120% of the area median income.

The second house is located at 4631 Dowell Lane, Suitland, MD. This lovely duplex has been provided by the Housing Initiative Partnership (HIP) and completely renovated by their housing team. The house has 3 bedrooms, 1 ½ baths on a corner lot with a wrap-around porch. It has an open concept with hardwood floors, granite countertops, new stainless steel Energy Star appliances. It meets “green” building standards that include new windows, new doors and new hot water heater. The price of the home is $160,000.00. Applicants’ income cannot exceed 80% of the area median income.

To apply for one or both of these homes, applicants can down load an application at: www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/dhcd and click on House Lottery. The application deadline is Friday, May 17, 2013.

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Death Penalty Repealed in Maryland Expanded Voting, Medical Marijuana and Other Measures Signed

By Gale Horton Gay WI Staff Writer ANNAPOLIS – After a protracted fight, one signature proved to be the final action that repealed the death penalty in Maryland.

Gov. Martin O’Malley signed the law repealing the death penalty on May 2 before a packed house.

O’Malley said the state has “a moral responsibility to stop doing the things that are wasteful, and that are expensive, and that do not work. Therefore, we are signing into law today a repeal [of] the death penalty in Maryland.”

While the signing took only a few seconds, there happened to be so many individuals interested in this legislation that O’Malley and others had to pose for photographs numerous times to accommodate requests.

“I want to thank Benjamin Civiletti, who led the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment, some 40 years ago,” said O’Malley. “That work, that understanding, and that ability to bring people together, so that all of us could talk openly and honestly and confront our fears, and also confront the truths that unite us, was also a big part of what enabled us to get to this point.”

Benjamin Todd Jealous, national president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and Gerald Stansbury, president of the NAACP Maryland State Conference attended the historic signing at the State House in Annapolis.

O’Malley thanked Jealous along with several other senators and delegates for their efforts in ending the death penalty in the state.

“Today Maryland becomes the first state south of the Mason Dixon line to repeal the death penalty,” said Jealous.

“This is a great day for Maryland and a great day for justice. Maryland is now the sixth state in six years to repeal the www.washingtoninformer.com

death penalty. We are confident we will abolish capital punishment in its entirety throughout the United States within our lifetimes.”

Stansbury said that a broad coalition such as the one that came together in Maryland should be replicated across the country to repeal the death penalty nationwide.

“We are on the right side of history on this issue,” said Stansbury. “Ending the death penalty will benefit all people in this state. Though our justice system is still imperfect, this is a major step toward correcting it.”

The NAACP counts among a number of coalition groups and individuals who fought to end the death penalty.

A number of groups that included Amnesty International, relatives of inmates and at least one former death row inmate who was later exonerated stood among the throng who crowded the lobby, staircase and the Governor’s Reception Room in the State House for the signing of a number of new laws.

One woman, who refused to disclose her name, said she sneaked away from work to attend the signing ceremony.

“I just think the death penalty is abhorrent,” said the woman who identified herself only as a Prince George’s County resident. “You can’t undo a mistake.”

Wearing a “Who Would Jesus Execute?” button, the woman added that too often people sentenced to the death penalty lack financial resources to obtain adequate legal representation.

She said she was a member of the Community of Sant’Egidio, an international Catholic organization that has “worked long and hard” to abolish the death penalty in Maryland and around the world.

The repeal of the death penalty, which goes into effect October 1, specifies that in cases in which the state has filed a notice to seek a sentence of death, the notice shall be considered withdrawn and a

Gov. Martin O’Malley signed the law repealing the death penalty in Maryland on May 2 before a packed house. /Photo provided by Gov. O’Malley’s office

sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole will take its place.

Opponents of the repeal have reportedly vowed to have the issue decided by a referendum vote.

A website already has been established to gather petition signatures to force the death penalty issue to be decided by a public vote. At MDPetitions. com, the opening web page poses the question “What if … it was the ‘Baltimore Marathon Bombing?’ Now is NOT the time to repeal the death penalty in Maryland.”

Washington County Delegate Neil Parrott (R), who has led several referendum efforts, has been identified as the chair of MDPetitions.com. Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger (D), has also stated his opposition to the repeal of the death penalty. He calls the death penalty a “valuable tool” for law enforcement.

Other bills also signed into law by O’Malley on May 2 included: expansion of early voting, establishment of a center for school safety, anti-bullying and legalization of medical marijuana.wi The Washington Informer

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

13

national

Mignon Clyburn. /Courtesy Photo

New FCC Chair Continues Prison Phone Battle Mignon Clyburn Says Rates Are Unfair To Inmates and Families

By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer

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14 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

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Mignon Clyburn, a veteran policymaker from the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, has been appointed acting chair of the Federal Communications Commission, the first woman to ever hold the post.

Since joining the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2009, Clyburn remains a leader in the fight to reduce telephone rates for prison inmates throughout the country and, in her first interview since being appointed by President Barack Obama to her new post, she vows to continue that battle.

“Tens of thousands of consumers have written, emailed, and telephoned the Federal Communications Commission, pleading for relief on interstate long distance rates from correctional facilities and I intend to keep pushing this issue,” said Clyburn, 51.

Clyburn said that she could not discuss details regarding her recent appointment, which was announced on May 1.

However, the second-term FCC commissioner is miffed that rates make it cheaper to place a cellular telephone call from as far away as Singapore than it is for an inmate to make an interstate collect call from prisons in the United States.

According to data from various telephone companies, including Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, the average cost of a call to Singapore is 12 cents per minute, while a call from prison includes a $3.95 connection fee regardless of the length

of the conversation.

“One five-minute call from prison could be as high as $17 with the connection fee and the per minute rate can be as high as 89 cents,” Clyburn said. “That framework can be as high as your regular monthly phone bill. We’re talking a significant amount of money for those who are least likely to be able to afford that type of engagement. All of this has motivated me to keep this fight going,” she said.

Clyburn, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Banking, Finance and Economics from the University of South Carolina, served as chair of South Carolina’s Public Service Commission from 2002 to 2004.

While Clyburn has made her mark in the public sector, she remains proud of her background in media – that’s where she learned to speak truth to power.

“It was on an African-American newspaper, the Coastal Times, in South Carolina,” she said. Clyburn co-owned and operated the newspaper with her father, Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), the former House majority whip and the current Assistant Democratic Leader.

Clyburn said she will continue to pressure regulators to find more affordable solutions and rates for inmates and their families.

Two private companies own the service that operate all prison phone calls in the country, Global Tel*Link Corp. of Mobile, Ala., and Securus Technologies, Inc. of Dallas, Texas. A spokeswoman at

See CLYBURN on Page 15 www.washingtoninformer.com

national CLYBURN continued from Page 14 Global Tel*Link and a secretary at Securus each declined comment.

Officials from both companies have previously said during a conference in New York last year that the higher rates are due to the security features their technology provides, such as monitoring phone calls and blocking numbers.

“But, technology is readily available and not something that should translate to $15 for a 15-minute phone call,” said Steven Renderos, national organizer for the Center for Media Justice in Oakland, Calif.

Rates for the calls widely vary from state-to-state, but the commissions received by the phone companies and prisons are high, Renderos said.

“For example, in Alabama the commission rate is 61.5 percent, and this translates to families having to pay 89 cents a minute on top of the $3.95 connection fee every time a family member receives a call,” said Renderos.

“Eight states, California, South Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Michigan, and Missouri, have banned these commissions and in those states, you see some of the lowest rates for phone calls,” he said.

The District of Columbia prohibits any surcharge, commission, or other financial imposition on prisoners’ phone calls beyond legally established phone rates, which are limited to the maximum rate determined by the District’s Public Service Commission, agency officials said.

Clyburn, who in 2001 began work to reduce the rates and recruited Jesse Jackson’s Operation Push to assist, said the telephone is a crucial instrument for the incarcerated, and those who care about them, because telephone usage is often the only communications option available.

“Maintaining contact with family and friends during incarceration not only helps the inmate, but it is beneficial to our society as a whole because there are well over two million children with at least one parent behind bars and regardless of their circumstances, both children and parents gain from regular contact with one another,” said Clyburn.

A major hurdle in the battle to reduce the call rates is the “Almighty dollar,” officials at the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) said. Last week, representatives from the CBC also signed on to help Clyburn fight the exorbitant costs of prison calls. www.washingtoninformer.com

The phone market in state prison systems is worth more than $362 million annually. Payments to governments in return for exclusive phone contracts account for an estimated 42 percent nationwide, or $152 million per year, according to a 2011 report published by Prison Legal News.

Also, while telephone companies sometimes provide reduced rates for evening and nighttime calls, many prisoners don’t have the luxury of scheduling phone calls during those time periods.

When Louisiana issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for prison phone services in 2001, it specified that the maximum points should be awarded to the bidder who bids the highest percentage of compensation. It also stated a desire that the bidder’s compensation percentages be “as high as possible,” the study stated.

When the Alaska Department of Corrections issued an RFP in 2007, bidders were rated on a point system with 60 percent of the evaluation points assigned to cost.

Some of America’s prisons are privately owned and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), meaning that they are for-profit businesses and pay dividends to shareholders.

Cornell Companies Inc. (whose NYSE symbol is CRN), Corrections Corp. of America (CXW) and Geo Group Inc. (GEO), are the three companies that own prisons in the U.S. Cornell, which operates in 15 states and the District of Columbia, is currently trading at $29.45 a share. Stock for Corrections Corp., the largest owner of partnership correction and detention facilities and one of the largest prison operators in the United States, is trading at $37.07. Located in Boca Raton, Fla., the Geo Group is trading at $37.92 a share and the company is expected to release its first quarter financials on May 9.

“I’m optimistic on a number of fronts,” Clyburn said. “Our office has constantly ensured that this process of reducing the rates is one that is dynamic and moving forward,” she said.

“The more people who are aware of what’s going on, the better because there isn’t anyone, myself included, who hasn’t had this type of engagement. We all know or are related to someone who has been or is currently incarcerated and a lot of people still don’t realize how significant of an economic impact this has on poor families.”wi The Washington Informer

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

15

business Business Exchange

Watt Is “The Man” President Obama has named Melvin L. Watt (D-N.C.) as overseer of government-backed mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But, there’s rising skepticism, on both the left and right, about the affable Carolinian. Questions abound as to whether Watt will become the next director of the five-year-old agency. Both liberals and conservatives disparage the choice.

The appointment is fraught with politics and comes after months of political pressure from the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to name a Black to a cabinet position and consumer advocates efforts to find a new paradigm for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Melvin Luther “Mel” Watt has served North Carolina’s 12th con-

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16 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

The Washington Informer

By William Reed

gressional district since 1993. An attorney from Charlotte, Watt previously served one term as a state senator and served as campaign manager for former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt. Watt practiced law from 1970 to 1992, specializing in minority business and economic development law.

He has also been a partner in several small businesses.

Political heft comes into play when you plug in Watt’s senior status on the House Financial Services Committee and as a former chairman of the CBC. Watt played an influential role in the passage of a financial regulatory overhaul in 2010. That legislation, however, did not address the fate of the major mortgage lenders, an issue likely to come up during Obama’s second term. People should recognize that Watt is a national political heavyweight. Charlotte is the 18th largest city in the U.S. and the nation’s second largest financial center. The country’s largest bank, Bank of America is headquartered in Watt’s congressional district. Forty-five percent of Watt’s campaign contributions for 2009 are from corporations in the real estate, insurance and finance industries. Watt’s contributors include American Express, Wachovia, Bank of America and the American Bankers Association. Hugh McColl, former Bank of America chairman and CEO, welcomed Watt’s nomination and said he’s known Watt’s for decades.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been “honey pots” for government appointees for decades.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two mortgage-finance companies that have operated under

federal conservatorship since they were seized amid soaring losses during the 2008 credit crisis.

Watt’s presidentially-appointed salary is $179,000. The nomination comes at a pivotal moment for the government-sponsored enterprises, which back half of outstanding home loans and have returned to soaring profits after drawing more than $187.5 billion in taxpayer aid. In his role as director, Watt will regulate Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks. The government seized Fannie and Freddie in 2008 to keep them from going bankrupt. As of March 29, the companies have received a combined $187.5 billion in bailout money. FHFA is an independent federal agency created as the successor regulatory agency resulting from the statutory merger of the Federal Housing Finance Board, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development government-sponsored enterprise mission.

This is not the first time Watt’s name has been floated for a top administrative position. The CBC lobbied to name him commerce secretary. Watt’s appointment must be confirmed by the Senate and that confirmation is not assured. A consummate politician, the 11-term congressman has been “on the Washington scene” for decades. “Mel understands as well as anybody what caused the housing crisis,” Obama said at the news conference. “He knows what it’s going to take to help responsible homeowners fully recover.” As much expertise as Watt brings to his tenure, there’s wide agreement in Washington that the government needs to shutdown Fannie and Freddie and replace their large role in the housing finance system. Between Fannie, Freddie and other agencies, the government is currently backstopping about nine out of every 10 new mortgages, stepping in to foster a functioning mortgage market as the effects of the housing downturn linger. The two financing agencies, which required a massive government bailout in 2008, have returned to profitability and are in the process of repaying taxpayers more than $100 billion.wi William Reed is publisher of “Who’s Who in Black Corporate America” and available for projects via the BaileyGroup.org www.washingtoninformer.com

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TON DC SIGHTSEEING TOU G N I H S R WA SINCE 1979 3 Hour Tours (Contact for times & designated pick-up locations) D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson accompanied by Chief of Staff Lisa Ruda, far left and Chief Financial Officer Deloras Shepherd testified before the Committee on Education on May 2 at the John A. Wilson Building in Northwest. /Photo by Roy Lewis

Schools Budget Hearing Hits on Key Issues

By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer At-Large D.C. Council member David Catania made the point during a recent schools budget hearing that he wants to ensure that the proposed spending plans for city and charter schools are in compliance with Mayor Vincent C. Grays’s Fiscal Year 2014 expenditures.

Catania, chair of the council’s Education Committee said there’s a lack of clarity between the two school systems’ spending allocations that needs to be dealt with prior to the mayor’s budget being approved later this month.

“While it is difficult to put an exact dollar on the existing inequity between charter and public schools, it is clear to me that one exists,” Catania said. “Some advocates have put the number at as much as $80 million per year,” he said, adding that facilities maintenance, legal services, teacher retirement funds and truancy reduction initiatives are just a few of the items identified that are funded for the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) system but not for charter schools.

To that end, Catania, 45, said during a May 2 hearing at the John A. Wilson Building in Northwest, that the Public Education Reform Commission – an entity that Gray helped to create in 2010 – issued a report last year that highlighted the inequities and made a number of recommendations to improve transparency and uniformity in funding.

“You are left to defend a budget, that in many ways is indefensible,” Catania later told Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson, who fielded www.washingtoninformer.com

questions from the eight-member committee, who included Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), and Mary Cheh, 63, who represents Ward 3.

According to Gray’s latest budget proposal, spending investments will actually increase for District schools, despite Henderson’s controversial plan to move forward to shutter 15 of the 129 DCPS buildings by the end of next year.

Overall, DCPS will receive about a one percent increase over its current budget of $811 million, to the proposed $818 million earmarked for 2014.

While the 2013-14 school year budget outlined by Henderson’s administration includes significant reductions within the Central Office, it emphasizes investments in recruiting and retaining highly-effective teachers. However, due to sequestration issues, DCPS anticipates an 8 percent reduction in federal funding, thereby justifying many of the cuts in the school system’s programs and services.

“Our budget proposal reflects input from parents, community members, and teachers. It sets us on a course to meet the goals we established in A Capital Commitment,” said Henderson. “Most importantly, it balances the investments we make to ensure that all students have access to the opportunities they deserve.”

Over the past few decades, DCPS enrollment has dipped from 80,000 students to 46,000 students, and along the way, the District’s 57 free public charter schools – which educate 41 percent of all District students – have been opening at the average rate of approximately

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May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

17

HEARING continued from Page 17 three facilities each year since they were launched in 1997.

Alluding to schools in the poorest areas of the city, and particularly those in Ward 8 where large pockets of poverty exists, Barry said, referring to DCPS’s budget, that schools in greatest need don’t necessarily receive the greatest amount of funding.

“But many parents are stuck in [those] areas,” Barry, 77, said of their inability to enroll their children at other schools.

Barry also touched on low reading and math scores, saying parents regularly ask him about the abysmal test results.

“It’s a serious problem and parents [who can] are choosing charter schools, because DCPS is not meeting parents’ [or] students’ needs.”

Cheh mentioned programs for talented and gifted students as a means of getting more parents to enroll their children in the DCPS system.

“No, we do not have a tested talented and gifted program,” said Henderson, 44. “In fact, we have the enrichment program in part, because some of the [Rose L.] Hardy Middle School parents I met when I first became chancellor, said they wanted their children to be able to have advanced course work,” she said, adding that they all agreed on the enrichment model. “[The enrichment model] doesn’t say that one child is gifted and the other is not, but it might say that one child is gifted in English and the other is gifted in math,” Henderson explained. “And this is where both [students] get access to advanced course work.”WI

Study Prompt calls for Policy Reforms to Eliminate Racial Wealth Gaps According to a new research report, America’s racial wealth gaps will persist until public policy reforms provide every family the opportunity to build wealth.

Less than Equal: Racial Disparities in Wealth Accumulation, from the Urban Institute’s Opportunity and Ownership project, analyzed data and trends from 1983-2010. Over these years, the average household income of Whites remained dou-

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The Washington Informer

By Charlene Crowell ble that of either Black or Latino families.

But when wealth was considered, the amount of available assets remaining after all indebtedness was educated, White families’ wealth grew six times that of either that for either Black or Latino families.

“When it comes to economic gaps between whites and communities of color in the United States, income inequality tells part of the story. But let’s not forget about wealth. Wealth isn’t just money in the bank; its insurance against tough times, tuition to get a better education and a better job, savings to retire on and a springboard into the middle class. In short, wealth translates into opportunity.”

The report also found that although the Great Recession of (2007-2009) hit communities of color particularly hard, the type of financial losses varied. With Black unemployment double that of the rest of the nation, Black retirement assets fell by 35 percent during these years. This data suggests that lower-income Black families withdrew money from retirement savings following a job loss or other adverse events. For Latinos, the average retirement asset decline was 18 percent.

By contrast, the Great Recession years took half of Latino family home equity, compared to an average 25 percent for Black and White families. To better understand this lost wealth, it is relevant to note that in 2010 only half of Black and Latino families owned their homes, while 75 percent of Whites were homeowners.

With more assets and diversified income streams, white wealth declined 11 percent during the Great Recession. But Black wealth dropped 31 percent during these same years and Latino families dropped the

greatest at 44 percent.

Yet despite these findings, it is equally true that many families of color still desire to own a home and their own piece of America. Their dreams may be deferred, but still remains strong.

As the nation’s economy continues to struggle towards prosperity, tightened mortgage lending, higher FHA fees, and continued discussions of federally-mandated down payments do not bode well for more families of color reaching the American Dream.

For the Urban Institute, the answer to these growing and disturbing disparities is reconsidering public policies.

“Families of color were disproportionately affected by the recession. However, the fact that they were not on good wealth-building paths before this financial crisis calls into question whether a whole range of polices (from tax to safety net) have actually been helping minorities get ahead in the modern economy,” according to the study.

Contrasting programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (SNAP) as two social safety programs designed to provide basic essentials; the report noted how tax subsidies for homeownership and retirement policies actually help to build wealth.

“The federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year to support long-term asset development.

But these asset-building subsidies primarily benefit high-income families, while low-income families receive next to nothing.”

The Urban Institute’s conclusions are strikingly similar to those reached earlier this year by the Brandeis University’s Institute on Assets and Policies.

“The evidence points to policy and the configuration of both opportunities and barriers in workplaces, schools and communities that reinforce deeply entrenched racial dynamics in how wealth is accumulated and that continue to permeate the most important spheres of everyday life,” the Brandeis report stated.

Here’s hoping that those entrusted with policy decisions are listening. wi Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at: Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org. www.washingtoninformer.com

Editorial

opinions/editorials

Happy Mother’s Day

On Sunday, May 12, mothers will be celebrated for their hard work spent raising their children – and some who are not their own – as well as for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of their families. Motherhood is often considered a thankless job, but on Mother’s Day, the cards and flowers, and kisses and hugs will contain heartfelt expressions of appreciation for what mother’s have done for the ones they love.

Mother’s Day is nearly a 100-year-old tradition in the U.S., and it is also celebrated in other parts of the world. The concept of Mother’s Day in the U.S. is said to have been initiated by the author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, Julia Ward Howe, who wanted mothers to come together to protest the killing of their sons who were engaged in the Civil War and to call for peace. Over the years, other women adopted Mother’s Day style celebrations but it wasn’t until 1914 when Woodrow Wilson signed into law the national observance, that the second Sunday in May was officially declared Mother’s Day. We want to take time to honor mothers and to express a special word of encouragement to those whose children were lost to senseless violence on our streets, in their schools and in their homes.

Bringing a child into the world is most often a joyous occasion, but a mother’s job of raising, caring and worrying about her children never ends, it lasts for a lifetime.

Like every U.S. holiday, the economic factors end up making them highly commercialized events. Mother’s Day is one of those holidays that reap big bucks for retailers. Gifts are great and many mothers deserve the world if it could be given to them. But what most mothers’ want is quality time and words that simply say “Thank you for being my Mom.” That means a whole lot.

Happy Mother’s Day.

The Bangladesh Tragedy

The nine-story Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh that housed nearly 3,000 garment workers collapsed last week making it the worst industrial accident to occur in the South Asian country ever. Over 500 workers are dead and the death toll continues to climb as rescuers work feverishly to aid the hundreds of injured and remove the bodies of others buried beneath the concrete rubbish.

There seems to be enough blame to go around in what has become the country’s third garment district tragedy in the last six months. Just five months ago, 112 workers were killed in a garment factory fire. The incident led to more promises that improved safety standards would be followed or licenses would be pulled from factory owners who failed to comply.

Yet, in this most recent tragedy, there seems to be enough blame to go around to those who were clearly more concerned about financial gain over the loss of human capital. Fingers are being pointed at the building’s owner and engineers who reportedly were aware of the dangerous structural conditions existing in the factory but failed to act. The mayor, who gave short shrift to the severity of the accident, was suspended while the government seeks to fend off accusations that its failure to enforce stricter safety standards played a part in the recent accident None of the punitive actions, however, will replace the lives of mothers, fathers and possibly children who worked under these unsafe and onerous conditions just to eke out a living in a country where wages are the lowest in the world. And who’s benefitting from their labor? Consumers in Europe and the U.S. who purchase clothing from retailers that produce their products in Bangladesh factories.

An article in The Guardian reported: “About 3.6 million people work in Bangladesh’s garment industry, making it the world’s second-largest clothing exporter after China. Some earn just $38 a month, conditions Pope Francis on Wednesday likened to slave labour.”

This is yet another case that calls for greater action among U.S. workers to demand equitable pay and safety protections for all lowwage workers around the world. And, U.S. companies that manufacture products in Bangladesh, as well as other small countries, must stop giving lip service but push government to apply sanctions to those persons and countries that continue to exploit their workers. www.washingtoninformer.com

Thanks for the Positive Coverage!

As a resident of Prince George’s County I would like to thank The Washington Informer Newspaper for the coverage of events in and around our county. For years, I’ve read about the positive events taking place in the District of Columbia in The Informer, and now you are bringing residents of Prince George’s County some of that same positive and inspiring news, as well.

I know there’s a lot of work to be done in our county, but there are also a lot of good things taking place and they are things we can feel good about. Our county has made great strides over the past few years and if we continue to work hard and keep a positive attitude about ourselves, I think Prince George’s County can be the best county in the state of Maryland.

Samuel K. McKnight Fort Washington, Md.

A Simple Solution to the Redskins Controversy

I loved the photograph of RG III on the front-page of the May 2, 2013 edition. I’m a lifelong Washington Redskins fan and I can’t wait for the season to begin. With that having been said, I’d like to add my two cents regarding the ongoing controversy about changing the name of the team.

When I attended the last Super Bowl the Skins were in, 1991, Skins versus the Bills in Minnesota, I noticed a group of Native Americans protesting the name of the team outside the stadium. At first, I didn’t see anything wrong, but now I completely understand the Native Americans’ objection.

So here is my solution: change the name to the “Washington Warriors” that way we can keep the native American symbols and the fight song, and of course, the burgundy and gold. During the football season if you made a chart of my blood pumping through my body, instead of the

colors red and blue, mine would be burgundy and gold!

Johnny Walton Oxon Hill, Md.

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May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

19

opinions/editorials

Guest Columnist

By Julianne Malveaux

Blacks Underepresented in Immigration Debate The Senate’s Gang of Eight have put together an 844-page monstrosity known as the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, legislation that President Obama says he “basically approves” of. The crafters of this essentially unreadable bill was put together by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Michael

Bennett (D-Col.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.).

On its surface, the bill provides much-needed relief to many of the 11 million undocumented people who live in our country. The challenge is that it disadvantages some immigrants, especially African and Caribbean immigrants, while helping others.

Further, the Senators crafting the bill put goodies into the bill that only serve to advantage

themselves or their states. Senator Lindsay Graham wants more visas for the meat packing industry. Senator Charles Schumer provided special provisions for Irish people with a high school diploma (why?), Senator Marco Rubio, the much touted possible presidential candidate in 2016, asked for more visas for the cruise ship industry, and Senators Michael Bennett wants more visas for workers in ski resorts.

Meanwhile, the legislation would eliminate the Diversity

Guest Columnist

Visa Program, which allows a visa lottery for countries that have low levels (less than 50,000 people) of immigration to the United States. Many African immigrants come here through this program (Ghana and Nigeria each had 6,000 immigrants through this program in 2011; African immigrants are 36 percent of those receiving diversity visas). Thus, while Senator Schumer pushes for special provisions for Irish immigrants, there is no one on the Senate side pushing for special provi-

sions for African and Caribbean immigrants.

Instead of the Diversity Visa Program, the Senate Bill 744 creates between 120,000 and 200,000 visas on a “merit based” system, which gives highest priority to those who have future employment opportunities. Because employers do not seek out African and Caribbean immigrants for employees (as they seek out Indian and Chinese employees), the merit-based point

See MALVEAUX on Page 37

By George E. Curry

South Africa’s Best Kept Secret When Nelson Mandela and his African National Congress comrades were plotting to overthrow the White minority-rule apartheid regime in South Africa, Lilies Farm in Rivonia, just north of Johannesburg, served as their secret hideout.

Today, 19 years after South Africa made a bloodless transition to a democracy with the election of Mandela as its first Black president, the picturesque

land, now called Liliesleaf, is South Africa’s best kept secret.

Arthur Goldreich and Harold Wolpe bought the farm in 1961 to serve as headquarters for the underground Communist Party and as a safe house for political refugees, including Mandela and Govan Mbeki, the father of Thabo Mbeki, who succeeded Mandela as president.

Goldreich and his wife, Hazel, served as the public face of the sprawling residence. To the outside world, they were living a life

of affluence with plenty of Black handy men around to make their life easier. But the carefully crafted public perception masked plans to end minority rule by violence. The farm gave birth to MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe – the Spear of the Nation), the military wing of the African National Congress.

“From its headquarters the National High Command had planned its campaign of guerrilla warfare, sabotage and violence, Joel Joffe wrote in The State

Guest Columnist

vs. Nelson Mandela: The Trial that Changed South Africa. “It has installed a radio transmitter, known as Radio Liberation, and had made a study of armaments and explosives and produced plans for large-scale production of grenades, time-bombs and other explosives” A tour of the museum includes a stop in a room with a 3-D presentation that incorporates video, and photographic images of the ANC leaders and their surroundings. Using two

aluminum “navigators,” visitors can look back at various aspects of apartheid. In an adjoining room, an old radio plays the 1960 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech by ANC President Albert Luthuli, who was honored for leading a non-violent struggle against apartheid.

Across the lawn, in a row of living units, is Mandela’s old apartment. Inscribed on a rectangular window outside are the

See Curry on Page 37

By Raynard Jackson

Heterophobia is the New Black Last week, I had to make one of the most difficult announcements of my life—I told my family that I liked women, err, love women. Not knowing how my mother would react, I was relieved when she looked at me and said, “Boy, I knew that all along.”

My brothers and sisters all said that my coming out of the shadows and announcing that I am heterosexual would not

change how they felt about me and that they would stand with me when all the media requests began to come in for me to be interviewed.

I knew I was heterosexual and liked women ever since I was a small child, but I have always been afraid to come out publically because I was taught that some things are to be kept private and discussed on a need to know basis.

Now that I have come out of the shadows and can be who I really am, I hope that I can

20 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

become a member of the homosexual church choir that my friend belongs to, despite the stipulation that openly heterosexuals are not allowed to join.

If I keep my heterosexually hidden and no one finds out, I could possible join the choir.

But why should I have to hide who I am? That is not fair and it’s discriminatory. My homosexual friends want to force the Boys Scouts of America (BSA) to change its policy of not admitting homosexuals, atheists, or agnostics into the scouts; but not The Washington Informer

one of my homosexual friends are willing to join with me to fight my being excluded from their choir simply because I have publically come out as heterosexual. Anyone who doesn’t accept me for being heterosexual, must be heterophobic, a bigot, and hateful.

As a businessman, I am involved with several chambers of commerces; so now that I am out of the closet, I wanted to join and have my business certified by The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

(NGLCC) so I could become more marketable to corporate America.

By becoming certified, LGBTBEs enhance their business visibility with corporations seeking to do business with LGBT suppliers. Corporate partners can search for certified LGBTBEs through our exclusive LGBT supplier database as well as meet face-to-face with potential suppliers at NGLCC SDI matchmaking and networking events,

See Jackson on Page 37 www.washingtoninformer.com

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Promises Enhanced Care for Residents

By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer On a recent morning, the Northwest offices of AmeriHealth DC buzzed with activity as employees continued to get comfortable with catering to the varied needs of 100,000 of its newest members.

May 1 marked the first day that AmeriHealth formally took control of the operations of the now-defunct Chartered Health Plan (CHP). AmeriHealth officials said they’ve set their sights on ensuring a smooth transition while allaying any fears their new clients might have.

AmeriHealth CEO Michael Rashid echoed the elation he said the staff feels about the transition.

“I’m so excited to be here,” he said during a May 1 interview.

“What we’ve been doing is transition. We couldn’t be here without the Chartered Health staff.

They’re a great staff.”

Rashid and several senior staffers said that 150 employees from the Chartered Health Plan were invited to shift over to AmeriHealth.

“We’ve had 30 days to ramp up and during that period, we’ve met with all Chartered doctors and hospitals and 90 percent have agreed to stay with us,” Rashid explained. “… It will be a nice marriage. We want to augment what CHP was doing.

We’re starting from scratch, turning the page. Huge distractions are off the plate for the employees.”

Rashid was referring to the problems that have dogged Charter Health Plan since Jeffrey Thompson, former owner and one of the principals, became embroiled in a federal investigation for alleged campaign finance irregularities. For more than a year, Thompson battled www.washingtoninformer.com

with prosecutors, meanwhile, CHP came under the scrutiny of insurance regulators and city government officials took over the firm and placed it in receivership last October.

Like CHP, AmeriHealth DC will continue to serve low-income residents who’re eligible for Medicaid and other government health programs. AmeriHealth bought the company and inherited Chartered’s 100,000 District residents. AmeriHealth will continue with, and close out CHP’s current contract it has with the city before it commences with its own contract on July 1.

“We’re bringing our 30 years of Medicaid. This is all we do,” said Rashid. “We’ll be focusing on understanding the community and Medicare and Medicaid recipients. We’re developing programs geared to the needs of those in the community. We’re trying to connect people to the system.”

Rashid said Chartered Health laid a foundation on which AmeriHealth will build.

“Charter is different and it has had relevant programs for is clients. Clients should stay because the future is so bright. We bring best practices and increased resources coming in.”

Anne Morrisey, AmeriHealth’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, explained the three top issues the company is focused on.

“We’re making certain that existing members have access to quality care; ensuring that we’re in their communities; and helping them understand the transition,” she said. “They’ll have the same benefits and they’ll have the same opportunity to get a similar level of care.”

Executive Director Karen Dale said no one’s trying to reinvent the wheel.

“We’re using the care man-

Michael A. Rashid, President & CEO AmeriHealth, Caritas and AmeriHealth Executive Director D.C. Karen Dale, give discuss their visions and plans to form community partnerships to bring stellar medical service to the District. / Photos by Roy Lewis

agement approach that meets members where they are,” she said. “We’ve been working for one and a half years on the total care approach.”

That may mean finding out if a diabetic patient has food in his or her refrigerator, checking if they have money for transportation, as well as focusing on and addressing other complex psychosocial issues.

Rashid said AmeriHealth is owned by two Blue Cross plans, which means “patients will be served by Blue Cross which means Cadillac care.”

Keeping Chartered Health staff is a non-brainer the executives said, and with the staff on board, continuity continues unabated.

“Clients will be talking to the same people because we’re brought over most of the program,” Morrisey said. “We’ve met with them a number of times to bring them on. And we’ve talked to them about the advantages they bring to the marketplace.”

She said AmeriHealth is using some Chartered Health staff employed by having them work virtually, assisting staff in other cities.

“The jobs stay here. Obviously, it depends on performance,” she said.

Dale said that one of the benefits AmeriHealth brings is a system where everything is integrated.

“We can see families, provide prescriptions and close gaps in care,” she said. “Having that integrated system means more and better management.”

The executives said a lot of doctors refuse to take Medicaid because the reimbursements are so low and because the onerous paperwork and administrative burden.

“It’s not a D.C. problem, it’s a national problem,” said Rashid.

“And it’s a rural issue Medicaid numbers are so low. The Affordable Care Act has increased reimbursements. This will attract doctors back.”

“Increased prevention will mean an increase in numbers but less doctors.”

Dale said the company has worked to reverse the problem.

“We’ve done some things with providers to make it better,” she said. “We try to wrap things into one visit and we’ve reduced the administrative burden. We have a provider portal where doctors check eligibility, the status of payments and reduce the time administrative staff would spend on these issues. We have a commitment to providing that level of support.”

Dale said AmeriHealth offers doctors incentives to offer extended hours and office hours on weekends.

“If people are going above and beyond, they can get money for that,” Dale added.

“The end-game is taking care of clients,” Morrisey said. “The capitated rate, incentives and bonuses create a quality health care life for members.”

Rashid acknowledged the challenges of providing healthcare to a disadvantaged population.

“We know there are disparities East of the [Anacostia] River.

There are higher rates of diabetes, hypertension and childhood asthma,” he said. “We plan to leverage our experience and partners, double our teams and dedicate a number of our staff to high-volume pharmacies and practices. Nothing’s changed except the name.”

The trio said they plan to leverage their experience, as well as that of their community partners.

“We’ll work with community resource organizations when we need to connect with a part of the community,” said Morrisey, a native Washingtonian who was born at the Garfield Hospital in Ward 8. “It’s important to connect to different people who know our membership.”

Rashid concurred.

“We’re so big we cannot do it all,” he said. “They can reach people we can’t.”

He spoke of a church-based program which includes health screenings, information sessions and cooking classes in small settings.

“Then it grows into a thing with 3,000-4,000 women – a health ministry for women,” he said. “We have way more power working with community. It can’t happen without the small things we do and build it up.”

Rashid said personal contact with clients is the “sweet sauce” of AmeriHealth’s success.

“We try to make it as easy as possible,” he said. “We try to do as much as we can to make it easier to serve Medicaid recipients.

We’ll call Medicaid recipients, remind them of appointments; we’ll even be in offices to help them explain doctors’ instructions – we’re bringing in resources from outside to improve health care.”

“To operate in a vibrant community and only pay insurance claims is not enough. We want people to be healthier, get well and stay well. Building healthy communities, that’s our mission.” HS

HEALTH WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT / may 2013 / SL-3

Why Do You Need a Yearly Checkup?

AmeriHealth District of Columbia Offers Tips to Keep You Healthy Dr Mark Fracasso is Medical Director of AmeriHealth District of Columbia

Three Steps to Lower Blood Pressure High blood pressure affects one in three Americans.

It puts you at risk for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure, often without causing a single symptom. Are you one of them? Ask your doctor to check your pressure. If it’s: • Lower than 120/80, it’s normal • Between 120/80 and 140/90, you have prehypertension and are at risk for high blood pressure

A yearly checkup is the best time to talk with your primary care physician (PCP) about how to take care of your health.

A yearly checkup may also include important preventive measures, such as pelvic exams, cholesterol screenings, and breast exams.

Here’s how to make sure you are prepared when you get to the PCP’s office: • Write down your questions in advance. Bring the list with you, so you don’t forget anything.

• Bring your health records. Bring copies of your personal health records. Also bring information about the health of your close family members. Certain diseases and conditions run in families.

• Bring a list of your medications and supplements. Make sure to include vitamins, herbal remedies, teas, supplements, and prescription medications. If it’s too much for you to write down, bring them all in a paper bag to show your doctor.

• Talk about any changes you’re experiencing. Mention any new sensations, signs, or symptoms that you’ve been having.

• Ask about your numbers. This is a good time to check in on your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, weight, and any other numbers that your doctor has been watching.

• Ask about screenings. Certain health screenings—such as those for the prostate, breast, and colon—are recommended for older adults.

• Get needed immunizations. You should be vaccinated against the flu. The shingles and pneumonia vaccines may also be on your preventive health list. Ask your PCP about them.

Sources include: Annals of Internal Medicine, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• 140/90 or higher, you have high blood pressure You can take steps to prevent and treat this silent killer. Use the three S’s: sleep, stress, and salt.

Sleep Soundly Good rest may be as important to health as diet and exercise. People who get less than seven hours of sleep a night have a higher risk for high blood pressure. Talk with your doctor if you regularly have trouble sleeping or feel extremely tired during the day despite getting enough sleep at night.

He or she can recommend lifestyle changes or other treatments. For instance, exercise regularly, but stop two to three hours before bedtime. Working out too late in the day can make it harder to fall asleep.

Soothe Stress Poor sleep and stress often go together, and both may influence your risk for high blood pressure.

When we’re under stress, our bodies release stress hormones that raise our heart rate and blood pressure. To reduce stress, exercise regularly, talk with family and friends, and remember to laugh.

Jokes and funny movies can make you feel good and protect you from stress’s harmful effects.

Study Salt For years, we’ve been told to put down the saltshaker. Recent studies confirm that low-sodium diets reduce blood pressure. Reduce your sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day—about 1 teaspoon of table salt. To get started, eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Most of the salt in our diets comes from processed foods, like soup and packaged meals.

Sources include: American Heart Association; American Journal of Hypertension; Hypertension; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

SL-4 /may 2013 /HEALTH WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENt

More Food Can Equal Fewer Pounds

Eat more. Weigh less. Sound too good to be true? It isn’t—as long as you’re eating more of the right foods. Here’s how you can pile your plate high but still shed pounds.

Some Foods Do More with Less There’s still no magic diet pill that can get rid of fat. However, certain foods can fill your belly, curb cravings, and cut your calorie count. Eating vegetables and soups can fill you up with water and fiber, helping you to eat less at mealtime.

And adding hot peppers to food may not only help decrease your appetite for unhealthy foods it also may increase your metabolism so that you burn more calories even after you dine.

Try It at Home Tonight Give your favorite recipes a makeover, cutting calories without sacrificing satisfaction. Take macaroni and cheese, for instance.

Here’s how you can transform this unhealthy classic: 1. Choose whole wheat pasta instead of white, refined noodles.

2. Use nonfat milk instead of whole milk, and light cream cheese instead of full-fat cheddar.

3. Stir in cooked, pureed cauliflower, squash, or carrots.

4. Also add spinach, tomatoes, or another favorite veggie.

5. Sprinkle with hot red pepper or another source of spice.

Serve this dish after a soup or salad. Choose a soup that’s broth-based with lots of vegetables. For salads, add colorful veggies, and avoid high-fat dressings, chunks of cheese, and bacon bits.

Sources include: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Appetite, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.washingtoninformer.com

Still The One. AmeriHealth District of Columbia (DC) now offers the benefits, services and commitment of Chartered Health Plan.

AmeriHealth DC is moving forward with the best of Chartered to provide you with the same high-quality personal care and services, delivered by many of the same people you’ve known and depended on for generations.

We’re still the one for: • Transportation to and from appointments • Prescription drug coverage • Vision care and dental care

• Personal support from nurses • High-touch community outreach • And more...

AmeriHealth DC. Still the one.

This program is funded in part by the Government of the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance.

202-408-4720

www.amerihealthdc.com

www.washingtoninformer.com

HEALTH WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT / may 2013 / SL-5

Confronting the World’s Number One Killer

By Don Williams “I know there will be people who don’t understand what I’m going through— what it’s like to literally feel pain when you’re hungry and have nowhere to turn, nowhere to go, and nothing to eat. I can still say that I got through it. That’s why I do what I do, why I chose to share my story.” — Barbie Izquierdo, anti-hunger advocate In world of plenty, it’s hard to believe that malnutrition is the world’s number one killer. More people die every year from malnutrition than from AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. Around the world, a child dies from nutrition-related causes every five seconds. Yet malnutrition is entirely preventable.

Children under age 2 are hit particularly hit by malnutrition. If a child does not receive necessary nutrients during the crucial thousand-day window from pregnancy to her second birthday, the damage will be irreversible. Stunting and cognitive impairment will be permanent—even after proper nutrition is restored.

If this seems like an issue just for

developing countries, think again.

Malnutrition is also a challenge right here in our community. African-American women and children are among the most vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity— meaning they frequently do not have enough food for everyone in the household. More than a quarter of African-American households suffer from food insecurity, and nearly 30 percent of African-American children live in these food-insecure environments. That is significantly higher than the food insecurity rates for all U.S. households. And because our brothers and sisters are more at risk than ever, we have more motivation to stop this injustice from continuing.

Hunger deprives kids of more than food; it deprives them of their full potential. Hungry and malnourished kids perform more poorly in school. Nutritional deprivation diminishes cognitive ability, impairs immune function, and shortens height.

Barbie Izquierdo is one young mother who struggled to feed her two children. When she lost her job

during the recession, she was often unable to buy enough food for her family. Looking back on the hardest days, Barbie recalls thinking, “I literally have nothing left. What do I give them?” Some days, Barbie skipped meals to make sure that her children ate.

We all have a stake in making sure that Barbie’s children have enough healthy food. Research shows that each dollar invested in nutrition can yield up to $138 in better health and increased productivity later in life. Our entire community benefits when children grow up to be healthy adults.

Over the past few years global leaders have started to pay attention to the public pressure. Nearly one thousand days ago, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the launch of the 1,000 Days Partnership to fight maternal and child nutrition. Nine months later, in June 2011, more than 350 government officials, leaders, and activists from around the world met in Washington, D.C., to develop global and political support for nutrition efforts that have helped

save the lives of at least two million children under age 2.

Now, two years later, on June 10, 2013, Bread for the World, Concern Worldwide, and other key organizations will reconvene in Washington, D.C., under the theme, “A Call to Action for the Next 1,000 Days.”

Participants will discuss progress, develop a plan to keep up the momentum, and continue to garner political support. This event is part of Bread for the World’s 2013 National Gathering, June 8-11.

We have a moral duty to alleviate hunger and malnutrition. Our collective voices are powerful and can help ensure that our brothers and sisters at home and abroad get enough to eat. I cannot overstate the urgency in telling the government that hunger is more than a line item in the federal budget; federal funding cuts jeopardize vital programs like SNAP (formerly food stamps) and WIC in the United States and poverty-focused development assistance overseas. Any cut to nutrition programs will result in more malnourished children.

Barbie is now an anti-hunger

May

“We have a moral duty to alleviate hunger and malnutrition.” advocate, leading passionately involved in advocacy campaigns and speaking to groups about her experience with hunger and poverty.

Through her story, Barbie is fighting for change that will have lasting impacts on children in her neighborhood and around the world.

Join Barbie at Bread for the World’s National Gathering in Washington, D.C., June 8-11. Visit www.bread.org/gathering to find out how you can speak up for hungry people. HS Bishop Don Williams is the associate for African-American Church Relations at Bread for the World, (www.bread. org) a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.

31, regi 201 ste 3 to r b get efore a sp ecia lr

ate

abreadplace at the table for the world's 2013 NatioNal gatheriNg & lobby day Join us in setting a place at God’s table for hungry and poor people June 8-10, 2013: National Gathering June 11, 2013: Lobby Day

The MeaD CeNTer 1101 SixTh STreeT, SW WaShiNGToN, DC 20024

www.bread.org/gatheriNg SL-6 /may 2013 /HEALTH WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENt

www.bread.org

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The DC Office on Aging

New DCOA Call-In-Talk Line The DC Office on Aging has launched a Call-In-Talk Line to alleviate the isolation and loneliness that many seniors in the community experience. The program allows seniors an opportunity to share their concerns with a caring individual that directs them to resources and services available to assist DC residents. The Free service is available Monday - Friday 9 am – 4 pm. Call in weekdays to 202-724-5626!

Faith& Grace “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.”

Are you or a loved one being discharged from a hospital?

Wondering how to access services you need to remain healthy at home?

Receive the assistance you need before being discharged.

–Proverbs 16:31 ESV

By Ronda Smith WI Contributing Writer

D

octors and scientists once avoided the study of spirituality in connection to medicine, but findings within the past 10 years have made some take a second look. Studies show that religion and faith can help to promote good health and fight disease by: offering additional social supports, such as religious outreach groups; and improving coping skills through prayer and a philosophy that all things have a purpose.

In a 7-year study of senior citizens, religious involvement was associated with less physical disability and less depression.

Death rates were lower than expected before an important religious holiday, which suggested to researchers that faith might have postponed death in these cases. Elderly people who regularly attended religious services had healthier immune systems than those who didn’t.

They were also more likely to have consistently lower blood pressure.

In some cities like Chicago, senior health and wellness is tied explicitly to spirituality. One great example is the care being

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shown through the Sacred Aging Program at the oldest African American synagogue in the country, Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation.

“Our physical health is just as important as our spiritual health.

The two feed off each other,” said Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Jr. Sacred Aging is open to senior citizens of all faiths. The group meets four days a week in the synagogue social hall, where the seniors are offered breakfast, lunch, exercise, health screenings, arts and crafts, Bible studies, and spiritual teachings.

In the summer, the young children of the congregation have the opportunity to interact with the seniors.

“A religious organization is more than a community of members. It is at its best when it serves the entire community in which it exists,” said Rabbi Funnye. “Our goal is to help people live longer, and live healthful and more vibrant lives as they grow older.” Wonderful connections are being built through this holistic program. “My reward is seeing the smiles of all the seniors when I come into the room,” Rabbi Funnye said.

“Healthful living happens when minds are active and people are engaged in conversation.” HS

Contact the DC Office on Aging today!

Hospital Discharge Planning Program One Stop Assistance Personal Care  Housing  Transportation  Respite  Benefit Assistance, and much more 

DC Office on Aging 500 K Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 www.dcoa.dc.gov 202-724-5626 Government of the District of Columbia Vincent C. Gray, Mayor

HEALTH WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT / may 2013 / SL-7

Dr. Clive O. Callender

C

live Callender, one of the nation’s foremost specialists in organ transplant medicine recently spoke with the Informer about how medicine and spiritually co-exist and positively impact each other. The Howard University Hospital surgeon has focused much of his career on transplant medicine among minority segments of the population, along with the unique health and social issues relevant to them as potential donors. Born in New York City in 1936, Callender contracted tuberculosis at 15 and was not expected to live beyond the two to five year life expectancy. Crediting God’s grace and mercy with his recovery, Callender went on to graduate from Nashville’s Meharry Medical College, and serve as a missionary doctor in Africa. In Callender’s estimation, every aspect of his life has been impacted by his spirituality and beliefs.

SL-8 /may 2013 /HEALTH WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENt

Everything I’ve done since I was 7 revolved around spirituality and becoming a physician and eventually, I became a medical missionary or surgeon. So there is nothing that I’ve done in my career -- and this year represents 50 years as a physician -- that was not impacted by my spirituality and my belief that Jesus Christ came to the world to save the world. Everything I do as a consequence with all the patients I see, with all of the surgeries I perform with everything, is impacted by that.

It’s God who does the healing and I am his instrument and so I am a physician who assists in the healing process. So now I think one of the interesting experiences I’ve had along these lines didn’t necessarily increase my spirituality, but did validate what I live for as a transplant surgeon. I do and did liver and

kidney transplants and we had a patient about 25 or 30 years ago who had end-stage liver disease.

This patient had such a severe hepatitis caused by a viral illness that we felt that he was incurable and so we thought about the consequence of a transplant. Unfortunately, the viral disease was so overwhelming and he was a religious person and so the officers of his church came and anointed him and laid hands on him and this is not an uncommon practice at Howard University but we decided that there was nothing else we could do for him.

Now you have to keep in mind this patient was on a respirator and a ventilator and we considered him almost brain

See HEALING HANDS on Page SL 9

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on Spiritual Health and Physical Well-Being HEALING HANDS continued from Page SL 8 dead and we believed that there wasn’t anything else we could do. So what we did thereafter was to begin to decrease our treatment as we do with patients to allow them to die. As we withdrew our treatment, he kept getting better. Then within a week to 10 days he walked out of the hospital. It was a very exciting thing for me to run into him on the Metro and share the experience that God had saved him and blessed his life when we could do nothing for him.

One of the important things that I realized in my career is that I should not be proselytizing to my patients and so I have always respected whatever my

patient’s faith is. Whether or not they choose to have a Bible in the bed with them, I still pray for them. I don’t necessarily pray with them unless they ask me to do so, but, it has been something that I have recognized is an important part of the health process. That’s what my daily prayer sessions are about, what I should do next, how I should operate, if I’m operating in a difficult spot, I pray that God helps me and shows me the way.

I have always recognized that from Imhotep, the first physician, to all of the African antiquities and Egyptian’s religion, spirituality all were a part of healing. It wasn’t until the European advent that spirituality was actually taken out of the

realm of healing, so it is appropriate, for example, that Howard University and the Hospital for the last 150 years to bring spirituality back through the recognition of holistic medicine. The body, mind, and spirit have to be together in order for you to be well.

There is no health without a union of the body, the mind, and the spirit. When I define health or wellness, I define it as an unobstructed journey to fulfill your life’s goal. In order to achieve balance you have to have the body, mind and spirit must function together as one.

I recognize that among physicians there are divisions – where medical doctors and physicians are called allopathic physicians, those who work with the nat-

ural elements are called naturopathic. In order to have the practice of holistic medicine we have to have all of those elements together.

I believe that there is a place for the natural and a place for the supernatural, as well as a place for what is garden-variety medicine. But life and death is in the hand of God and so I try to do my very best job. I wasn’t always that wise -- my first 10 years I wasn’t that smart and sometimes thought that I had the power. I learned that what I needed to do was my very best and that’s what I teach all my students. After you’ve done the very best you can, put it in the hands of the Lord. HS

“There is no health without a union of the body, the mind, and the spirit.”

Books that Promote Spiritual, Mental, and Physical Well-Being Blessed Health

By Dr. Melody McCloud and Angela Ebron Blessed Health offers African-American women the medical information and inspirational motivation they need to achieve total health -- a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Many Black women will go to church all day every Sunday but won’t take one day out of the year to get a Pap test and mammogram done. Dr. Melody McCloud and Angela Ebron urge women not to wait until a health emergency happens before turning to their faith and their physicians. You can achieve optimal health by arming yourself with medical knowledge and a strong spiritual base. Research has proven that a well-nurtured spiritual self can help to replenish, rejuvenate, and safeguard your physical self.

Faith, Health, And Healing In African American Life

Edited by Stephanie Y. Mitchem, Emilie M. Townes This book offers a better understanding of the varieties of religiously-based approaches to healing and alternative models of healing and health found in Black communities in the United States. Contributors address the communal aspects of faith and health and explore the contexts in which individuals make choices about their health, the roles that institutions play in shaping these decisions, and the practices individuals engage in seeking better health or coping with the health they have. By paying attention to the role of faith, spirit, and health, this book offers a fuller sense of the varieties of ways Black health and health care are perceived and addressed from an inter-religious perspective.

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Standing In The Need Of Prayer: A Celebration Of Black Prayer

By The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture In this remarkable book, striking photographs and powerful prayers drawn from the unparalleled collections of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture span the broad spectrum of black religious traditions during the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries.

From the plaintive Yoruba prayer to “Look after us,/Look after our children” and the humble opening prayer of the Qur’ân to “Guide us on the right path” to W. E. B. Du Bois’s prideful prayer to “Let [Thy children] grow in the capacity for worthy work...and may they in the end prove worthy of their great heritage,” this extraordinary volume reflects the struggle, despair, determination, and triumph of the black experience through the ages. Drawing from faiths as diverse as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Vodou, the book also includes prayers from some of history’s most powerful voices, among them Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gifted Hands

By Ben Carson Ben Carson, M.D., works medical miracles. Today, he’s one of the most celebrated neurosurgeons in the world. In Gifted Hands, he tells of his inspiring odyssey from his childhood in inner-city Detroit to his position as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital at age 33.

Ben Carson is a role model for anyone who attempts the seemingly impossible as he takes you into the operating room where he has saved countless lives.

Filled with fascinating case histories, this is the dramatic and intimate story of Ben Carson’s struggle to beat the odds -- and of the faith and genius that make him one of the greatest life-givers of the century.

HEALTH WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT / may 2013 / SL-9

Yoga

By Ronda Smith WI Contributing Writer

Some African Americans hear the word yoga and immediately become uneasy. The terminology is different, and its cultural source relatively unknown to Americans; still, nothing could be simples than breathing and balance. The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root “yuj”, which means “to yoke” the spirit and physical body together and as a fundamental form of bal-

The Path to Harmonious Living

ance yoga has evolved over thousands of years to embrace a wide range of styles and disciplines.

Yoga is a popular activity for athletes, children, and seniors and can be modified to suit all levels of fitness. Yoga has been proven to lower blood pressure and increase strength and flexibility, while energizing the body and calming the mind.

“Physically as we get older, we all begin a process of fighting gravity and attempt to keep limber. It’s not just about be-

ing able to touch ones toes and keep agile, but bringing focus and balance into everyday life to achieve overall mental, spiritual, and physical health,” said Ericka Hines, a Takoma resident, who has practiced yoga since 2001.

Hines, 42, said that in addition to purging the system of negative energy and imbalances (some of which manifest themselves as physical and mental disorders), yoga affords its practitioners an inner peace and calm.

“Not only does flexibility and Ericka Hines of Takoma demonstrates the “mountain pose” used to achieve calm and balance. / Photo by Shantella Y.Sherman

2013 U.S. Meditation Tour

May 19 – July 5 Sri Sri Sri Shivabalayogi Maharaj Meditate with an Indian Master

Sri Shivabalayogi, lovingly called Swamiji, is a true Yogi whose mission is to bring people of all faiths into meditation. His blessings serve to elevate our consciousness and deepen whatever spiritual path we have undertaken. Meditation practice helps us to: ❖ Achieve peace of mind ❖ Deal with stress, worry and illness ❖ Gain clarity about our true purpose in life, and ❖ Contribute to a more peaceful world.

Sri Swamiji does not give lectures. He silently teaches the ancient practice of Dhyan. His gift of meditation is given as a friend without obligation. Sri Swamiji’s meditation programs are always free and open to all. They include an introduction, one hour of silent meditation, singing of traditional Indian spiritual songs, arthi, and an opportunity to speak with Sri Swamiji individually and receive his blessings and guidance. To learn more about Sri Swamiji’s mission and tour, which includes programs in the NJ, PA, DC/MD area, NC (including a week-long retreat), CO and Canada, visit www.shivabalamahayogi.com.

Washington, DC Area / Maryland Programs Saturday, May 25 at 7 pm

Wednesday, May 29 at 7 pm

Unity of Gaithersburg 111 Central Ave Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Argyle Park Activity Building 1030 Forest Glen Rd Silver Spring, MD 20901 (1 mile from Forest Glen Metro Stop)

For directions and detailed info contact: shivabalamahayogi.dc@gmail.com Rene 301-593-5855

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balance remove toxins from the body, a lot of emotional and spiritual stuff is pulled out as well.

Yoga encourages you to be quiet and listen to your own thoughts.

Too often we are indoctrinated as a society into being uncomfortable and alone with our own thoughts,” Hines said.

Ancient Yogis (practitioners) believed that in order for man to be in harmony with himself and his environment, he had to integrate the body, the mind, and the spirit. For these three to be integrated, emotion, action, and intelligence must be in balance.

The Yogis formulated a way to achieve and maintain this balance and it is done through exercise, breathing, and Meditation - the three main Yoga structures.

In Yoga, the body is treated with care and respect for it is the primary instrument in man’s work and growth. Yoga exercises improve circulation, stimulate the abdominal organs, and put pressure on the glandular system of the body, which can generally result to better health.

Breathing techniques were developed based on the concept that breath is the source of life.

In Yoga, students gain breathing control as they slowly increase their breathing. By focusing on their breathing, they prepare their minds for the next step Meditation.

There is a general misconception that in Meditation, your mind has to go blank. It doesn’t have to be so. In Meditation,

students bring the activities of the mind into focus resulting in a ‘quiet’ mind. By designing physical poses and Breathing Techniques that develop awareness of our body, Yoga helps us focus and relieves us from our everyday stress.

Six Branches of Yoga Hatha Yoga or Yoga of Postures is the most popular branch of Yoga in the West. It uses physical poses or Asana, Breathing Techniques or Pranayama, and Meditation to achieve better health, as well as spirituality. If what you want is a peaceful mind and a healthy body to go along with it, Hatha Yoga may just be the path for you.

Bhakti Yoga teaches a person to have devotion to the “One” or to Brahma by developing a person’s love and acceptance for all things.

Raja Yoga or Yoga of Self-Control is based on the teachings of the Eight Limbs of Yoga found in the Yoga sutras and teaches practitioners to achieve self-respect by first becoming masters of themselves.

Jnana Yoga positions wisdom and intellect as important and attempts to unify the two to surpass limitations.

Karma Yoga practice selfless service in order to adjust their perceptions and attitudes toward the good in each person and process.

Tantra Yoga uses rituals to experience what is sacred. HS www.washingtoninformer.com

Spirituality & Wellness by the Numbers

#1 77 50 61

Cause of Stress among Americans is Job Pressure, which is described as disharmony between co-workers, bosses, or work overload

79

The percent of U.S. adults that believe spiritual faith can help the and others recover from illness, injury, or disease

The percentage of people who regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress

The percentage of Americans who cited irritability or anger among the psychological effects experienced as a result of stress

The percentage of college students who pray at least weekly;

28percent of college

students pray daily.

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The number of additional years added to the lives of those who attend regular (at least weekly) religious services.

And each of you is appreciated and admired for the difference you make in the lives of others.

Thank you.

Data provided by the 2012 American Psychological Association, American Institute of Stress Study

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Many college students find navigating college life far from home more stressful than adults with 70-hour a week jobs and families to support. In addition to deadlines, papers, and an environment often more conducive to experimentation than academia, out-of-state college students develop and express their character and spirituality for the first time without parents or family members nearby. Howard University students attending Rankin Chapel recently discussed how their spirituality is fostered and their overall health thrives through a community of student believers.

S

ean Walsh, 21, a Biology major from Atlanta said that being away from home has essentially forced the rubber to the road, testing his belief system and challenging him to embrace the spiritual foundations formed by his parents during his childhood.

“It can be difficult at times when you are new to a city and the campus experience, but I wanted to build on the spiritual foundation from my home. I found that at Rankin Chapel there were a lot of like-minded students and we’ve been able to keep each other grounded. There are times when I have felt empty and as a biology major, things have been very rigorous and stressful; however, I have discovered that with God – I am easily encouraged and am able to encourage others facing similar things.”

A recent study by the Higher Education Research Institute Graduate School revealed that over half of students with a strong spiritual orientation are “frequently” able to find meaning during difficult times (55 percent) and feel at peace and centered (58 percent), compared to only 11 percent and 18 percent, respectively, of low scorers on Spirituality.

Ebony O. Richardson, 25 of Long Beach, California epitomized that and said, attending services at east weekly. She said that since coming to Howard University, her spirituality has grown.

“My mother passed away three years ago and I felt a lot of anger.

But God got me; He showed me that in life I had Him to rely on.

It became my duty to serve God. I feel so much more blessed and grateful since I have allowed my spirituality to develop.”

Joseph Dillard, 22, a Political Science major from Dallas, Texas said that while his family was not particularly religious, he grew into his spirituality as a major support system for his life.

“God has always been my real support system and I began preaching when I was 14 years old.

Once I arrived at Howard, God showed me that life, scholarship, spirituality and leadership all function together. I have come to understand the tenets of other faiths and know that there are more similarities than there are differences.

I’ve learned to be open to other viewpoints, while knowing God. If there is no spiritual support, it is difficult to remain mentally and emotionally stable.” WI www.washingtoninformer.com

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Marta Solomon Washington, D.C. I believe that my body is a temple – that is the core of my spirituality. So anything I do with my body actually is a form of worship. There’s no compartmentalizing, all aspects of my life are driven by my spirituality. It drives my professional career, my personal relationships; it’s a driving force for me. My spirituality is the spring from which my joy, sadness and everything emerges.

Alecia Walker Washington, D.C. For me, it’s been the opposite. My health has always had an impact on my spirituality.

The better I eat, the more spiritually connected I feel. I’m not necessarily connected to a specific religious group, but I do feel that having a healthy diet and eating vegan and natural foods has helped me to grow spiritually by allowing me to become calmer and more centered.

HOW HAS YOUR SPIRITUALITY IMPACTED YOUR OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS?

Trudy Perry Washington, D.C. I believe in the goodness of people and that is the part of my spirituality that anchors me. It gives me balance and I rely upon it in hard times. I consider myself to be somewhat well balanced.

I practice yoga which has many elements of spirituality, and that also help me to maintain a wellbalanced lifestyle. My personal spirituality helps me maintain my composure throughout the good and bad times.

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opinions/editorials

CHILD WATCH®

By Marian Wright Edelman

Children Need to Fly, Too, to End Sequestration from Head Start programs, poor mothers and babies losing food supplements, teacher layoffs, and cancelled meal deliveries for seniors didn’t move them—but airport delays as members headed out of town for their April recess were apparently unacceptable.

Poor 3- and 4-year-olds denied the early child development services that can help them succeed in life may not be able to call Congress, but we need to speak out for them to stop those cuts too. We know that elimi-

Anyone despairing that Congress can’t get anything done should note last week’s swift vote to get furloughed air traffic controllers back to work. Congress can move very quickly and efficiently when it wants to and when its own comfort and that of constituents well-off enough to fly was affected.

Reduced unemployment benefits, children dropped suddenly

nating a child’s early education investments now will increase his chance of going to prison later by 39 percent. And paying for that prison will cost all of us nearly three times more a year than it would have cost to provide him a quality early learning foundation to get ready for school. So I hope parents and grandparents and all of us will tell our members of Congress to “be careful what you cut” because some cuts create scars that last a lifetime and public costs that drive up budget as well as

Guest Columnist

human capital deficits.

When Congress flies back next week they must stop the unjust across the board cuts imposed by sequestration. And the needed fix isn’t just moving around cuts from one part of a federal agency to another as Congress did with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Sequestration is dangerous policy that is hurting many children who are homeless and hungry, the unemployed, seniors, and others across the country. This slow death by a thousand indis-

criminate cuts is hindering our still sluggish economic recovery.

And while the jobs numbers released this week were better than expected, millions of Americans are unemployed and have been for long periods of time. Much greater improvements are needed with greater urgency. Sequestration must be repealed so that people already suffering in multiple ways from economic downturn are not hit further while they are already down.

See Edelman on Page 38

By Lee A. Daniels

Clarence Thomas’s Deep-Seated Jealousy Last week, it came to light that during an early-April interview with C-SPAN, Thomas tried to diminish President Obama’s achievements. Asked about Obama’s being the nation’s first Black president, Thomas said, “I always knew that it would have to be a Black president who was approved by the elites and the media because anybody that they didn’t agree with, they would take apart.”

He went on to say “that will happen with virtually, you pick your person, any Black person

For someone who seems to revel in being silent during the Supreme Court’s traditionally lively oral arguments – when a public display of his professional competence would be appropriate – Clarence Thomas’s out-ofcourt comments are extraordinarily revealing. They show a man whose exalted position has brought him no inner peace, a man who continues to see himself as being victimized by this or that person or cabal.

who says something that is not the prescribed things that they expect from a Black person will be picked apart. You can pick anybody, don’t pick me, pick anyone who has decided not to go along with it. There’s a price to pay. So I always assumed it would be somebody the media had to agree with.”

Thomas didn’t identify which “elites” and which “media” he was referring to.

But presumably the latter doesn’t include Fox News or the Wall Street Journal and other

ASKIA-AT-LARGE

conservative-leaning newspapers and publications nor the innumerable conservative pundits and talk-show jockeys that have been hammering Obama since he won the Democratic nomination in 2008.

And presumably the elites don’t include the long-list of wealthy conservative elites who’ve spent millions upon millions opposing the president’s initiatives and his re-election.

But then, Clarence Thomas has never been one to let facts undermine his raging self-pity.

We’ve seen this facet of Thomas’s character ever since he used that ugly phrase, “high tech lynching,” during his 1991 Senate confirmation hearings. That phrase came from a man who had become a conservative favorite by asserting that Black liberals always unjustifiably blamed racism for Black Americans’ troubles.

We later learned by his own words that that self-pity had long been a part of his character,

See Daniels on Page 38

By Askia Muhammad

Free the Cuban Five … Make That Four “The Arc of the Moral Universe is long, but it bends toward Justice.” That is a truth we can all rely on, just like the reality that in the end, we will all get what’s coming to us.

That quote was woven along with many other profundities, into a carpet on the floor in the White House Oval Office. The incumbent occupant, just like all of his predecessors and succeswww.washingtoninformer.com

sors, will get (got) what’s coming to him.

The comment is attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., because he uttered it often, in the face of leading the Civil Rights Movement, time after time, to make two steps forward, only to be pushed three steps back. Although 19th century Unitarian preacher Theodore Parker first used the phrase, which later became parts of speeches by President Abraham Lincoln as well as

by Dr. King.

The irony of that prophecy

being woven into the décor of the White House strikes me as being odd. The president promised upon entering office that he would close the Guantanamo prison camp in Cuba. Now, he’s watching his government resort to force-feeding two dozen illegally detained prisoners who have been on hunger strikes for weeks.

The U.S. doesn’t want the embarrassment of the world watching dozens of men who have been cleared for release by the CIA, the DIA, the FBI, the

NSA, and all other relevant security agencies, literally dropping dead to declare that the grave is a better place to be than being unjustly locked down by the U.S. government.

There’s another, a double irony now. René González, a Cuban patriot who has been remanded back to Cuba to serve the remaining time of his three year probation, for a crime for which he, along with Antonio Guerrero, Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino and Fernando González were convicted – turns

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out to be no crime at all.

The men are known as The Cuban 5. They are routinely referred to in U.S. corporate-owned media as “spies.”

They are routinely referred to in Cuban media as “patriots.” For more than 14 years they have been battling for justice in the U.S. courts.

In October 2011 González was released from prison. But he was required to complete three year of probation in this country

See Muhammad on Page 38

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

21

Belmont Arts Remembered

Artist Michael Brown, discusses his bronze sculpture, “Infinity” with friends and admirers at “The Belmont Legacy: An Exhibition of Memory, Spirit and Imagination” on Saturday, May 4 at the Artist Lofts in Mount Rainier, Md. /Photo by Roy Lewis

By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer The minute visitors walked into the art gallery at the Artist Lofts, they were met by an array of artwork, masks, figurines, dolls, Kente and mud cloth, paintings and other art from artists connected to the Belmont Arts Collective.

Artists, designers, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs from the group gathered in Mount Rainier, Md., this past weekend to recall and remember what many describe as the Golden Age of black art in the District of Columbia. The event, The Belmont Legacy: An Exhibition of Memory, Spirit and Imagination brought together the Belmont Arts creative community and a steady stream of old friends, admirers and talented newcomers on May 4-5.

The artists, who came from New York, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Illinois and the District, showed their distinctive work in five spacious rooms, which reflected the artistic vision and design style of its occupants. Visitors roamed freely from spaceto-space on a journey that the artists said would definitely be one of discovery and cultural transformation.

Januwa Moja said creating the exhibition and bringing the Belmont alumni together was testimony to the collective cooperation and unity of artistic vision.

“We came together now and it was needed. People have said it was medicine,” said Moja, who greeted guests in a shrine room containing an altar she built dedicated to alumni such as Charles Mitchell, Nestor Hernandez and Heather Ampofo-Anti, who have passed. “We’ve spent so much time trying to survive and we forgot that this [the art created] is our power.”

“What we did almost seems like the Harlem Renaissance. We were so busy living it. But we said let’s call back that spirit and do it again.”

Moja and a number of other artists spoke of the collective’s role as an artistic and cultural force, saying that then as now, the exhibit served to “heal, uplift, and empower.”

“That was a time when we felt power,” said Moja, a Baltimore

See REUNION on Page 23

22 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

The Washington Informer

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LIFESTYLE

REUNION continued from Page 22 resident who has been an artist for more than 40 years. “We worked together and validated each other as artists. I wasn’t an in-house artist but I knew that my spirit would be nourished.”

From 1991 until closing in 2002, the building at 1800 Belmont Rd., NW in the Adams-Morgan community was the center of a collaboration of art, culture, community and enterprise. During its decade-long existence, 1800 Belmont became an incubator, community gathering space, and a laboratory for innovation and imagination across disciplines and media.

Rashida Mims and her late husband Jamal – owners of the renowned Sun Gallery Goldsmiths – were the founders and the catalyst for the collective.

“We came up with the idea of 1800 Belmont to allow others to come and we invited 10 different artists to join us,” said Mims. “It was only $300 a month to have their brownstone. It was absolutely the most wonderful experience. It was such a strong and creative collaborative, having Afrocentric designs and art all in one place. It was so positive, so warm, so welcoming.”

“It was a learning environment.

It was a place to bring children.

There’s nowhere like it around today.”

Mims, an attorney and a Ward 7 resident, said her three children spent a great deal of time at Belmont Arts and now two of them are artists.

“They grew up in an art community. It was a wonderful time.

Hopefully this can become an annual event with the most exquisite artifacts and art going forward.”

In the downstairs marketplace, Marvin Sin sat surrounded by his creations: leather bags, pouches, purses, key chains and other items he’d crafted, emblazoned with strong, beautiful African men and women, Ndinkra symbols, Africa, the sun and the moon. He is the person who coalesced the time, energy, people and resources to make the event become reality.

“What this was, was a particular group of artists coming together in the spirit of wanting to participate in prosperity and sharing with the community,” he said. “That type of energy made us just say, ‘do it.’”

Sims, a New York native and self-taught artist, said Belmont Arts offered so much to so many.

“We were living together. It was a personal dynamic where we knew people’s children and family and patrons came under the pretense of coming to shop but came for healing,” he said with a laugh. “It was calm and cool with wine and incense and you were likely to meet someone you hadn’t seen in years. The lessons we were learning included presentation, merchandising and promotions.”

“People had to make this a destination. This was pre-Internet but we found an audience who was hungry to see themselves.

There were people who really needed this.”

Sin said the Belmont Legacy Exhibition represented a reunion of the community of artists, activists, entrepreneurs, patrons, collectors, children who’re now young adult artists and entrepreneurs who revolved around that revered institution.

“Of course we are thrilled to see each other, to reminisce, to

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director, twb@thearc

Januwa Moja, built an altar in memory of several of the founding members of Belmont Arts, including Jamal Mims, Heather Ampofo-Anti, Nestor Hernandez, and Chuck Mitchell. A former Belmont Arts patron admires the shrine during her visit to “The Belmont Legacy: An Exhibition of Memory, Spirit and Imagination” on Saturday, May 4. /Photo by Roy Lewis

The Washington School of Ballet Southeast Campus

SPRING PERFORMANCE 2013 ANNUAL

Friday, May 24, 7:30PM Saturday, May 25, 11AM

THEARC 1901 Mississippi Ave., SE Washington, DC 20020

All tickets $20* *Fees may apply photo by Brianne Bland

For tickets call 202.889.8150 or 202.362.3606 x605 or visit

www.washingtonballet.org

Tickets also available for purchase at THEARC, Suite 202

See REUNION on Page 24 The Washington Informer

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

23

Comments? Opinions?

Email us at:

Ideas?

We like to hear from you!

news@washingtoninformer.com

Monthly Sister Circle Group You are invited to a meeting for women committed to healing and emotional wellness on May 16th and the 3rd Thursday each month at 6:45 pm, 276 Carroll Street., NW. $20.00.Led by Dr. Theresa Ford, call 240-354-3854 for more information.

LIFESTYLE Author and artist Francine Haskins displays a piece of artwork that originated from a car’s transmission during “The Belmont Legacy: An Exhibition of Memory, Spirit and Imagination” on May 4 at the Artist Lofts in Mount Rainier, Md. /Photo by Roy Lewis

Summer Learning Conservatory at BSU

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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.

24 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

REUNION continued from Page 23 share recent creative journeys, but the main objective is to document the experiences and lessons learned at Belmont Arts and pass them along to the next generation of artists and entrepreneurs,” said Sin, a member of the event’s coordinating committee.

“I came up with the idea of legacy while we’re still in the game. We need to run a little bit of this lap together with young people. Now they’re in the stands sitting down. They need to be on the track.”

As if to confirm Sin’s observation, a woman walked up.

“It’s so nice to see you all here again. When they ask what’s wrong with our children, it’s because they’re not here,” she said as she walked away.

Throughout the marketplace, the hubbub of conversation and laughter bounced off the walls as visitors bought items and completed transactions in between laughter, hugs and recollections.

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Paula Whaley, creator of beautiful and ethereal dolls, said over and over that reconnecting with old friends and colleagues was intense.

“This is so overwhelming, so overwhelming, seeing so many people I haven’t seen in so long.

It’s been wonderful. If they do this again, we need to do it in a year so I can get some rest,” she joked.

Whaley uses natural fibers like surgical gauze, moss, sticks, burlap, palm tree leaves and husks to produce the dolls’ varied textures.

She molds their faces with clay.

She said she began making the dolls after her brother, acclaimed writer, playwright and novelist James Baldwin died in 1987.

“I was devastated. I didn’t think I’d make it through. I knew what death was,” she said. “People would come and recognize the grief in me, see it in the work.”

Whaley said she came to Belmont Arts “at the very beginning.”

“It has been a wonderful, wonderful thing,” she said.

Writer and artist Francine Haskins said Belmont Arts was a place where she felt at home.

“All my life I felt like I didn’t belong,” she said. “I hear a different drum than other people but 20 years ago, I found like-minded people. Twenty years ago, we started making ourselves. We couldn’t find black art in our image on things so we created it. It was product and culture coming together.”

“This is the first time that we’ve come together in a while.

We’ve come full circle. We have to reinvent ourselves so children know. They don’t know that we had to fight for this. Whatever we did, we have to pass it on…”

On Saturday, May 11, organizers will host a daylong series of workshops and panel discussions focused on sharing their skills and vision with young people.

This takes place at the DC Commission for the Arts & Humanities community room, at 200 “I” St., SE. wi www.washingtoninformer.com

Bowie State to Honor Legendary Motown Duo

BSU Will Host Tribute to Ashford & Simpson, Introduce Scholarships

By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer Getting an education in music and the arts at Bowie State University just got a little easier, thanks to the legendary musicians who brought the world songs like, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and “Solid.”

The Bowie State University (BSU) Foundation is hosting a special tribute concert from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., on May 17 to honor the life and legacy of the late Nickolas Ashford and his widow, Valerie Simpson, who made up the award-winning duo, Ashford & Simpson.

“Ms. Simpson will be in attendance for the event and we will introduce new scholarships for students while supporting the Ashford & Simpson Endowed Music Scholarship Fund,” said BSU spokeswoman, LeAmber Howell.

The event will take place in BSU’s new $71 million Fine and Performing Arts Center, which opened in 2012 and features specialized art and recording studios, dance floors, a photography processing lab and an outdoor sculpture workspace.

The 128,000 square-foot center, which school officials said will greatly enhance the educational experience for students, includes a 400-seat main theatre, a 200-seat black box theatre and a 200-seat recital hall.

It also includes classrooms, laboratories and office suites.

“What a privilege it is to celebrate Ashford and Simpson for their exceptional accomplishments as internationally renowned songwriters, producers and performers,” said Richard Lucas, vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the Bowie State Foundation.

Established by the BSU Foundation, the Ashford & Simpson Endowed Music Scholarship Fund will honor their legacy and their continued commitment to providing a platform for aspiring artists, Lucas said.

BSU plans to award two scholarships each year, he said.

Along with Simpson, Ashford, who died in 2011 at the age of 70, penned such classic songs as, “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand,” “You’re All I Need To Get By,” and “I’m Every Woman.”

Widely regarded as one of

LIFESTYLE an honorary degree before the show. Ashford will also receive an honorary degree, posthumously.

“The goal is to increase enrollment and heighten awareness about the university’s fine

and performing arts programs, including music, art, visual communication and digital media arts, music technology, and theatre arts,” Lucas said.

Tickets for the event are $200

for general admission and $275 for VIP access, which includes a pre-concert reception. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.bowiestate.edu or call 301-860-4300. WI

TRIBUTE MASTER LOGO

6

Valerie Simpson. /Photo courtesy of the Ashford & Simpson Endowed Music Scholarship Fund

the best songwriting teams in music history, the couple wrote for many of music’s legends, including Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, the late Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles.

Married since 1974, Ashford & Simpson were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. In addition to writing countless classics for others, the couple recorded 15 albums together, including four that went gold. Their final album was, “Been Found,” a 1996 collaboration with poet Maya Angelo.

Prior to President Barack Obama’s first inauguration, Ashford & Simpson re-recorded their hit song, “Solid as a Rock,” and changed the lyrics to, “Solid as Barack.”

Simpson, who could not immediately be reached for comment, spoke last year of the importance of giving young people an opportunity for an arts education. “(Arts and music) should be a core subject for all kids to experience,” Simpson, 66, told the Public Broadcasting Service in 2012.

“They learn how to respect each other’s uniqueness because they can find their own uniqueness if they stick with this kind of an education,” she said.

Simpson recently released a new CD, “Dinosaurs are Coming Back Again.”

The BSU tribute will feature jazz and gospel producer Jeff Majors, Baltimore jazz singer Maysa Leak, and jazz and pop singer Jean Carne.

An All-Star band, conducted

by Clarence Knight of the BSU Department of Fine and Performing Arts, will also perform.

“Whether Valerie Simpson will perform, that’s still up in the air,” Howell said.

However, Simpson will receive

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IDENTITY STANDARDS

Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson

05 17 13

Bowie State University is proud to present Ms. Valerie Simpson and Mr. Nickolas Ashford (posthumously) with a 2013 Honorary Degree.

Time:

6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location:

Bowie State University Fine and Performing Arts Center

Tickets:

$200 General (Limited Quantities Available) $275 VIP (Limited Quantities Available) VIP Parking, VIP Reception, Special Meet and Greet

Host:

Bowie State University Foundation

Special Tribute Performances Maysa Leak

Jeff Majors

Jean Carne

All Star Band Conducted by Dr. Clarence Knight Bowie State University Department of Fine & Performing Arts

For Sponsorship or Ticket Information

Dr. Ohmar T. Land Director of Major Gifts Office of Institutional Advancement

The Washington Informer

Bowie State University 301-860-4312 oland@bowiestate.edu

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

25

Horo scopes

may 9 - may 15, 2013

ARIES Your agreement with co-workers should improve as you take steps to strengthen emotional connections. Keeping things to yourself will not pay off for you this week. Love waits for you if you ask. A message from a distant source contains a clue. Soul Affirmation: Communication is a skeleton key that fits many doors. Lucky Numbers: 48, 51, 54 TAURUS Dealing with smaller issues is the order of the week.

Your soul vibrations will not attune easily to lofty subjects, long ranged plans and the other aspects of the bigger picture. Attention to details will however, give a sense of accomplishment. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy looking at the road of life sweeping just in front of me. Lucky Numbers: 33, 49, 51 GEMINI Matters relating to health need attention. Prevention is more valuable than cure. Rest and eat well this week. Your stress will be lower by knowing that you do not have to fix a relationship that has gone sour. Feel your independence and ability to travel alone. Soul Affirmation: People love me, yes they do. Lucky Numbers: 18, 22, 40 CANCER Use better judgment with regard to financial matters.

Stop rationalizing. Money is important. Do something about the fact that you might find yourself broke more often than you wish.

Continuing to deny it will delay doing something about it. Soul Affirmation: I find comfort in the familiar. Lucky Numbers: 1, 14, 19

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26 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

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The Washington Informer

LEO Move slowly concerning relationships this week. People are a little edgy and they don’t know exactly where you are coming from. Make full explanations. Don’t assume that they know what’s on your mind. Most of all, stay positive no matter what. Soul Affirmation: Clinging to the old will inhibit my growth this week. Lucky Numbers: 6, 8, 20 VIRGO You can’t be right all of time. Instead of always trying to be right, try to find the logic in other’s viewpoint whether you happen to agree or not. Endear yourself to a loved one real soon, by really listening to what they have to say. Don’t be so stubborn, that you deny yourself what you really want. Soul Affirmation: I celebrate will those around me. Lucky Numbers: 19, 27, 34 LIBRA This week is a good week to dump any extra baggage that has been pulling you down. You have too much potential to throw away and waste your time on issues that will amount to nothing.

Stay focused on your goals. Meet and spend time with people who will be able to help you reach them. Soul Affirmation: The truth is in me. I bring it forth. Lucky Numbers: 12, 27, 44 SCORPIO Your spiritual vibes will give you insight on a situation that’s been on your mind. Share your thoughts with someone close to you. Spend time with friends and family that will provide support and guidance when you make an important decision. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy looking at the road of life sweeping just in front of me. Lucky Numbers: 30, 40, 55 SAGITTARIUS Your careless ways with money are going to be apparent this week. Financial mistakes you’ve made in the past will be especially painful. Don’t conceal the pain from yourself. It is a warning that you should take steps to prevent future financial crisis. Soul Affirmation: I let my friendships guide my way. Lucky Numbers: 13, 22, 35 CAPRICORN Take advantage of the great weather and spend time outdoors enjoying and relaxing with Mother Nature. Learn a new sport, and spend time with family and friends. Don’t take travel matters into your own hands. Seek a professional who will be able to plan a wonderful vacation for you without breaking your bank. Cook up some goodies for your loved ones. Soul Affirmation: I change who I am by changing where I am going. Lucky Numbers: 2, 12, 23 AQUARIUS Stay positive, don’t let negative people get inside your head. You know that things will work out well. Ease rapidly away from anyone who is a naysayer. During the week, things may seem hard at times but soon life will be filled with fun. Enjoy! Soul Affirmation: The slowness of my week gives me time to refresh my energy. Lucky Numbers: 15, 26, 36 PISCES The bond that you established with your spiritual side works well in your relationship with a special person. Speak of the reality of the intangible qualities of life. Your lover will understand.

Keep attention on the financial matters you’ve been dealing with. Soul Affirmation: I obey the rules this week and avoid hassles. Lucky Numbers: 1, 14, 24

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LIFESTYLE

The Fusion’s made the leap from good to great this year, and it’s cemented its place in the very top tier of family sedans. /Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

By Njuguna Kabugi WI Contributing Writer The midsize auto category is one of the most competitive.

With more choices than in any other group, car shoppers face a daunting task deciding what to buy or lease. Standout cars such as the Chevy Malibu, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima have all been redesigned for 2013, and the all-new Mazda6 will be hitting the show rooms soon. Need I say it was just last year when Toyota presented American car buyers with the redesigned Camry and Volkswagen brought a totally reinvented Passat?

While each of these models is utterly recommendable, this week’s tests model – the redesigned Ford Fusion curves out new terrain in fashion and handling. Instead of just incrementally improving on the previous very decent model, Ford has completely side-stepped the pack with a sedan that not only provides lively handling and a roomy interior, it is also easily the best looking mainstream sedan yet from an American company.

With a trout-mouth grille that looks like it was swiped off an Aston Martin spots car, plus a steeply raked windshield, a near-fastback tail and mirrors that seem inspired by football’s Vince Lombardi trophy, the new Fusion exudes premium-car www.washingtoninformer.com

style and uncanny semblance to a vehicle that costs twice as much – Audi’s beautiful A7 fivedoor. The Ford though starts at $22,495 to the Audi’s $60,000 and above.

The Fusion, like many cars in its class is the ideal vehicle for a majority of Americans. It doubles as a comfortable multipurpose car for the daily commutes and running errands and chores every day of the week. With its spacious, comfortable cabin, it fills all these roles very well.

The fit and finish in our test Fusion Titanium was excellent, with perfect seams complemented by plenty of storage spaces throughout the cabin. The instrumentation is clear; forward visibility is great; and the charcoal-black leather seats are soft and comfortable – though a tad less so than in the Honda Accord.

On the road, Fusion is a genuinely spirited car. The ride is firm; you feel all the bumps but the car gives solid handling on congested D.C. city streets, in the suburbs and winding country roads. With Ford’s electronic allwheel drive and torque vectoring systems at work, I felt quite comfortable driving in rainy spring weather in hilly rural Virginia.

Under varying driving conditions, fuel mileage is decent.

This is because Ford relies on its turbocharged EcoBoost engines to do the job of a naturally

aspirated V6. The 1.6-liter/sixspeed automatic/front-wheel drive combination is rated at 24 mpg city, 37 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined by the EPA. The 2.0-liter engine in the car we tested comes with an automatic and all-wheel drive system which is rated at 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined.

For just under $30,000, the Fusion provides technology that’s only available in more expensive vehicles. During our 10 days of testing, maneuvering parking lots and traveling open roadways become less stressful with Fusion’s available sensor-based Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic alert. The system uses radar to identify and alert the driver if a vehicle is detected in the vehicle’s blind spot.

Cross-traffic alert provides audible and visual alerts if traffic is detected approaching from the sides, such as when backing out of a parking space.

Another cool feature is Active Park Assist which makes parallel parking virtually stress-free.

With the press of a button, the system detects an available parallel parking space and automatically steers the vehicle into the space. Drivers control only the gas and brake pedals and transmission gear position. WI The Washington Informer

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May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

27

sports

Athletes

Rock theJamaican House High

at Penn Relays Schools Dominate

By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer

F

Athletes compete during the 2013 Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field in Philadelphia on April 25. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

Athletes compete in the 4X400m heat during the 2013 Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field in Philadelphia on April 26. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

28 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

The Washington Informer

or a significant number of Jamaicans who love track and field, no year is complete without their annual pilgrimage to the Penn Relays.

Jamaicans from all over the world soak up the atmosphere, indulge their passion for track and field and cheer for team and country. At this year’s gathering, Jamaica’s black, green and gold colors dotted the landscape emblazoned on flags, T-shirts, bandanas, sneakers, and an assortment of paraphernalia, and the chants between American and Jamaican supporters rocked the rafters. Not to be outdone, American supporters proudly donned their national colors and the chants of USA! USA! USA! collided with the rival cheers of JA-MAI-CA! JA-MAI-CA! JAMAI-CA! This year, more than 110,000 spectators packed the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field to enjoy three days of competition among more than 15,000 competitors. High school and college students and professional club teams vied for bragging rights and supremacy at an event that celebrated its 119th year.

Such is Jamaica’s impact on the relays that last year, relay organizers declared that Jamaica’s national flag would officially fly at this year’s Penn Relay Carnival in Philadelphia from April 25-27.

In addition, Jamaica’s national colors will be flown every year, “into perpetuity,” in recognition of its celebration of 50 years of independence last year, and in honoring the contributions of Jamaica’s athletes over nearly five decades.

Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller personally delivered the flag to the ceremony to be flown at all future relay carnivals.

“Jamaica’s participation in the games has greatly influenced the yearly attendance. This is evidenced by the great turnout and vast number of black, green and

See relays on Page 29 www.washingtoninformer.com

“This was great.

Every year, we came second, second, second.

This year was special. We came out and decided that we’d do our best to win. It was a team effort. We had four girls showing grit, determination and good execution.”

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– Anchor Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 100m.

Bowie State’s Kendall Reynolds placed 8th in the College Women’s long jump event on April 25 during the 2013 Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field in Philadelphia. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

relays continued from Page 28 gold colors all throughout the stands on a yearly basis,” Dave Johnson, the Frank Dolson Director of Relays, said last year.

Natalie Neita-Headley, a government minister who holds portfolio responsibility for Sport in the Office of the Prime Minister, said Jamaica is honored by the gesture.

“I won’t say it, but there are many who say Jamaica makes Penn Relays,” she said. “Kingston College was the first team in 1964 and there are many teams that go to Penn Relays every year. Schools from all over the country, even those in deep rural areas, participate.”

Jamaican high schools have been competing at the Penn Relays since 1964, when a small contingent from Kingston College, one of the premier institutions on the island, traveled north. Since then, other schools and colleges from the tiny island nation have sought to match their skills against some formidable teams from the United States and other parts of the world.

One highlight every year is the fierce rivalry generated by the US vs. the World relays which has seen the likes of Usain Bolt, Sanya Richards-Ross, Maurice Greene, Michael Johnson, Veronica Campbell Brown and Allyson Felix compete. More than 15 countries raced in the 4×100m, 4×400m, women’s 4×800m and men’s distance med-

ley relays.

And in one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the day, the Jamaican national women’s team beat the USA women’s Blue Team in the 4x100m relay. Jamaica crossed the finish line with a sparkling time of 42.42 seconds.

Anchor Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was elated that the nineyear drought had ended.

“This was great. Every year, we came second, second, second.

This year was special. We came out and decided that we’d do our best to win,” said Fraser-Pryce, a twotime Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 100m. “It was a team effort. We had four girls showing grit, determination and good execution.”

“This definitely bodes well for the future.”

Johnson said officials received 1,070 entries and more than 50 foreign teams participated. On the final day, April 27, almost 50,000 people packed the stands under sunny skies and 69 degree temps.

South County’s Felecia Majors, who attends the Lorton, Va. high school and a two-time All-Met Winter Track Athlete of the Year – won with a long jump distance of 20 feet 3 inches, a personal best. Three other area athletes copped first place: Bowie’s Antonella Taylor (shotput); Sophia Chase from Burke, Va.’s Lake Braddock High School (3,000m); and Anna Williams from Alexandria’s Edison High School (triple jump).

Other area schools which com-

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peted included Howard University; Riverdale Baptist, and Bishop McNamara high schools; Woodbridge High School; Chantilly High School; Western Branch; Anacostia and Spingarn high schools; Georgetown; Coppin State; George Mason; and the University of Maryland.

Ambassador Stephen Vasciannie, Jamaica’s Ambassador to the U.S., said Penn Relays holds a special place for him.

“The Jamaican crowd in the stands is a sight to behold – a symbol of unity reminiscent of independence celebrations and dancing in Half-Way-Tree during the Olympic Games,” he said. “If you look at the records of Penn Relays, Jamaica’s prominence, indeed dominance, is a matter for superlative praise.”

Greene, former 100m world record holder, watched the races from the infield and shook his head when asked about the Jamaica-U.S. rivalry. Jamaica, he said, has surpassed America as a sprinting juggernaut.

“We’re in trouble and it will take some time to come back,” said Greene, who still holds the world record in the 60m dash and who coaches UCLA’s track team. “I’ve always seen the talent they have.

They’ve really dominated and it didn’t just happen.” WI The Washington Informer

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29

religion The DC Office on Aging New DCOA Call-In-Talk Line The DC Office on Aging has launched a Call-In-Talk Line to alleviate the isolation and loneliness that many seniors in the community experience. The program allows seniors an opportunity to share their concerns with a caring individual that directs them to resources and services available to assist DC residents. The Free service is available Monday - Friday 9 am – 4 pm. Call in weekdays to 202-7245626!

30 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

Annual Conference Welcomes New Presiding Bishop

By Rev. Marlene R. Jefferson and Rev. Aisha Karimah Special to the Washington Informer The 63rd Session of the Washington Annual Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church welcomed home their new bishop and Episcopal Supervisor, Bishop William Phillips DeVeaux, Sr. and his wife, Dr. Pam DeVeaux. Elected and consecrated the 113th Bishop of the AME Church in July 1996 from the Washington Conference, DeVeaux was elevated to the Episcopacy from pastor of the historic Metropolitan African Methodist Church in the nation’s capital. Hosted by the 80 churches of the Washington Conference, the conference was held at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Washington, Md., where the Revs. Grainger and JoAnn Browning are the pastors.

The conference proved to be powerful from the beginning to the end. Worth noting is the opening sermon from the Rev. Dr. William Lamar IV, Pastor, Turner Memorial AME Church titled, “Exorcists Wanted.” The premise for his message was based on the belief that our society, our communities, our country, our political and justice systems and even our church is plagued by the spirit of “the status quo” – and what is needed is an exorcist to cast out the spirit of the “the status quo.” Lamar said the Holy Spirit cancels the spirit of the status quo.

The ordination and closing anointed, powerful and soul-stirring sermon was delivered by

The Washington Informer

Presiding Bishop William Phillips DeVeaux, Sr. /Courtesy Photo

the Rt. Rev. John R. Bryant, Senior Bishop. The Son’s of Allen “Mighty Men of Valor” Men’s Night Celebration and the annual Lay Witness Night were also included in the conference agenda.

As directed by Presiding Bishop DeVeaux, the Committee on Political and Social Action drafted a formal resolution from the Washington Conference addressing the issue of Federal Gun Control. This resolution was to serve as the 2nd District’s response to the U.S. Senate’s defeat of Senate Bill 649, Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act on April 17. The resolution cited that “the Washington Annual Conference will actively seek to join with efforts of other Prolife Christians who are a major political force in this country and are leading the movement for improved gun control laws reflective of the realities of the

21st century gun technology because there is no excuse for timidity on this issue; and that the members of the Washington Conference of the Second Episcopal District of the AME Church will ensure that their voices are heard by calling, faxing, and writing letters to their Senators to enact gun violence prevention legislation.” And Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington, Pastor, Reid Temple presented a workshop focused on transforming congregational culture.

Before closing, Bishop DeVeaux re-appointed Rev. Dr. Louis Charles Harvey Presiding Elder of the Potomac District and Rev. Dr. Goodwin Douglas, Presiding Elder of the Capitol District, as well as appointed 80 pastors to a local congregation. wi The Rev. Wanda London contributed to this report.

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The Religion Corner

religion

Happy Mother’s Day to Faithful Mothers!

G. Campbell Morgan, a profound British preacher whose four sons all became pastors, influenced millions with his preaching, teaching and writing.

One day, when his young son Howard finished preaching, a reporter asked him, “Since you have five pastors in your family who is the greatest preacher?” Expecting the son to give the honor to his father, Howard surprised the reporter by saying, “My Mother!” Often people do not realize that a mother’s love, concern and teaching are often far more influential than anything else. Never underestimate the power of love. Contributed by: Paul Fritz Mothers are known for giving so much to their families. They sacrifice enormous amounts of time and energy to ensure that everyone is provided for and that the children are brought up correctly.

Faithful mothers seem so rare in today’s world, at least the kind that God’s Word talks about and how they should operate as mothers. The first priority of a mom is spiritual in nature.

Morals, values, and above all, a relationship with Jesus Christ are important to a faithful mother.

A faithful mother lives her faith. The joy for a Christian mother is the salvation and service of her children.

This poem helps me convey what I’d like to share with mothers this year: “I think ofttimes as the night draws nigh of an old house on the hill; of a yard all wide and blossom-starred where the children played

at will; and when the night at last came down, hushing the merry din; Mother would look around and ask, “Are all the children in?” ’Tis many and many a year since then, and the old house on the hill; No longer echoes to childish feet, and the yard is still, so still.

But I see it all, as the shadows creep, And though many the years have been; since then, I can hear my mother ask, “Are all the children in?” I wonder if when the shadows fall on the last short, earthly day, When we say good-bye to the world outside, all tired with our childish play; When we step out into that Other Land Where Mother so long has been, Will we hear her ask, just as of old, “Are all the children in?” – Florence Jones Hadley Living your faith before your children means God is more precious to you than any other thing on earth. When counsel is given, it must include the Word of God – Isaiah 54:13 – “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”

A faithful mother will teach her children to pray; and won’t allow her children to see through her attitude and actions, unless they show her faith in God. Not only does a faithful mother live her faith, but she never ceases to pray for her children.

In the Book of Job 1:5, it says – “And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus

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

did Job continually.”

I cannot tell how much I owe to the prayers of my good mother ... I remember her once praying for her children to be saved, and to live happy and prosperous lives; she prayed that we would think of others at a cost to ourselves.

Happy Mother’s Day, just continue to be faithful to your children no matter how old they are.

They are still your children! 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 and Special Events Coordinator. 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

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

31

religion BAPTIST

african methodist episcopal

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

Pilgrim Baptist Church

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

Advertise Your Church services here: call Ron Burke at

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

202-561-4100 or email rburke@washingtoninformer.com

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

32 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

The Washington Informer

www.washingtoninformer.com

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

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

Rev. R. Vincent Palmer Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Reginald M. Green, Sr., Interim 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

602 N Street NW • Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595

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

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.

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

33

CLASSIFIEDS legal notice SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013 ADM 347 Nannie W. Pleasant Decedent Leonard G. Muhammad, Esquire 7306 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20012 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jacqueline Nichols, whose address is 2419 30th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Nannie W. Pleasant, who died on October 22, 2012 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 25, 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 25, 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 25, 2013 Jacqueline Nichols Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY

legal notice

legal notice

legal notice

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

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Administration No. 2013 ADM 312 Henrietta Lindsay Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

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Jeffery Lindsay, whose address is 4509 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Henrietta Lindsay, who died on January 16, 2013 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 25, 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 25, 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.

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, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it s illegal to request any money before delivering its service.

All funds are based in US dollars. 800 numbers may or may not reach Canada.

Date of first publication: April 25, 2013 Jeffery Lindsay Personal Representative

MEDIABIDS MISCELLANEOUS

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2013 ADM 125

Administration No. 2013 ADM 348

Administration No. 2013 ADM 382

Administration No. 2012 ADM 1232

Reuben A. Scarborough, Jr. Decedent

Eloise Pinkney Decedent

Lawrence Craig Graves Decedent

Marcia Waiss Decedent

Deborah D. Boddie, Esq. 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

Leonard GP Muhammad, Esquire Law Office Muhammad & Associates 7306 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

Marialice B. Williams 1922 First St., NW Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Michael L. Shorter, whose address is 1112 Chaplin Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Reuben A. Scarborough, Jr., who died on April 29, 1997 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 October 18, 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 18, 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.

David R. Pinkney, whose address is 27 Synott Place, Newark, NJ 07106, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Eloise Pinkney, who died on April 23, 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 October 25, 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 25, 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.

Jeanne Sinkford, whose address is 3507 Tarkington Ln. Silver Spring, MD 20906, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Lawrence Craig Graves, who died on November 23, 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 November 9, 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 November 9, 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 18, 2013

Date of first publication: April 25, 2013

Date of first publication: May 9, 2013

Date of first publication: May 9, 2013

Michael L. Shorter Personal Representative

David R. Pinkney Personal Representative

Jeanne Sinkford Personal Representative

Dosall Waiss Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

34 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

CLASSIFIEDS legal notice

The Washington Informer

Dosall Waiss, whose address is 1906 James Street, Durham, NC 27707, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Marcia Waiss, who died on January 11, 1987 without a Will. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 9, 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 November 9, 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.

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has written that there are proportionately more African American students majoring in computer science than White. Many of these graduates cannot find jobs.

Meanwhile, African and Caribbean immigrants get just a small percentage of H-1B visas.

The immigration bill is by no means final. The House of Representatives still has to vote on it, and many of them will add amendments and exceptions to take care of their “pet” causes. Meanwhile, President Obama has been urging Democrats to accept the immigration bill as it is, because too many amendments may jeopardize the bill. For example, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) would like to propose an amendment that would allow gay Americans to sponsor their partners for green cards.

The Judiciary Committee is likely to pass this amendment, but the whole Senate might not pass it.

President Obama has had a bad year, so far. He didn’t get his way on gun control, and he’s been kicked around by an obstructionist House of Representatives.

He needs immigration reform to fulfill promises he made to the

Latino community during his campaign. But the unwieldy 844-page piece of legislation contains lots of provisions that don’t pass the smell test. It makes it more difficult for African and Caribbean immigrants to become citizens of the United States.

The African American community must take a closer look at this legislation. If Senator Schumer can give 10,000 Irish immigrants the open door, how many Africans and Caribbeans will he make exceptions for? At the very minimum, Congress should restore the Diversity Visa program. The bill is called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act. Exactly who will have more economic opportunity? And is immigration really being modernized when it locks foreign-born Black people out of the process? WI Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer.

She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.

underground movement and his conviction that the Liberation Movement had no choice but to resort to armed struggle against a white government that refused to listen to the grievances of its non-white people…”

The trial was preceded by a July 11, 1963 police raid on the farm that captured 19 revolutionaries. They were charged with sabotage, conspiring to launch a violent revolution against the state, and advancing the cause of Communism. Eight ANC members, including Nelson Mandela who was already in custody at the time of the raid, were sentenced to life in prison.

Mandela served 27 years; Walter Sisulu, 26 years and Govan Mbeki, 24 years.

In the epilogue to Joel Joffe’s book, Edelgard Nkobi-Goldberg noted that documents recovered after the trial showed “…The American CIA and the British M15 kept Liliesleaf under observation. Both secret

services had long been actively engaged in these activities at least from the time of Nelson Mandela’s international travels in 1962. They had informed the South African security service about everything that happened during his journey and followed his movements after his return to South Africa. And that might have led to his arrest.”

Regardless of what prompted the arrests, there is no doubt that the Ravonia Trial put South African apartheid on the world’s agenda. Although the museum is advertised as a tourist spot, it remains one of South Africa’s best kept secrets. 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.

teria for membership is: “Is your business at least 51% owned, operated, managed, and controlled by an LGBT person, or persons who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, exercise independence from any non-LGBT business enterprise,

have its principal place of business (headquarters) in the United States, have been formed as a legal entity in the United States?”

What I find interesting is they wouldn’t tell me on the phone nor is it indicated on their website how they prove that you are

MALVEAUX continued from Page 20 system is likely to provide fewer opportunities for those from Africa and the Caribbean. Senator Schumer’s special provision for the Irish carries no stipulation that these people be employed, essentially granting them a pass from the merit-based point system.

Many hi-tech companies use the H-1B visa program on the grounds that there is a shortage of skilled workers in the United States. There is evidence that this claim is specious and that employers prefer foreign workers who they can pay less and control more.

The new legislation will prevent employers from holding workers hostage because their continuing employment is necessary in order to keep their visa. The new legislation gives H-1B 60 days to find a new job. But why do we have H-1B visas at all. With unemployment over 7 percent, and Black unemployment over 13 percent, surely there are unemployed people who could work effectively in technology companies. Howard University economist Bill Sprigs

curry continued from Page 20 words: “Room 12 Nelson Mandela’s Room.”

Before stepping inside, I took a deep breath, realizing I was about to walk into history – literally. After pausing, I slowly followed the tour guide inside, where I was suddenly face-toface with a large photo of a young, dapper, smiling Nelson Mandela. His hair is neatly parted in the middle. The impeccably dressed Mandela is outfitted in a double-breast suit stylishly finished off with a pocket square.

The only furniture in the room is a desk used by Mandela. The writing on the desk stated, “On 20 April 1964, Nelson Mandela delivered his Statement from the Dock at the opening of the Defence case at the Ravonia Trial.

He chose to not make a statement to avoid being cross examined. He spoke for five hours, clearly presenting his role in the

jackson continued from Page 20 which are held across the country throughout the year…”

I was told that I had to be homosexual in order to join.

Again, per their website, the criwww.washingtoninformer.com

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homosexual, bisexual, or transgendered.

So, let me make sure I understand, they want the Boy Scouts of America to be forced to accept homosexual kids and adults; but yet, because I have come out as openly heterosexual, I can’t be certified by them as an LGBT business.

This is discrimination to the highest heavens. I am considering a lawsuit against them because I think the federal courts should force them to accept me and my lifestyle choices (despite them being a private organization). I have a right to join their organization. America should stand with me in my pursuit of chamber equality.

Do I not deserve dignity as much as homosexuals? I have lived my life in the shadows for far too long. Can you imagine living your whole life privately as a heterosexual? Just think of the trauma I have faced walking down the street and people not

The Washington Informer

knowing if I were heterosexual or homosexual? No one should have to live their life like that.

We are Americans and we are better than that.

So, I am asking Congress to launch an investigation to find out why no one is paying any attention to my coming out of the closet, why no media outlets are covering my declaration of my heterosexuality, and why homosexual groups refuse to allow me to join their organizations. How can we be the leader of the free world, but yet not give rights to heterosexuals? Our founding fathers must be rolling over in their graves. 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

May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

37

These cuts are being or will be repeated in communities, counties, and states across our country along with cuts to legal aid societies, services for individuals with disabilities, and more.

While needlessly hurting those who need assistance most in this challenging economy, sequestration is also needlessly harming our national economic health by cutting benefits and jobs and causing furloughs.

Our Congressional leaders need to make better choices but enough citizens must demand they do so. Don’t we want to remove more people from the unemployment rolls? Don’t we want to prevent more children from falling deeper into poverty and further behind? Instead of indiscriminate cuts under the guise of deficit reduction, we need a comprehensive strategy that includes a mix of investing in job creation and early child-

hood development and learning supports; tax increases for the wealthiest; and spending cuts to non-vulnerable groups to help strengthen the economy and meet the needs of children today and prepare for tomorrow’s workforce and military and future economic growth.

Tomorrow is today, so contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to repeal sequestration, get about the real business of strengthening our economy, and to be careful what they cut. 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.

when he revealed that all through college and law school he never voluntarily spoke up in class because he felt classmates would make fun of his deep Southern accent.

One need not have gone to an elite college and law school, as Thomas did, nor be a psychiatrist, to have immediately considered that Thomas neither got over his embarrassment about his accent nor sought out a language specialist to help him get rid of it precisely because he wanted to hold onto it – the better to feed his seeing himself as a victim.

Clarence Thomas drew no job offers from law firms when he graduated in 1974. He’s claimed this was the result of the “taint” of affirmative action. But numerous articles over the years have shown that Thomas’s Black Yale Law peers have a decidedly different view of their experience.

One such article, in The American Lawyer, of June 2, 2008, “Did Affirmative Action Really Hinder Clarence Thomas?,” available on the web site Law.com, should be required reading. It found “in interviews with a dozen African-American lawyers who attended Yale in the same years” that they described their Yale experience “in largely positive – even glowing – terms.”

The most striking contrast between Clarence Thomas and Barack Obama, of course, is what they’ve done after law school.

Thomas, taken up by then-Senator John Danforth, a Missouri Republican, shortly after graduation, has been a government appointee his entire adult career – while declaring that Blacks as a group are too dependent on the government. With, at best, minimal qualifications he was appointed to the two most prestigious positions in the federal judiciary, the U.S. Court of Ap-

peals for the District of Columbia, and less than two years later, the Supreme Court.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, spurned lucrative offers from law firms and potential federal court clerkships, to become a community organizer in Chicago. There, he began his career of standing for elective office at the local, statewide, and national level. His galvanic speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention instantly made him a future presidential contender. He won the presidency twice in the toughest kind of combat outside of actual warfare by out-thinking and out-organizing his Republican opposition to garner the approval of millions of voters.

Personal and professional jealousy is always unseemly – the more so in a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. WI Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His most recent book is Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America.

his case.” Imagine such a Kangaroo Court where the principles of law and justice are disregarded and perverted, but just to make sure things go their way, the government made extensive payments to Miami journalists covering the trial of the five men, in order to manipulate public opinion against the defendants.

Sounds like a Banana Republic, and not the Good Old U.S. of A., doesn’t it?

“This is the first time in our history that there’s been an espionage charge, conspiracy to commit espionage. The government admitted they could not prove espionage. But even conspiracy

to commit espionage, there wasn’t a single page of classified documents involved in this case,” attorney Leonard Weinglass said in an interview in 2007.

The men are “guilty” of being pro-Castro Cubans, that’s all.

“That never happened before.

Furthermore, the defense was able to call General Atkinson, General Wilhelm, Admiral Carol, the adviser to the president of the United States on Cuba, all these witnesses for the defense. That never happened before in an espionage case,” Weinglass said.

And yet the remaining four languish in jail.

One of the defendants, Gerardo Hernández is serving life without parole for the downing of two planes from the Miami-based Brothers to the Rescue organization – in which he insists he had no role.

This was a classic KangarooCourt-of-Fowl where no bug (otherwise seen as “dinner” by the judge and prosecutors) could ever get a fair trial.

Now, with one of the Cuban 5 free, I hope the pressure will remain to “Free the Cuban 4.” It’s about the Arc of the Moral Universe bending toward Justice. WI

edelman continued from Page 21

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Muhammad continued from Page 21 rather than being permitted to return home. In late April of this year he was permitted to travel to Cuba for the memorial service for his late father. On May 3, Judge Joan Lenard signed a release, allowing him to stay in Cuba for the remainder of his probation. “The Arc of the Moral Universe … bends toward Justice.”

Imagine an espionage defendant convicted of a crime in which no classified documents or information was compromised. Now, imagine five such defendants. Imagine a group of pro-Castro Cubans standing trial for espionage, in Miami, Fla., of all places, where hundreds of thousands of anti-Castro, Cuban exiles reside.

There’s an African proverb which describes their plight: “In a court of fowls, the cockroach never wins

38 May 9, 2013 - May 15, 2013

The Coalition on Human Needs and others have been keeping close track of the impact of sequestration in local communities and have provided just a few examples of sequestration’s harmful effects: In Michigan, $150,000 in projected federal cuts to the Head Start program in Menominee, Delta, and Schoolcraft counties are forcing the closure of the program up to three and a half weeks early for 254 children and their families.

College Station, Texas’s Head Start and Early Head Start will eliminate a 20-day summer instruction program because of a $99,000 sequestration cut. They will also reduce staff training, field trips, and food and eliminate child care for parents participating in training sessions.

Daniels continued from Page 21

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