DCPS TO LAUNCH NEW CURRICULUM NEXT YEAR 4
Documentary chronicling D.C. schools gets a Peabody Award Page 11
Freddie Allen/NNPA
May 22 - May 28, 2014
Health care for children in jeopardy Page 7 www.districtchronicles.com
Volume 13 Issue 40
6
Editorial
Harm of women anywhere hurts women everywhere
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(TriceEdneyWire.com) - “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. A real war on women, marked by murder, rape and slavery is raging in too many parts of the world. In fact and unfortunately, human trafficking is now thought to be among the fastest-growing illegal enterprises globally. The latest and most grotesque example is the April 14, kidnapping of more than 200 girls from their Nigerian school by a terrorist group known as Boko Haram. The group violently opposes any activity associated with Western society and for the past several years has been waging a bloody campaign to prevent the education of Nigeria’s girls. Yet, I have been asked by several people in the past few weeks why we should continue to care about events happening so far from our borders. The answer is simple: we cannot ignore the fact that attitudes that deny, question or compromise the value of women anywhere are harmful to women everywhere – no matter where they occur. In many parts of the world and some cultures, outdated, patriarchal and inhumane ideas such as
forced marriages, sanctioned wife beatings and even female genital mutilations continue to keep women subservient and from contributing to society and achieving their full potential. Preventing girls from getting an education is also another unacceptable tactic used to continually oppress women around the world. As First Lady Michelle Obama pointed out in the White House weekly address in honor of Mother’s Day, “more than 65 million girls worldwide are not in school.” In his Sunday New York Times column on May 11, Nicholas Kristof asked, “What’s so scary about smart girls?” Simply put, nothing threatens oppressive, male-dominated societies more than educated girls who are likely to have fewer children, become productive workers and boost their economies. As Kristof puts it, “The greatest threat to extremism isn’t drones firing missiles, but girls reading books.” In addition to the issue of education for girls, this latest tragedy in Nigeria also highlights the deplorable crime of human trafficking – not just around the world, but also here at home. The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) reports that from 2008-2012, it received more than 65,000 calls to its hotline and received reports of more than 9,000 unique cases of human trafficking. Of these, 41 percent of sex trafficking cases referenced U.S. citizens
as victims, and women were referenced as victims in 85 percent of sex trafficking cases. As distressing as these numbers are, they still do not represent the entirety of the problem because this data is based on reported incidents only. According to NHTRC, with an estimated 100,000 children in the sex trade in the United States each year, the total number of human trafficking victims in the U.S. reaches hundreds of thousands when estimates of both adults and minors and sex trafficking and labor trafficking are combined. The awful drama unfolding in Nigeria has touched the heart of the world, and it has also raised the consciousness of an international community about the continuing fight for the rights of girls and women. As the father of two daughters, I cannot imagine the pain that the parents of the missing girls must be feeling. As a civil rights leader, it fuels my commitment to do what is within my power and influence to ensure that we #BringBackOurGirls everywhere. While there is no scale or moral equivalence between what is happening in Nigeria and the treatment of girls and women in America today, we cannot ignore our own responsibility to fully educate and empower girls in this country, to champion equal pay, to end violence against women, and to stop the human trafficking of hundreds of thousands of children, girls and women each year.
Finance
The math of inequality highlighted in fast food By William Spriggs
Annette Bernhardt/creative commons
(TriceEdneyWire.com) -- Thousands of fast food workers took to the streets last week, staging strikes in protest over their low pay. In states where the minimum wage has not been raised above the federal level, if a worker could put together a full-time, full-year schedule, she would earn just $15,080 a year. Some people scoff at raising the minimum wage for these workers, on the basis that “they only flip burgers.” By that logic, what should you get paid if you are the chief burger flipper? Not much, right? Well, the CEOs of fast food restaurants average $11,884,000 in pay annually. That’s a lot of hamburgers to flip. Here is where the math of inequality comes into play. We haven’t given minimum wage workers a raise in more than five years, yet inflation has continued. So minimum wage workers’ purchasing power has been falling. In 2009, $15,080 a year would place a single mother with a child above the poverty threshold. Today, she and her child would be living in poverty. Let’s suppose the CEO wants his pay to keep up with inflation. Assuming inflation runs as it has the last 12 months, he needs a pay raise of 2 percent, or $237,680. That raise equals an entire year’s worth of pay for about 16 of his minimum wage workers. Company sales have to increase by almost a quarter million dollars to cover the CEO’s pay raise. You can see the hard math that inequality creates. When one worker makes 788 times what other workers make, the math of how much it takes to increase everyone’s pay by the same amount gets tricky. Such a huge amount must go to just one worker. But raises for fast food CEOs haven’t simply kept pace with inflation. Analysis by the Economic Policy Institute shows that the average fast food CEO pay has almost doubled since 2009. That should appear odd. If CEOs’ pay has doubled, then clearly, we would expect the performance of their companies to have
Cost of living going up + Fast food CEO pay going up + Workers’ pay remain unchanged causing a drop in standard of life = strikes demanding higher pay.
doubled. That would be the result of workers doubling their efforts since 2009 in increasing the companies’ bottom lines. If that were the case, we should see workers’ pay also go up. If performance didn’t improve and workers weren’t more productive, how did CEOs get rewarded for poor management? Others look at the workers on strike and wonder what would happen to the price of their hamburger if the workers making $7.25 an hour got a raise. But the real question is, what is it doing to the price of your hamburger that one person got a $6 million raise since 2009. That raise is more than the combined annual earnings of 398 minimum wage workers making $7.25 an hour. Congress could act to rebalance the equation, but Senate Republicans blocked a vote to raise the minimum wage. Despite appeals from workers, the president and the secretary of labor, and despite polls showing support from the American people, House Republicans have indicated they also would block a raise for workers. If it doesn’t want to address the wage problem head-on, Congress could at least take action to get Americans back to work. A gi-
ant rally was held last week at the AFL-CIO headquarters with Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to tell Congress it is time to pass the appropriations needed to put Americans back to work building bridges, fixing roads, updating sewer systems, providing more public transportation options and expanding port facilities. These are investments America must make to remain globally competitive. When we don’t make these improvements, our deteriorating infrastructure becomes a mounting debt we leave for our children to pay. Full employment is a sure way to help raise the wages of all Americans. Just like pushing up wages from the bottom, it changes the math of inequality. Having job choices, and standing on a higher floor for wages, puts workers closer to eye-to-eye with CEOs when bargaining for wages. Congress has choices. It can raise the minimum wage. It can invest in America. Or it can continue to make it hard to address American inequality by standing for the 1 percent. Follow Spriggs on Twitter at @ WSpriggs.
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Neighborhood Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia DCPS to launch “City As Our Classroom” curriculum
A
group of 30 DC public school teachers, parents and central office launched a new task force to create “The City As Our Classroom” curriculum to support student learning. The task force will meet over the next several months to create a new, aligned guidance document for teachers to use to help students experience everything Washington, D.C. has to offer as part of their units of teaching for the upcoming 20142015 school year. “Our city is filled with history, culture, experiences and sites that correspond with what our students are learning in their classroom,” said DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson. “I want our teachers to use our city to bring their classroom lessons to life for our students. D.C. has so much to offer – I am excited that this task force is going to create a comprehensive and living document to
help us leverage the unique cultural and natural resources of the District and beyond.” The task force will review the K-12 literacy, math, science and social studies curriculum and develop a series of appropriate, meaningful experiential learning opportunities that correspond to the DCPS units of study within the curriculum aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Task force participants were selected and represent a broad crosssection of the city, including all parts of the city. The task force includes content experts, familiar with the curriculum, as well as parents for their insight into what will engage students in exciting, new ways. Community members also bring insight about the District and creative ideas, as some are native Washingtonians or have lived here for significant periods of time. DCPS has a robust, consistent, standardized curriculum in use across the city, which allows for ways to create enrichment opportunities and curricular enhancements that bring existing units and lessons to life by using the city as a
classroom. For example, in the third grade reading/language arts unit “The Living World,” there are opportunities for teachers and families to explore places in the city like the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, the United States Botanical Gardens, or the United States National Arboretum, that complement the classroom activities of that unit. “This new task force is going to infuse enrichment in our classrooms in a brand new way,” said Brian Pick, chief in the Office of Teaching and Learning. “We have already made so many important strides in improving our curriculum and I know this new level of support for teachers will help make a real difference in how and what our students learn. When they can see this city in a whole new way, inside and outside of the classroom, we will create an environment for continuous learning.” Over the next four months, the task force will spilt up into small groups. Each will focus on a specific grade band to target experiential learning in a way that is developmentally and age appropriate. The task force will conduct focus groups
Divine Intervention By Bobby Ross Jr. Religion News Service
S
moke, loud music, and the smell of mingling perfumes trigger uncomfortable memories for Polly Wright. She ignores those reminders of her past as she and a troupe of women make their way to the strip club’s dressing room, armed with gift bags filled with fingernail polish, colorful earrings, and handwritten notes with encouraging messages The bags also contain tubes of lip gloss with contact information where dancers can receive help and support. Wright is the founder and executive director of We Are Cherished, a faith-based organization that regularly visits more than 50 adult entertainment venues throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Across the nation, dozens of similar ministries provide emotional support and a potential way out for prostitutes and other sex workers. “Easy in, hard out,” said Sgt. Byron Fassett, who oversees the Dallas Police Department’s high-risk child
victims and sex trafficking unit. “They don’t want to be doing this. They want out. They just don’t know how to get out.” According to Urban Institute researchers, shining more light on the industry can motivate communities to help more victims escape the shadows of sex trafficking. “We need more resources and mandates for law enforcement and service providers not only to find, arrest and convict traffickers, but also to provide services for those who want to leave the life but have few alternatives.” Located in the heart of Dallas, New Friends New Life has provided access to education, job training, interim financial assistance, mental health services and spiritual support to more than 700 formerly trafficked girls and sexually exploited women and their children, according to Executive Director Katie
4 | May 22 - May 28, 2014 | District Chronicles
with teachers and school leaders. The final meeting will include presenting the findings to Chancellor Henderson. Upon final review, the document will be available to teachers for the start of the 2014-2015 school year. For more information, visit dcps.dc.gov.
Montgomery County Early voting opens June 12 Montgomery County will opensnine Early Voting Centers June 12 to 19, from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Registered voters may cast a ballot these sites on the same voting equipment used on Election Day. Many voters find that early voting is more convenient than voting at their assigned polling place on Election Day Early Voting Centers are located at: < Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, 20877 < Damascus Community Recreation Center, 25520 Oak Drive, Damascus, 20872
< Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville, 20850 < Germantown Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Road, Germantown 20874 < Jane E. Lawton Community Recreation Center, 4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase, 20815 < Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center, 14906 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville 20866 < Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring, 20906 < Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring 20910 < Wheaton Community Recreation Center, 11711 Georgia Avenue, Wheaton, 20902 Visit www.777vote.org for more information including wait times for each center, updated hourly during voting hours. For more information, call 240.777.VOTE, visit www.777vote. org, the Maryland State Board of Elections’ website at http://elections.state.md.us, or follow the Montgomery County Board of Elections on Facebook or Twitter.
Ministries fight the stigma of sex industry
Pedigo. “We feel like we’re screaming it from the rooftops every day. It’s happening,” said Pedigo of sex trafficking and exploitation. “We need to know it’s happening, so we can fix it and get it out of the shadows.” In Colleyville, an affluent suburb between Dallas and Fort Worth, First Baptist Church provides a 3,000square-foot house that serves as headquarters for We Are Cherished. Every Tuesday evening, up to 25 women meet at what they call The
vides a boutique, where the women pick out new and gently used outfits, shoes, purses and accessories. Wright speaks from experience after a long, rocky road of excessive drinking, drug use and “sex-for-anything-but-love,” until she converted to Christianity after marrying her husband, Rodney, 18 years ago. According to Wright, it was her mother-in-law, Troyce Wright, a Southern Baptist, who showed her unconditional love. Wright traveled to Los Angeles to study the Treasures ministry, founded by former dancer Harmony Dust, author of “Scars Lynn Stevens, We Are Cherished Ministry and Stilettos.” “ B e cause she was Cherished House to enjoy a home- willing to face her past, to return to cooked meal and share stories. Some the places where she found herself of the women have left the sex in- held captive, she is in a position to dustry, others still work in it. Some bring hope to others,” Dust said of bring their children; babysitting is Wright. “She hasn’t just overcome provided. the pain from her past; she is serv The Cherished House also pro- ing as a liberator, showing others the
Christians I encountered told me I was going to hell.
path to freedom.” “We never ask a woman to leave the industry, because once you take away choice, you take away love,” said Wright. “Of course, my heart is for them to leave … and they all know that. But that’s in their time.” That’s what helped Lynn Stevens, who spent 17 years dancing in Dallas strip clubs, find a new path. “The Christians I had encountered in my life had pointed fingers at me and told me I was going to hell,” said Stevens, 45, who eventually quit the industry, married her high school sweetheart, and moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she started a satellite branch of We Are Cherished. The road to a better life is a lifelong journey. Wright continues to undergo counseling to help cope with her traumatic past. “I’m not the one to say, ‘Hey, I am awesome and amazing and I got it all together. It’s still hard,” said Wright. “It’s still a journey. God is still refining me. And I pray that he’ll always be refining me, because in that, I get strengthened in his name.”
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District Chronicles | May 22 - May 28, 2014 | 5
Cover
Black mentor groups worry over funding for MBK
By Freddie Allen NNPA Washington Correspondent
Fox 5 News WTTG
WASHINGTON – The recent controversy over potential funding linked to President Barack Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative underscored concerns that groups led by people of color have expressed over access to public and private sector resources. At the heart of the confusion was a request for proposal (RFP) issued through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for a youth mentoring program grant. In March, the grant required groups that wanted to apply be active in 30 states. By April, that requirement had been revised upward to 45 states, placing the grant far beyond the reach of most minority-led groups that mentor underserved minority youth in the United States. A paragraph in the RFP connecting the grant to the president’s My Brother’s Keeper program seemed to complicate the matter. In a letter dated April 28, addressed to Robert Listenbee, the administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Michael Brown, president of 100 Black Men of America, Inc., said that the rule change, “not only effectively eliminated our organization from meeting the eligibility requirements for funding, but also dashed any hopes that such vener-
Concerned Black Men director Garrow said the mistake and ensuing dust up was “unfortunate for the president’s fledgling project.
able institutions as the National Urban League, the NAACP and each of nine Historically Black Greek Organizations may have had for competing in this significant funding opportunity.” In a separate letter, Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, wrote that his group was “surprised,” “greatly disappointed and deeply concerned” about the rule change. “The department’s stated commitment to ‘include mentoring opportunities for young men and boys of color in order to build resilience, encourage empowerment, and facilitate community engagement and participation’ is directly undermined by the reframing of the national program that by defi-
nition, removes organizations such as the National Urban League from even competing for funds,” wrote Morial. Both letters were later posted on Politics365.com. By May 1, however, 100 Black Men of America seemed to step back from their criticism of OJJDP, offering a brief statement through their Twitter account that said that they met with the Justice Department and found that their concern “was not related to My Brother’s Keeper which is still moving forward.” Last week, all media inquiries for 100 Black Men of America were referred to Greg Heydel, vice president and group director of reputation management at Matlock Advertising and Public Relations in
Atlanta, Ga., who e-mailed the 100 Black Men of America’s May 1 statement to reporters. The OJJDP removed the language about My Brother’s Keeper from the grant application. Broderick Johnson, White House cabinet secretary and chair of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force, said, “The Department of Justice readily admitted that it led to a misunderstanding that’s been corrected and we made it clear to other agencies that they shouldn’t put things out like that with regards to their solicitations.” George Garrow, executive director of Concerned Black Men, a national organization that works to enrich the lives of young Black males, said that the mistake was
unfortunate for the president’s fledgling project. “They are people that are out there that don’t want to see this [My Brother Keeper’s program] happen at all and will take those types of things and use that against all of us. That little dust up that happened on Politics365.com, that could have been cleared up with a phone call,” said Garrow. “The next thing you know, it’s a bunch of mess.” The task force’s report, that will be released in less than a month, will offer a review of best practices and evidenced-based strategies focused on early learning and literacy, pathways to college and careers, ladders to jobs, mentors and support networks, and interactions with criminal justice and violent crime. The crisis facing boys and young men of color as they transition to adulthood has been chronicled for decades. Black males are more at risk to be suspended than their White peers, suffer a disproportionate number of expulsions and more than 40 percent of referrals to law enforcement while in school. A 2012 study titled “The Urgency of Now” by the Schott Foundation for Public Education, reported that barely half (52 percent) of Black males graduate from high school in four years, compared to 78 percent of White males.
Dick Parsons named L.A. Clippers interim CEO (TargetMarketNews.com) – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver named former Citigroup chairman and former Time Warner chairman and CEO Dick Parsons interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers. Parsons is currently a senior advisor at Providence Equity Partners and sits on the board of directors for the Commission on Presidential Debates. “I believe the hiring of Dick Parsons will bring extraordinary leadership and immediate stability to the Clippers organization,” says Silver. “Dick’s credentials as a proven chief executive speak for themselves, and I am extremely grateful he accepted this responsibility.” “Like most Americans, I have
been deeply troubled by the pain the Clippers’ team, fans and partners have endured,” Parsons said in a statement. “A lifelong fan of the NBA, I am firmly committed to the values and principles it is defending, and I completely support Adam’s leadership in navigating the challenges facing the team and the league. The Clippers are a resilient organization with a brilliant coach and equally talented and dedicated athletes and staff who have demonstrated great strength of character during a time of adversity. I am honored to be asked to work with them, build on their values and accomplishments, and help them open a new, inspiring era for their team.” After attending the University
6 | May 22 - May 28, 2014 | District Chronicles
of Hawaii, where he played basketball, Parsons earned a law degree from Albany Law School in 1971 and began his distinguished legal career as a staff lawyer for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. When Rockefeller was appointed Vice President of the United States, Parsons followed him to Washington, where he also worked closely with President Gerald Ford. Parsons returned to New York in 1977 and became a partner at the law firm of Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler where he ultimately became managing partner. In 1988, Parsons left his law firm to become president and then chairman and CEO of Dime Bancorp, Inc. Parsons began his career at Time Warner in 1995, joining as
Parsons, who was chair at Citigroup and Time Warner, was tapped to lead the Clippers.
president and then becoming chairman and CEO from 2002 until 2008. In 2009, after retiring from Time Warner, he served as chairman of Citigroup until stepping
down in 2012. Parsons’ extensive list of accomplishments also includes having served as a member of President Barack Obama’s economic advisory team.
Politics
Advocates ask leaders to secure children’s health insurance
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With funding for CHIP expected to expire next year, many children will have to settle for “inferior” plans under the ACA.
By Nayita Wilson (TriceEdneyWire.com) -- The 2015 expiration of the Children’s Health Insurance Program has advocates asking Congressional leaders to commit to funding the program beyond the expiration date. The program, which provides coverage to about eight million U.S. children, is a federal-state program that provides coverage for children who don’t qualify for Medicaid but whose parents cannot afford private coverage. Currently, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 retains CHIP’s eligibility standards through 2019, and funds the program through October 2015. ACA also provides $40 million in federal funds to promote Medicaid and CHIP enrollment. More than 400 advocacy groups in support of the program have sent a letter to President Obama and minority and majority leaders in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives asking them to “secure CHIP’s future this year so that states can operate their programs without interruption.” The challenge, according to Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy group on federal policy and budget issues relating to issues affecting children which coordinated the letter, is that children currently enrolled in CHIP may find themselves uninsured if the program
expires and parents can’t afford to go into the private markets. Additionally, children who are forced to go into the exchange market brought about by ACA, may find themselves in receipt of “inferior” benefits, he said. “States need to plan,” said Lesley who noted that political reservations amongst Democrats who “don’t want to see Medicare open up” and Republicans who “because of their dislike for ACA see anything as bad,” can also hinder actions around CHIP. In Louisiana, the Louisiana Children’s Health Insurance Program (LaCHIP) provides coverage to children up to the age of 19 who meet citizenship and income criteria that deem them eligible to receive medical and mentalhealth care, immunizations and other medical services. Approximately 121,095 Louisiana children were enrolled in LaCHIP in June of last year according to LaCHIP’s 2013 annual report. One Louisiana organization, Mary Queen of Vietnam Commun ity Development Corporation, Inc. (MQVNCDC), signed the letter in support of seeing CHIP remain in place. Tap Bui, deputy director for MQVNCDC, said, “As a nonprofit organization providing services to the underserved communities of New Orleans East, we hope that our representatives take into consideration the needs of the com-
munity and support the CHIP program.” The Louisiana Weekly reached out to the entire Louisiana Congressional delegation for comments and their stances on the CHIP reauthorization. Congressman Cedric Richmond shared the following statement: “The Children’s Health Insurance Program is crucial to so many low-income families who may be just above the Medicaid threshold but cannot afford private insurance. I believe that it is important to continue to invest in our youth whether it is health care, food assistance, education, and so many more valuable programs that if not properly funded would not only be morally reprehensible but end up costing even more money in the future. I will continue to fight for critical programs such as CHIP and many others that invest in our youth.” U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter as well as U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise, Charles Boustany, John Fleming, Vance McAllister and Bill Cassidy had not responded by press deadline. A representative from within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s press office confirmed that CHIP is set to expire in October 2015 but could not provide an answer “at this time” with regard to what would become of the children enrolled in the program should CHIP expire in 2015.
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(TriceEdneyWire.com) – The Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) has announced that JET magazine, the iconic news weekly founded in 1951, will cease publication at the end of June. JPC said it is making the proactive decision to adapt to the changing needs of its readers by transforming JET into a digital magazine app. JET started as a publication for Black audiences to get weekly news on issues central to their community in a quick and easy to read format. The new weekly digital magazine app will leverage a variety of storytelling tactics, including video interviews, enhanced digital maps, 3D charts, and photography from the JPC archives. Breaking news will be updated daily. The app will be available on all tablet devices and mobile platforms. Additionally, JET will publish an annual special print edition.
“Almost 63 years ago, my father, John Johnson, named the publication JET because, as he said in the first issue, ‘In the world today, everything is moving faster. There is more news and far less time to read it,’” said Linda Johnson Rice, chairman of JPC. “He could not have spoken more relevant words today. We are not saying goodbye to JET, we are embracing the future as my father did in 1951, and taking it to the next level.” CEO of JPC, Desiree Rogers said, “The JET magazine online presence is continuing to grow, and JPC feels strongly we can provide great and timely content to our readers with the first weekly digital magazine app in the African-American space.” Online content will feature strong entertainment news, along with politics, pop culture and social issues that impact African Americans, as well as a new EBONY/JET digital store.
JET was initially billed as “The Weekly Negro News Magazine,” and is noted for its role in chronicling the early days of the civil rights movement. It was one of the first publications to report on the death of Jordan Davis and Kendrick Johnson, and to do a special investigative report on missing Black children. One of the magazine’s catch phrases was “If it isn’t in JET, it didn’t happen.” Today’s coverage includes current events, entertainment news, healthy living tips, and fashion and beauty tips.
Two musicals come to Montgomery College summer dinner theatre
8 | May 22 - May 28, 2014 | District Chronicles
This summer, Montgomery College brings two acclaimed musicals to the stage – —“Seussical” and “Les Misérables” – for its Summer Dinner Theatre performance series.. “Seussical” performances begin June 20, and “Les Misérables” performances begin July 11, and last throughout the month. In “Seussical,” the Cat in the Hat spins a tale of around Horton the elephant, who must protect the Whos – microscopic citizens living on a speck of dust. He must also guard an abandoned egg recklessly left in his care by Mayzie La Bird. Outiside of the Whos’ community, Horton is bullied, teased, and treated unkindly for his faith and beliefs. With help from his friend Gertrude McFuzz, who never loses faith in Horton, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community are challenged and emerge triumphant. The audience also learns the story of Jojo, a Who child sent off to military school for thinking too many “thinks”, and many other characters created by Dr. Seuss.
“Les Misérables,” is set in France in the early 1800s. Jean Valjean is released on parole after having served 19 years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s son. Though now an outcast, a kindly Bishop offers Valjean a place to live. Though he steals from the Bishop, the Bishop shows mercy, protects Valjean from the police, and inspires Valjean to become an honest man. Many characters and lives cross Valjean’s path ultimately being drawn into France’s revolutionary period and the dangers that lie ahead. Montgomery College’s Summer Dinner Theatre, now celebrating 37 seasons, is an annual training ground for both aspiring musical theatre performers and behind-thescenes artists. Performers include Montgomery College theatre and music majors, visiting students from other universities, high school students, and community residents. Those chosen to participate enroll at Montgomery College for 10 weeks of hands-on education in singing,
dancing, costumes, lighting and more. For some students, Summer Dinner Theatre marks the first time they have worked alongside professionals to learn the craft of acting and theatre production. The students also get the thrill of singing with a live orchestra. In true dinner theatre fashion, the students also serve as waiters and support staff at the performances. Tickets are $51.00 for adults and $39.50 for children ages 12 and under. Prices include the performance and a full dinner buffet. A 10 percent discount is available for alumni or retirees of Montgomery College on the opening nights of each show. The general public may receive a 10 percent discount if an equal number of tickets are purchased for both shows on the same order. All performances are held in the Theatre Arts Arena on the College’s Rockville Campus, located at 51 Mannakee Street in Rockville. For more information, call 240.567/7676.
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In the Neighborhood
Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington Peabody winning PBS series highlights D.C. Met, Ballou high schools
Gov. O’Malley vetoes anti clean energy bill Annapolis, MD -- Gov. Martin O’Malley has vetoed HB 1168, a bill which would have delayed, and possibly killed the Great Bay Wind Project. Sierra Club Maryland Director Josh Tulkin praised O’Malley’s veto of the anti-wind bill that would have killed the project. “This project will be an inspiring step in Maryland’s path to-
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NEW YORK--The National Black Programming Consortium documentary series, 180 Days: A Year Inside An American High School, which shines the spotlight on the nation’s educational crisis, has won a Peabody Award, the Pulitzer Prize of electronic media. Ballou Senior High School graduating senior Rufus McDowney, one of the young subjects of the film, will accept the award on behalf of NBPC this week at the Peabody Awards ceremony at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria. “We are very pleased to be acknowledged for a series we know has helped inspire much-needed dialogue around the many factors impacting vulnerable students in our public schools, including standardized testing and its effects on our students and educational institutions,” said Jacquie Jones, the director of the series. Over the course of a full school year, 180 Days follows a high school at the epicenter of the nation’s school reform movement. The twopart series offers a window into the struggles of five students at Washington Metropolitan High School -- also known as DC Met -- as they battle life’s challenges to graduate
Ballou graduating senior McDowney, featured in the film, will accept the award for NBPC.
and succeed. The series also shows how the push for success in standardized testing is often at odds with the realities facing young people and the lengths to which the faculty must go to ensure their students are able to have their day in the light, in full cap and gown. McDowney struggled with negative influences and delinquency when he transferred into DC Met. The personalized attention he received saw his grades rocket from Fs to As, but the death of his mother from cancer soon uprooted the young man. He was arrested shortly after being pulled out of the school. His story doesn’t end there. He is set to graduate from Ballou Senior High School next month and attend the University of the District of Columbia in the fall, where he plans to major in criminal justice. 180 Days was produced and directed by Jones and Garland McLaurin and edited by Adam Lingo and Carol Slatkin. Christo-
pher Paultre composed the music. McLaurin, a Howard University graduate and northwest D.C. resident, hadn’t expected the film to win any awards but is happy the issues presented in the film is gaining attention. “The education section of the [Washington] Post never mentioned the film, DCPS never mentioned it, and the film just came and went, so I think this validation is important,” said McLaurin of the award. “I hope people watch the film and have an open opinion and get into discussions about education.” The series, part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that helps communities nationwide understand and implement solutions to address the high school dropout crisis, aired on PBS in March 2013. The film can be seen at http://video.pbs.org/program/180-days/.
wards clean energy,” said Tulkin. “When complete, the project would generate $200 million for Somerset County, the poorest in the state, and create more than 750 jobs, 500 of which will be in Somerset. “By vetoing HB1168, Gov. O’Malley has continued to put Maryland in the forefront of the nation in moving toward sustainable energy and green jobs, and, and has cemented his legacy as the most forward-looking governor in the country in this regard.” The Navy will now have the opportunity to continue to work
with Great Bay to come to an agreement that is acceptable for both the Navy, its employees and contractors, and Great Bay Wind, said Tulkin in a statement. Not only would the bill have stopped Great Bay Wind Project in its tracks, it would have chilled the creation of other sustainable businesses in Maryland as well, Tulkin added. “We need to be sending a message that Maryland is open for clean energy businesses, not scaring them away or changing the rules on them mid-stream,” he said.
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In the Neighborhood Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington
District of Columbia
Workshop: Helping men who care for breast cancer survivors
DC building heights to go up slightly
T
President Obama has signed into law a bill to amend D.C. buildings Height Act, co-sponsored by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA). The law amends the Height Act, a federal law that limits the height of buildings in D.C., to give the District the authority to allow human occupancy in the structures atop buildings known as penthouses. The law caps the height of occupied penthouses at one story and a maximum of 20 feet. Prior to the law, DC limited them to 18.6 feet. “I am pleased that the Mayor and Council Chair reached an agreement that allowed the bill to move forward,” said Norton. “The bill, which moved smoothly through Congress and was signed by the President, is a good example of a home-rule bill.” The law is consistent with National Capital Planning Commission recommendations. Norton co-sponsored the bill following a consensus reached on the bill between D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, as she had urged them to do in a December 2013 letter.
12 | May 22 - May 28, 2014 | District Chronicles
Tejada’s street car planning and efforts as chair of the county board were recognized.
mitment to building communities that are more transit-oriented, walkable, bikeable and sustainable,” said Tejada. “This award acknowledges the county’s years-long public process
and hard work with many community partners to bring the benefits of smart growth, including better transit, to the Pike,” he said. “No other jurisdiction that we know of has put in place such an innovative
The Coalition for Smarter Growth, founded in 1997, is the region’s leading organization dedicated to making the case for smart growth. The group describes as its mission “to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish.”
Howard and Harvard squared off in Great Debaters series
Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles
Doctors Community Hospital is hosting a free Partners in Survival Workshop May 31, 12 – 2 pm, 8100 Good Luck Road in Lanham. It will provide support and tools to men to help them as they care for loved ones who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. For many men, caring for their loved ones who have breast cancer can cause feelings of fear, anxiety and uncertainty. However, they do not need to face those challenges alone. At the workshop men learn effective caregiving techniques and support system development. Also, they discover the importance of collaboration to create common goals and address complex problems. The special guest speaker will be Marc Heyison, founder, Men Against Breast Cancer. As the first and only non-profit of its kind in the nation, its mission is to help men be there for the women they love after a breast cancer diagnosis. This event is cosponsored by Men Against Breast Cancer and Macy’s. Registration is required. Call 301.552.8673.
About the Coalition for Smarter Growth
Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles
Prince George’s
Arlington policymaker Tejada awarded by Coalition for Smarter Growth
strategy to protect affordable housing and diversity while revitalizing a large urban area and creating economic development opportunities.” In a press release, the organization said that the Livable Communities Leadership Award “is bestowed annually on Washington area individuals who have made a particularly significant contribution to smart growth in the Washington region.
Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles
he Coalition for Smarter Growth honored Arlington County Board Member J. Walter Tejada last week, for his efforts to advance the community’s vision for transforming Columbia Pike into a more transit-oriented corridor while preserving its diversity and affordable housing stock. “Walter Tejada demonstrated outstanding leadership in making the case for the plan and the streetcar, which is essential to supporting the increased density and ridership expected in the corridor,” said Coalition for Smarter Growth executive director Stewart Schwartz. “Moreover, with the demand and housing costs soaring, he spearheaded innovative housing policy
and funding strategies to preserve and add affordable housing in the Columbia Pike corridor as it redevelops. The affordable housing strategies championed by Walter will be a model for other jurisdictions.” Tejada was awarded the prestigious Livable Communities Leadership Award for his work in 2013 as Chairman of the Arlington County Board. During his tenure, Tejada hosted a Streetcar Town Hall that drew hundreds of county residents to an informative discussion of the county’s planned Columbia Pike streetcar. As chairman, Tejada led the board to adopt a set of innovative financial tools for preserving affordable housing along the pike, including the creation of a Transit Oriented Affordable Housing Fund (TOAH) and a Tax Increment Financing area along the pike for defined revitalization districts. “The Coalition for Smarter Growth shares Arlington’s com-
Arlington County