$2 suggested donation
Volume: 10 Issue 4 January 2 - 15, 2013
Street
sense
Read more and get involved at www.streetsense.org | The DC Metro Area Street Newspaper | Please buy from badged vendors
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Poverty
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Winter Reading Issue Turning Poverty into Poetry
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Street Sense aims to serve as a vehicle for elevating voices and public debate on issues relating to poverty while also creating economic opportunities for people who are experiencing homelessness in our community.
Folks 4-5 Blues images capture a vanishing time.
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Meet artist and vendor Dele Akerejah.
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Where Jeffery McNeil finds inspiration.
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Gwynette Smith traces a young robin’s journey.
COVER ART “Take the ‘V’ out of poverty and you get poetry” - Chris Shaw ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN POOLE BACKGOUND COLLAGE BY DELE REJAH
@ STREETSENSE.ORG A new issue comes out every two weeks, but you can stay connected to Street Sense every day! /streetsense @streetsensedc /streetsensedc
North American Street Newspaper Association
How It Works
ADDRESS 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 PHONE 202.347.2006 FAX 202.347.2166 E-MAIL info@streetsense.org WEB StreetSense.org
Each vendor functions as a selfemployed contractor for Street Sense. That means he or she reinvests in the organization with every purchase.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Yebegashet Alemayehn, Margaret Chapman, Kristal Dekleer, Robin Heller, Heidi Keller, Sommer Mathis, Manas Mohapatra, Brad Scriber, Michael Stoops
Vendors purchase the paper for 50 cents per issue, which will then be sold to you for a suggested donation of $2.
Street Sense publishes the newspaper.
75% 75% supports the vendors helping them overcome homelessness and poverty.
Street Sense
25% supports the production costs at Street Sense.
Vendors buy the papers for 50 cents each.
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You buy the paper for $2, the vendors keep 100% of the profit.
OUR STORY Street Sense began in August 2003 after Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003. In 2005, Street Sense achieved 501 ( c ) 3 status as a nonprofit organization, formed a board of directors and hired a full-time executive director. Today, Street Sense is published every two weeks through the efforts of four salaried employees, more than 100 active vendors, and dozens of volunteers. Nearly 30,000 copies are in circulation each month.
1. Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $1. I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Street Sense by any other means. 2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense staff and will not sell papers to other vendors (outside of the office volunteers). 3. I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, other vendors – respectfully, and I will not “hard sell.” (threaten or pressure customers) 4. I agree to stay off private property when selling Street Sense. 5. I understand that I am not a legal employee of Street Sense but a contracted worker responsible for my own well–being and income.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mary Otto MANAGING EDITOR Eric Falquero VENDOR/VOLUNTEER MANAGER Allen Hoorn ADVERTISING/COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Rebecca Stewart INTERNS Sydney Franklin, Jeff Gray, Lauren Poole, Claire Riesenberg
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International Network of Street Papers
6. I agree not to sell any additional goods or products when selling the paper. 7. I will not sell Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 8. I agree to stay a block away from another vendor and respect the space of all vendors. 9. I understand that my badge is the property of Street Sense and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers and display my badge while selling papers. 10. I understand that Street Sense strives to produce a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word.
VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Jane Cave, Margaret Chapman, Brandon Caudill, Lilly Dymond, Ashley Edwards, Andrew Gena, Steve Gilberg, Jane Goforth, Roxanne Goldberg, Roberta Haber, Jesse Helfrich, Maurice King, Sean Lishansky, Victoria Hatterman O’Banion, Ashley Perkins, David Piper, Mark Rose, Willie Schatz, David Sellers, Kate Sheppard, Ernie Smith, Lilly Smith, Kelly Stellrecht, Brett Topping, Charlotte Tucker, Bryan Watkins, Marian Wiseman, Eugene Versluysen VENDORS Gladys Akins, Orin Andrus, Charles Armstrong Glenn Artis, Jake Ashford, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Alan Bates, Grady Baxter, Roberta Bear, Kenneth Belkovsky, Victoria Beaumont, Frosty Bibbee, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Deana Black, Viktor Blokhine, Harmon Bracey, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Kanon Brown, Reco Brown, Percy Carter, Sunny Chadwick, Conrad Cheek, Lea Ciochetti, Elena Cirpaci, Sarah Colin, Theresa Corbino, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, Louise Davenport, Michael Davidson, James Davis, Charles Davis, Clifton Davis, Devon Dawkins, Chino Dean, David Denny, Janna Disraeli, Nema Dixon, Alvin Dixon-El, Charles Eatmon, Richard Embden, Pieus Ennels, Kristin Evald, Betty Everett, Joshua Faison, Patty Feris, Larry Garner, Anthony Gist-El, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Dwight Harris, Dewayne Harrison, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Shakaye Henry, Derian Hickman, Vennie Hill, Ibn Hipps, Jaamill Hipps, Anne Marie Holloway, Phillip Howard, James Hughes, Donald Johnson, Tavon Johnson, Mark Jones, Ryan Jones, Evanson Kamau, Tammy Karuza, Mike Leach, Ziang Lin, Anthony Lindsey, John Littlejohn, Michael Lyons, Kina Mathis, Authertimer Matthews, John Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Marvin McFadden, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffrey McNeil, Kenneth Middleton, Gary Minter, Anton Mitchell, L. Morrow, Jai Morton, Darryl Neal, Charles Nelson, James Nelson, Sammy Ngatiri, Evelyn Nnam, Amen O’Jango, Moyo Onibuje, Douglas Pangburn, Ebony Pannell, Earl Parkin, Franklin Payne, Aida Peery, Michael Pennycook, Lucifer Potter, Frank Pruden, Ash-Shaheed Rabbil, Clifford Ringwald, Anthony Robinson, Andrell Robsinson, Lawrence Rogers, Melania Scott, Chris Shaw, Veda Simpson, J. Simpson, Patty Smith, Gwynette Smith, Yvette Smith, Terron Solomon, Matt Southworth, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, James Stewart, Billy Sullivan, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Paul Taylor, Archie Thomas, Shernell Thomas, Victor Thompkins, Deborah Tibbs, Jacqueline Turner, Deborah Turner, Bada Umoja, Bertina Woodson
John “Mick” Mathews selling Street Sense outside of the Foggy Bottom Metro station. PHOTO BY JANE CAVE
STREET SENSE January 2 - 15, 2013
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CREATIVE WRITING
Vendor Man By John “Mick” Mathews Vendor As I start my day over a nice hot coffee – that life-giving brew which get me through the day – I fortify myself for the task to come. I set goals to be shattered, budget my gains to come. I approach my corner and feel the change begin as a tingling in the back of my skull, completed as I put on my vest and slip on my badge. Mick is here no more. In his place stands Vendor-Man, champion of the homeless. In his never-ending battle against poverty, he heroically takes up arms against my empty wallet and Smartrip in the negative. As I lift my papers high like a living, male Lady Liberty standing sentinel next to the metro, I begin the chant like a sorcerer's spell. “Street Sense, Street Sense, get your Street Sense!” The opening line of my pitch regularly startles those nearby. “Help the homeless, learn more about us while you're at it!” My mouth starts running on auto-pilot as my eyes seek out my customers. Ladies and gentlemen, don't miss your opportunity to pick up...” OK, the crowds are building, mostly tourists for now my mind assesses all those around as my chant goes on.
Frustration with Poetry
Ode to Willie and Kate
By John “Mick” Matthews Vendor
By Victoria Beaumont Vendor
Is there some hidden meaning To apparent fluff pieces of poetry, Which seem to me too long of an expression Of a mere sentence, an over-blown statement? Am I wrong in seeing The over-importance of the flow of words, In stanza after stanza of flowery text That goes in circles And truly doesn’t say much? To verbally paint a picture,
To set a tale in rhyme and rhythm, To express one’s human struggle in verse; This is the greatest poetry. Not this expression of over-inflated ego, The academic keeps within his Holy of Holies, Nor this overflow of sweet-smelling verbiage, Which leaves a disappointing taste in my mouth.
“The only locally produced newspaper by and benefiting the homeless.” Those around me relax, overcoming the shock of a vendor pitching like a maniac, but little things are noticed. Men check which pocket their wallets are in, women clutch their purses closer as they pass. They don't understand that I'm working – not begging, but they are not the ones I seek. Those who want something else, a new voice, they're the ones who buy, who devour. “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” I'm an overgrown paperboy, so I go with it. “Local newspaper helps curb panhandling in the District!” A few people scoff, but more start to smile and chuckle. “Hey, how do you FEEL GOOD FOR JUST A BUCK!” This is the line that gets the straglers, the one that turns you from curious to a buyer. It's a line so outrageously unexpected it breaks down the walls. As my day goes on, eventually coming to an end, my once-empty left pocket now bulges. The vest and badge come off. Vendor-Man goes back to sleep, Mick wakes up. I'm off to McDonalds to get some dinner, lighting a smoke as I go. My shortterm needs are met, time to rest up for tomorrow's adventure.
I can’t speak for everyone but I think your work here is great!! You make Writers’ Group so much fun. Even though sometimes the things we speak of are dumb. You take time from your work to help us out. And when Writers’ Group is over, your work is not. You take personal time away from you families to edit our work. I know sometimes the things I say make me look like a jerk. Once again I can thank you enough for all the things you have done!! And once again let me say you make Writers’ Group fun!! So in closing this ode to Willie and Kate. I gonna go out on a limb and speak for everyone. We all think you’re great!! Willie Schatz and Kate Sheppard are two writing professionals who volunteer their time to facilitate our weekly Writers’ Group an help edit the newspaper.
By Chris Shaw “The Cowboy Poet” On December 20, 2012, singer and composer Jimmy McCracklin passed away in Oakland, Calif. He was 91, and had made the Bay Area his base for at least five decades. Though I never got to meet or photograph Jimmy, he, and the folk wisdom he expressed in his classic homilies (mostly heard by this acolyte on the Imperial and Minit record labels) were practically known by rote when I wandered down to the Smithsonian Folklife Fest in the early 1970s to meet and greet some of his fellow black “griots” of the blues. In fact, some of these musicians, younger than McCracklin, often performed some of the man’s modest hits, such as “Share And Share Alike,” “Think,” and “This Is My Answer” in their own deep repertoire. Why? Simply because of the rough, unburnished insights they conveyed to musician and listener alike. Once I had made a true bond of friendship with drummer Vince Chappelle and flamboyant singer-guitarist Walt “Lefty Dizz” Williams, who had come to D.C. in the entourage of the boisterous and well-beloved lady shouter KoKo Taylor; I pleaded with my mom
Son Seals Son Seals, visiting Kalorama, DC, in 1975. Diabetes claimed the life of this fiery, forceful Arkansas-born Chicago blues guitarist, singer and bandleader a little over 12 years ago, in early autumn. Son, with barn-burning hits like “On My Knees,” was extremely popular at Blues festivals, especially in our region! He began his career over 25 years earlier, playing the drums in Albert King’s road ensemble.
and dad, “Please, Please, PLEASE-- let me travel to Chicago and learn more about what being a blues artist is really all about!” Well, bless their hearts, my parents yielded to my entreaties, and armed with a duffel bag, a $15 electric Japanese guitar, and a handful of money, I was off and running. In Chicago, phrases like “Cussin’ Food,” “Reap What You
Sow,” and “Can’t Get Enough of your Lovin’ Cup,” proved to be far more than mere words. Third Street was the living artery where the musicians and their extended families convened. I returned to Washington a competent blues rhythm guitarist, a heck of a serious portraitist and a young adult man; lad no more!
STREET SENSE January 2 - 15, 2013
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NEWS
Hound Dog Ko ko taylor
Houston stackhouse
Hound Dog
“So much evil doing in this city of Isotopia, no one cares anymore for others’ well-being. (Wow.)”
PART ONE
ISOTOPIA A place where the people care for no one but themselves...
By Ibn Hipps Vendor
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n a time of murder, mayhem and corruption, lies and deceit, there is a place where the people care for no one but themselves. No care for life nor God himself. No faith at all burns amongst the people’s dark hearts and cold souls in an aggressive world like Isotopia. Dirty laundry airs out: married couples are unfaithful. Heartbreak Hotel some call it. Deeper in some parts of the city people say it’s very very unsafe. (Danger) (Caution) (Death lives here.) A sign at the entrance to the city reads “Welcome. Enter at Your
Own Risk: Isotopia.” Some of the people who live here still practice the ancient laws of goodness and kindness: very caring-hearted people in a small neighborhood called “Now! Strive 77 Dr. E.” But even that enclave loses a good soul almost every week. T “Things get really hard out here trying to keep food on the plate, bills paid and at the same time keeping your marriage clean and together. In an evil evil city called Isotopia.” So says one citizen of Strive 77 Dr. E., one of the few remaining good and caring people. So much evil doing in this city of Isotopia, no one cares anymore for others’ well-being. (Wow) Drug dealers, whores, prostitutes. As
the world dies, God please forgive us. Thy soul is weak, now I see - I’m no longer blind, in a city called Isotopia. One god-fearing couple tries to keep a marriage and family together by staying far away from all the madness. They speak of some golden child-like person, who is going to be born and bring love’s light back to the hearts of the people of Isotopia. Melissa and Josh: married for seven years. Melissa has three boys from a previous marriage that went south. Then she and Josh met, married and had two girls together. That makes five children they’re raising. Josh treats Melissa’s three other kids as his own. They say he’s a great father. Josh tries hard to keep his family fed and together in a
ILLUSTRATION BY ERNIE SMITH
cruel city like Isotopia. The two girls are Susan who is 16 and Sharon who is 18. Melissa’s three boys are Michael who is 17, Joseph who is 12, and Dean who is 14. Things aren’t easy for any of them: moving from school to school, getting in fights, violence in the neighborhood... the family struggles for good. Every night at dinner, Josh says a prayer over the gathered loved ones, trying to teach old-fashioned hospitality and show his family what God does for His believers, even in a city called Isotopia. Where life is more difficult than you could ever imagine, Josh talks strongly to his boys about being a man and a leader for good. He teaches them that family is most important. Melissa says the same to the girls about being a woman, and what it takes to be a woman in a twisted city like Isotopia. “Soon,” Melissa says, “Life of Light is going to shine rays down amid the city and cast out the darkness of evil that plagues our people in a city called Isotopia.” (to be continued)
STREET SENSE January 2 - 15, 2013
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Weaving Tales Out of Shadows By Jeff Gray Editorial Intern Dele Akerejah sits in his small studio, snippets of construction paper and newsprint flying off his scissors in a constant flurry of confetti as he assembles the latest installment in his series of espionagethemed graphic novels, L’Escroc. As he narrates the tale of a man struggling to escape a seedy underworld of crime and corruption, Akerejah is in some ways telling his own story. The aspiring artist and businessman’s journey from shady hustler to legitimate entrepreneur has wandered through a maze of international drug smuggling syndicates, homeless shelters, college classrooms, cyber-prostitution rings and failed sandwich shops in a twisting tale even more incredible than the fiction he writes. The graphic novels, created as a promotional release for Akerajah’s fledgling arts and leisure company, follow the adventures of Toussant, a masked protagonist who, after unwittingly selling his soul to an evil crime organization in exchange for fast cash, must do their dark bidding in an attempt to break from his own mistakes. Each episode is encapsulated in a handmade collage booklet, a medium Akerejah describes as “collage artistry.” Toussant dashes through a world of construction paper and magazine clippings, dueling rival spies enlisted from underwear ads or Soviet storm troopers recruited out of Newsweek. “I was looking for a way to harness both my skills as a writer and my sense of aesthetic in one synergy, and this was the medium I found,” says the 28 yearold New Jersey native. The plot of L’Escroc, whose title is a French word roughly translated to hustler or trickster, is similarly cut and pasted out of the pages of the artist’s own life. “[Toussant] is sent on missions that are not dissimilar to things that I’ve heard of or may have been involved in,” says Akerejah, who adds that describing the series as a highly fictionalized autobiography “would not be inappropriate.” Akerejah claims, for example, that the novels’ fictional Honey Lab Syndicate is based on a drug smuggling car-
Aspiring entrepeneur and artist Dele Akerejah. PHOTO BY ALLEN HOORN
tel he was involved with during the late 2000s. After a failed business venture and subsequent bout of depression in ’06, Akerejah says he “went underground in a deep way,” signing on to help transport narcotics from South America to the East Coast. Initially a low-level mule, he claims to have moved quickly up the ranks to become a “supervisor.” “I was handling other people, picking up money, acting as a financial consultant, things like that.” The business side of the organization especially fascinated Akerejah, whose dream of starting his own company has been plagued by disappointment and setbacks. In 2006 he dropped out of college after his sophomore year to focus on launching a sandwich truck business, but the company quickly went under. After leaving the drug syndicate, Akerejah continued pursuing his business aspirations, though in shadowy ways. In 2008 he says he began operating an online escort service. Serving as a liaison, he would place advertisements on the internet, then arrange rendezvous between clients and prostitutes. He claims the women could get “ten times the
price through the internet then what they could get on the street,” a profit he would take a 50 percent share of. It was during this time that Akerejah first experienced homelessness. Still owing investors from his sandwich business and the university for unpaid tuition, he found himself in a mounting pile of debt and unable to pay rent. In some ways, however, Akerejah says being homeless was a liberating experience. “Being homeless allows a person a certain freedom. There’s a certain ability to go without, an ability to not need, that allows you to live aristocratically, in a sense,” he explains. “It let me focus on what I really wanted to do.” The result of Akerejah’s re-prioritized focus has been the founding of his most recent business venture, a vaguely defined online retailer called The Dopamine Clinic. The company is still in the early development stages, but Akerejah says he intends for it to become “an arbiter of pleasure through art, taste, fashion, lifestyle events, and writing.” The identity of the company is hard to pinpoint even for Akerejah, who compares its “vaporous nature” to the sitcom Seinfeld, the show about nothing.
Revenue will theoretically come from a combination of art and clothing retail and the provision of service components like emcee and bartending rentals. Akerejah envisions a core group of artists and designers working out of a Warholian studio to create everything from paintings and novels to films and music albums. The nature of the Dopamine Clinic may be enigmatic, but legally it is quite tangible. Akerejah has filed it as an LLC and accumulated all of the documentation essential to any business, including cash flow statements, market analyses and a tax identification number. “Its an actual company,” he asserts. Notably absent from the wide variety of products and services The Dopamine Clinic plans to offer are the illicit wares and activities that were a focus of Akerejah’s past ventures. Contrary to the dubious connotation of the company’s title, Akerejah says he has phased out all of the gray areas of his business, a transition he likens to hip-hop legend Jay-Z’s evolution from inner-city drug dealer to platinum selling musician and millionaire business mogul. With three of the proposed seven novels completed, the L’Escroc series remains unfinished, and Toussant’s fate undetermined. Akerejah’s fate also hangs in the balance. Like his main character, he continues his struggle to escape the
Business cards for Akerejah’s company. PHOTO BY ERIC FALQUERO
consequences of crime and greed. Perhaps not as dramatic as Toussant’s deal with the devil, the author sees his illegal activities as having had similarly binding consequences. “I think my homelessness is me paying for that fast money. Like my karma.”
Selections from L’Escroc, Volume 1 By Dele Akerejah Vendor, “Parlez Vous”
STREET SENSE January 2 - 15, 2013
FEATURE
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COMICS & GAMES
GLARPH THE POSTULATIN’ SHARK:
TERRON’S GAME:
SHARK ETIOLOGY
STREET UNIVERSITIES
By Chris Shaw “The Cowboy Poet”
By Terron Solomon Vendor
Street University
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STREET SENSE January 2 - 15, 2013
Reading to Write By Jeffery McNeil Vendor
One of the greatest regrets in my life was not having a good education. Living with bipolar and an attention disorder made it difficult. What hurt most was being called slow and stupid. This led me to isolate myself and give up on learning altogether. Today it seems laughable how many English classes I flunked. There were also many teachers who questioned my intelligence and said I was incorrigible. I think the main reason reading wasn’t enjoyable was I couldn’t get into Chaucer, Shakespeare and Thoreau . As I reflect I just didn’t relate to their works. They didn’t look like me or speak like me. Maybe if I had been introduced to African American writers such as Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes and James Baldwin I would have developed a greater love of literature. What did pique my curiosity was fishing. Although I didn’t read many books I did read fishing magazines. I was obsessed with fishing, I would skip class and go to the beach with my rod fishing for bass. If I could’ve made a living fishing I would have. After high school I joined the military where I stopped learning. I relied on wits, drugs and alcohol. I used substances because I thought hallucinating made me creative and enhanced me. The only things I read were adult magazines and other forms of diversions. As my depression got worse my addictions got worse. I slept on sidewalks, never bathed and risked myself promiscuously I drifted aimlessly with no place to go. I ended up in dangerous places. I once blacked out on a train and ended up in Long Island. Because I was broke I decided to live in Brooklyn for six months then moved to Atlantic City, Philadelphia to eventually Washington D.C. When I came to D.C. it was more of the same I slept outside, smoked crack, and panhandled.. I contemplated suicide but feared I would screw that up also. I was on a path to St Elizabeths or the morgue. However that wasn’t the direction God wanted me to go.
My life changed July 4th 2007, when I went to Franklin Shelter. I checked in and they gave me a bed and a Bible. I tried to go to sleep. Then I started scratching myself. After a few minutes I noticed bed bugs were all over me. I went out to try and sleep in the park. I had nothing to do so I opened up the Bible and read it word for word. At the time I believed in God but had no faith in God. So I started reading Genesis. Then the story of Moses resonated with me. Today when I have a life crisis I look to the great book for wisdom. This started my journey into reading and writing. I used to go to Miriam’s Kitchen and they would have writing workshops. I would go and write in a journal, but I always kept my writing to myself. Then one day I saw a green vest that said “Street Sense” and I learned about the newspaper that focused on the issue of homelessness. The editor there at the time suggested writing articles. I began selling around the National Press Club and many journalists would read my articles. As I went on working I met many writers who were willing to work with me. Since reading the Bible five years ago I have read over 700 books, which is about 12 books a month. Some of my favorites have been about American history, for example David Mccullough’s “Truman.” It was eight hundred pages and it took me eight months to read. I have also enjoyed many books about Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon. I find Roosevelt fascinating because in spite of his arrogance, ambition and lust for power, he worked for good. What intrigues me about Nixon was his complexity. He was a reviled character who was prone to fits of rage, anti-semitism, mean-spiritedness and cruelty. Yet there were times when he displayed great compassion. Today I am currently reading a book that was given to me by a customer by Studs Terkel: “Hope Dies Last” My dream one day is to write a history book from the perspective of a black man. I guess I haven’t done too bad for a person who flunked English.
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OPINION What I Want for New Year’s By Veda Simpson Vendor F o r N e w Ye a r s I want a closer walk with God. I want to love my cats and my God-dog KoKo more each day. I want to have a good relationship with my customers, my true friends. The one thing I want the most of all is to mend this crack in my heart. Since you are my friend, maybe you can help me out. My mother is up in age and I think she is a little senile. I don’t think she has much longer. Regardless of the way she has has treated me I love her unconditionally. During my drug addiction I did things I am not proud of and did not turn out to be the daughter she wanted to me to be. One of my relatives has convinced my mother I have not changed. She is keeping a wall between us. She and my mother had a falling out too, but her son is very dear to my mother and he’s taking care of
my mother’s legal affairs. My relative is using her son to keep that wall between my mom and I. She wants to make sure it is she who receives the inheritance after my mother dies. I don’t care about any of the material things. I just want my mom to know I’ve changed. I want her love and approval. That’s my New Years prayer.
Please Help! We are in need of a lockable, 2-door, shelved storage cabinet. If you can help please contact: brian@streetsense.org 202.347.2006 x 702
CHILDREN’S ART: INVISIBLE
- Kaniyah, age 5 There are 1,880 children experiencing homelessness in the District. The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project visits 6 different transitional housing and emergency shelter programs to provide weekly activities, healthy snacks, and opportunities to play and learn to as many children as possible.
Courtesy of the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project
The Street Sense Writers’ Group is led by two writing professionals and meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The group’s goal is to develop ideas and colaborate on the next great issue of Street Sense.
Life Outside the Nest
New Year Thanks
By Gwynette Smith Vendor
By Aida Peery Vendor
Tw i l l y w a s a young robin that had spent a lot of time in her comfortable n e st w i t h h e r mother after recently being born. Her reddish breast plate was so bright and pretty, and she loved to practice her tweeting. It made her happy to start communicating with other birds. She also liked the earthworms that her mother brought her to eat, and the caterpillars, too. Her mother told her one day “Twilly, you are getting older and will have to leave the nest more, look around, get your own food and become more independent” “No, Mom. I’m afraid. What if some animal gets me?” “It will be alright. You’ll see. I’ll be nearby. Before migration, we robins do not spend that much time with each other. You have to learn to be satisfied on your own more.” Twilly was a little hesitant, but the day arrived when she had to “try her own wings”. Little-by-little, she flew farther away from her nest. She was
so content when she found she could gather her own food! One day she got a beetle and carried it back to the nest to eat. They lived on a farm and some of the food was really good, like the fruits and berries there. Twilly became more and more selfconfident, and could fly with a small group further and further from the nest, and then return at night with the flock and show her mother what she had, and tell her what she had done. One day, one of the farmers took his hat off and waved hard, letting the couple of birds with Twilly know they needed to shoo-away. The robins started talking to each other “twee-uh,” “uh-uh” is how it sounded. Their sounds made the farmer so happy, as only birds can. The farmer shrugged his shoulders, laughing, as he walked away. That night, Twilly reflected on her time away from the nest. It was time, like her mom warned her. She had to be careful of hawks, cats and snakes, but mostly, it was fun to be away from the nest, explore the world and make new friends.
As a vendor for the p ast year, I want to give thanks to all my customers from 9th and G Street NW, 14th and K Street NW, 15th and I Street NW, Eastern Market on Saturdays and Dupont Circle on Sundays. Thank you for supporting me, for giving me a thumbs up to keep selling Street Sense, and for
giving me a plethora of verbal encouragement on my articles. I’ve gotten to the point of becoming addicted to selling the paper. I’ve gotten to meet people and know them on a first-name basis. Many people know my name as well. It feels good to meet so many nice people. Even if they don’t take the paper, they will donate towards the paper and will spend a few minutes to just talk small talk. So, to all my customers, I just hope you have a wonderful and safe Merry Christmas/Happy New Years, and Thank You for being so kind to me.
Come Together By Phillip Black Vendor, “The Cat in the Hat” When it comes to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, people seem to come together more. It should not come down to a holiday for us to come together. Now, I know it’s a good feeling seeing family and friends on holidays. But what
about when it’s not a holiday. When we take time out to pick up a phone, just to say hello to a friend or loved one, it makes coming together better. Most family and friends live in the same city or town and the only time you get in touch with them is on a holiday. No matter what we go through in life, good or bad, when we come together, our situations and problems will get better.
C=MB ON THE ENVIRONMENT: WHAT IS BMSB AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? By Cynthia Mewborn vendor, “C=MB” The brown marmorated stink bug migrated from Asia to the U.S. in 1992, and has since been spotted everywhere in the country, entomologists say. BMSB uses a pungent odor for defense against predators such as wasps, spiders and praying mantises. Stink bugs usually seek housing from late August until early spring. Let’s discuss what these armored, space-suited-looking stink bugs can do, and how you can use natural remedies to prevent making them permanent house guests. Because they do not have
teeth, they are not interested in biting humans. However, if you have tasty beans, vegetables or fruits around,your house, they might think you are inviting them to stay for a visit and shack up for awhile. They do not live inside walls, but instead prefer large open spaces to navigate in search of their next meal. They nourish themselves by sucking the juices out of fruits and vegetables. On average, during their lifetimes, females can lay up to 400 eggs that are oval-barrel in shape and white or green in color. Typically, these eggs can be spotted under leaves. The easiest way to prevent stink bugs from entering one’s home is by replac-
ing broken screens, sealing up cracks in windows or doors, using natural caulk (rather than silicon products), and by removing exhaust fans and placing removable washable filters in between the wall and fan. It is advisable to use thick mesh material to create an enclosure during barbeques or in the yard, which also helps keep out mosquitoes. There are also some natural ways to let stink bugs know they are not welcome, though one’s cat might give his owner a look like, “What are you doing?” Spraying a liquid version of a cat’s favorite treat into the air is a great trick, since stink bugs do not like the smell of catnip.
They also do not like mint or garlic, so putting a little of these seasonings around the home will cause these bugs to look for another place to live. Stink bugs are harmless. If one lands on you or shows up in your house, just find a small cup or glass to scoop it into and take it outside, or walk to your nearest door or window and let it fly away. They really mean no harm. The real issue is if you step on them or scare them, which is when they release their stinky defense mechanism. So the next time you see a stink bug, just remember: Don’t kill them, set them free! You’ll find you will both be happier!
STREET SENSE July 18 - July 31, 2012
143
FEATURE Boiling Over
Arugula Salad (2012 – Remixed)
By Barron Hall Vendor
By James Davis Vendor
While working selling the Street Sense p a p e r, m y L a t i n o brothers like to make fun because they don’t know or really understand why we do what we do. A lot of us native born black American men and boys don’t have anything to look forward to in this country except the jail cell and a grave. We can’t even call ourselves immigrants. We have no other country to say we are a part of. We didn’t crawl under or over a fence or swim an ocean or river to get this racist God-forsaken country to make believe that we can be a part of a dream established by murder and deceit. Those who are making fun weren’t here in this country when we were threatened with jail or prison if we didn’t go to a Southeast Asian nation to impose a fake democracy on a people seeking freedom from oppression. Those of us who made it home alive are sup-
posed to stand by and watch as our offspring are taken advantage of by the so-called freest nation on earth. A whole generation was lost and murdered only so greedy, imperialistic people could come here and suck the blood from those of us who are already poor and homeless. To add to the shame, there are also black politicians who exploit the hopelessness of their black brothers and sisters. Where is the America, One Nation under God, with liberty and justice for all the people? What happened to forty acres and a mule? Shame on you America. We gained our freedom, black America, to become drug dealers, crack heads and dope addicts. Shame on you Black America and our black leaders. God tells me to be patient and wait on Him. I pray, “Please God make a way out of no- way.” Thank you Street Sense.
Living Life on Life’s Terms By Eric Thompson-Bey Vendor Life has a lot to offer, but it’s what you do with it that counts. After losing both parents before the age of 10 and growing up in a dysfunctional family, I had thought that life had nothing to offer. But as I grow older, I realize I have to live life on life’s terms. Yes, growing up without my parents hurt me deeply, but I know I have to continue to live my life. At the age of 45, I’m just beginning to realize how to live life on life’s terms. I’m learning to accept the death of my parents and the fact that I’m homeless. I am also a recovering addict. What I do know is that God will help me. I am just beginning to discover that I can live life on life’s terms.
By Franklin Sterling Vendor
Give me your billionaires, your millionaires, your Wall Street financiers; give me your Ponzi-Schemers, your entrepreneurs, your one-percenters; give me your venture-capitalists, your silver-spooners, your oil men; as they sit in the parlor of their Fifth Avenue apartments asking the butler what sort of wine shall we have with our arugula salad this evening? Give me your middle class, your forty-seven percenters, your blue-collar workers, your small businessmen, your professional office workers, your lawyers, your engineers, and your politicians as they walk through the produce section and contemplate the rising cost of arugula. Give me your brokendowns, your homeless, your hobos, your welfare recipients, your poor, your disenfranchised, your chronically unemployed, your low-income earners, your beggars and bums, your slum dwellers and disaster victims, as they stand in the unemployment line and ask themselves, what the hell is arugula?
Street Sense Part 7 By Mike Pennycook Vendor I cannot remember the weather outside, but then again that was not relevant. The day he was born the sun was shining for me. Now, seven months later, the sun is still always shining for me. My son quickly became the highlight of my life, the most unique part. Let me take you for a ride. I was going fishing everyday from September to late November, from 10 o’clock at night to 5 o’clock in the morning. When I would come home around 5:30 a.m., my son would wake up and instead of going to sleep, I would stay up and take care of him. Throughout the day, when he would sleep I would sleep. At this time, my son was only 5 months old, and one of the many challenges for me was learning how to give him different foods. I did not have any experience with taking care of a young baby. I spent
time asking family, as well as regular customers who bought the newspaper I sell, Street Sense, how to take care of the baby. They would give me books to read and one of my regular customers would even tell me stories about her experience taking care of a baby with acid reflux. That was especially important to me because upon taking my son to see doctors, even after tests had been done, they did not known what was wrong him. Other customers would tell me stories about their children and how they took care of them. I want to specifically thank Phillip Black who introduced me to Street Sense. He must have seen potential in me that I had not seen in myself. Not to mention our vendor manager Allen Hoorn, who gave me the opportunity to work in the office where I had interacted with over 145 active vendors, all with his or her own story to tell.
My Tears
Guardian of Light
By Jane Hoston Volunteer
By Robert Tyler II Volunteer
My tears can be seen rolling down my face, Because I am alone in a dark corner crying. I am tired of feeling scared and alone as my tears continue to fall to the ground. I need to be brought back to life, I need more sunshine and less darkness, Please save me from this pain I feel burning in my heart And I need my tears to stop flowing like a river. I want to smile. I need to laugh. I need to feel loved not hated. I feel like I am being drowned in my own tears.
Jane Hoston (left) and Robert Tyler II are regular participants in the Church of the Epiphany’s Sunday gospel art program.
The clouds open and the light descends, The land looms, a beauty of life. The shadows of evil lose their grip. The sorrow turns to joy, While the pain rushes to pleasure. The people come forth from darkness, That once kept them in chains. Their eyes fixed upon the light, their hearts warm with comfort An oh so wondrous spark even greater than the sun. It seems to move gracefully upon the ground, Giving life to the soil with every step. The people stand up as the light touches them, Bringing healing to the sick, sight to the blind, Understanding to the confused, peace to the restless, And love to those who hate! No evil can stand upon the light. A world that once laid barren and dark has now been reborn. The souls that had once been under the chains of shadows are now free. As one’s foot touches the soft flower, a small bright butterfly hovers up to the nose, It sparkled and slowed. Everyone held hands and hummed softly, As the butterfly flew to the clouds, Leaving a trail of holy shine.
“I want to be able to live a normal life and get out of this situation of homelessness. I also know that God will bring me out of darkness and into the light. Even though I go through pain and sadness, I am grateful that God has brought me and my other half Robert this far.” -Jane Hoston
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARGE MCNAUGHTON
Saving John’s Life By Morgan Jones Vendor The first 10 minutes is crucial to the survival of a heart attack victim. I remember it like it was yesterday. A well-dressed man was walking down the street with a briefcase and a soda in his hand when suddenly, he collapsed, across the street from Barnes and Noble, the same side where the Warner Bros. building is at 12th and F Sts. NW. I was the first to get to him. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. I was getting ready to perform CPR but Dana came in and asked me if I had training. I told her yes five years
ago. Dana was the second person on the scene. Dana pushed me to the side and took charge like a good woman should in a situation like this. He was on his side so I put him on his back. Then Dana checked him for a pulse and began chest compressions. By that time Bill came in to take over the chest compressions for Dana. Bill was the third of the site. Bill told me later he had training as a life guard. Laura, who works with Bill, made the phone call to 911. We found out the heart attack victim’s name was John and that he was a museum director. Now he is doing well and back at work running the museum. His co-workers chipped in while he was sick and
donated sick leave to him so he could get paid. A few days ago he invited Dana, Bill, Laura, and I to lunch. We talked about his life a little bit, how he worked in real estate, then got a job working for Gene Autry’s wife, helping her run Gene’s museum. I asked him why did he come out of retirement. He got a phone call to come run the museum in Washington, he said it probably saved his life. I told him Dana and Bill really saved his life. John would like to thank the doctors and nurses at the hospital and emergency staff. Human beings coming together in time of need to help is a great thing. We didn’t know this man but I feel we are friends now.
P.S. Thanks Ron
Service Spotlight: Art Enables By Sydney Franklin Intern D.C. has its very own professional art studio dedicated to the work of people with developmental disabilities. Art Enables gives resources and support to 30 self-taught artists whose disabilities include but are not limited to Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injury and bipolar disorder. The artists work for seven hours, two to three days per week honing their skills and creating artwork. “One of the things I think is really important about our artists, even though they are self-taught: they all have a very distinct style to their work,” said Executive Director Mary Liniger. “Many of our artists have followings, fans and collectors. We get a lot of portrait commissions of pets or families.” Sixty percent of of the money from all art sold goes directly to the artists, and the other 40 percent goes
DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS HOTLINE 1-888-7WE HELP (1-888-793-4357)
SHELTER Calvary Women’s Services 110 Maryland Avenue, NE (202) 289-0596 (office) (202) 289-2111 (shelter) www.calvaryservices.org Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW (202) 745–7118, www.missiondc.org Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 393–1909 www.newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW (202) 232–7356,www.communityofhopedc.org Covenant House Washington (Youth) 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE (202) 610–9600, www.covenanthousedc.org John Young Center (Women) 119 D Street, NW (202) 639–8469, www.catholiccharitiesdc.org
to framing and marketing. “We work just like a professional collective and gallery,” Liniger said. “If they have a commission, then they focus on that. They receive technical assistance from staff only if they need it. When pieces are completed, they put them in for review.” The artists work in a variety of media including pastels, watercolor, pen and ink, and wood burning. The studio hopes to incorporate printmaking and sculpture in the near future. The studio also serves as a custom framing shop and a venue for community events. Art Enables puts on 10 shows each year, not including showcases in its Off-Rhode Studio, a gallery for other community programs like itself. Art Enables is located at 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE. For information on volunteering, studio hours, art purchases or commission requests, visit www.art-enables.org.
My Sister’s Place PO Box 29596, Washington, DC 20017 (202) 529-5261 (office) (202) 529-5991 (24-hour hotline)
STREET SENSE January 2 - 15, 2013
COMMUNITY SERVICES St. Stephens Parish Church 1525 Newton St, NW (202) 737–9311, www.thrivedc.org
Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW (202) 328–6608, www.marthastable.org
Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE (202) 269–2277, www.foodandfriends.org
Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW (202) 682–1005, www.ccdsd.org/howorwc.php
Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW (202) 452–8089, www.miriamskitchen.org
Sasha Bruce Youthwork 741 8th Street, SE (202) 675–9340, www.sashabruce.org
The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW (202) 347–2635, http://www.epiphanydc. org/ministry/welcometbl.htm
So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW (202) 797–8806; www.some.org
MEDICAL RESOURCES
Academy of Hope GED Center 601 Edgewood Street, NE (202) 269-6623, www.aohdc.org
Christ House 1717 Columbia Road, NW (202) 328–1100, www.christhouse.org Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW (202) 745–4300,www.unityhealthcare.org Whitman–Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW (202) 797–3500, www.wwc.org
OUTREACH CENTERS N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org Samaritan Inns 2523 14th St., NW (202) 667 - 8831 http://www.samaritaninns.org/home/ New York Ave Shelter (Men 18+) 1355–57 New York Avenue, NE (202) 832–2359
FOOD
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Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW (202) 265–2400 1640 Good Hope Road, SE (202) 561–8587, www.breadforthecity.org Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW (202) 364–1419, www.cchfp.org Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW (202) 939–2060, www.nstreetvillage.org
Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202) 232–3066 www.stmargaretsdc.org/charliesplac
Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW (202) 842–1112
Church of the Pilgrims (Sundays only) 2201 P Street, NW (202) 387–6612, www.churchofthepilgrims.org
Friendship House 619 D Street, SE (202) 675–9050, www.friendshiphouse.net
Thrive DC Breakfast served Mon.-Fri., 9:30-11 a.m. Dinner for women and children, Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.
Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202) 338–8301 www.georgetownministrycenter.org
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Catholic Community Services 924 G Street, NW (202) 772–4300, www.ccs–dc.org D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW (202) 347–8870, www.dccfh.org Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW (202) 347–0511, www.cflsdc.org Foundry Methodist Church 1500 16th Street, NW (202) 332–4010, www.foundryumc.org Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW (202) 842–1731, www.grm.org Hermano Pedro Day Center 3211 Sacred Heart Way, NW (202) 332–2874 www.ccs–dc.org/find/services/ JHP, Inc. 425 2nd Street, NW (202) 544–9126, www.jobshavepriority.org Samaritan Ministry 1345 U Street, SE 1516 Hamilton Street, NW (202) 889–7702, www.samaritanministry.org
SHELTER HOTLINE: 1–800–535–7252
VENDOR PROFILE: TIMOTHY DONELSON By Eric Falquero Managing Editor Timothy Donelson volunteered to fight in Operation Desert Storm in an attempt to escape the drug culture that had taken hold of America in the 1980s. But to his disappointment, he never got shipped out to any battle zones. “I believe if I had made it, I would’ve been able to get my mind clear and gotten focused, y’know in a war zone you can’t help but focus,“ Donelson said. Donelson entered the military with a background in security. He served six years with the D.C. National Guard and four more years with a security firm that staffed many public buildings in the nation’s capital. “I was going somewhere for a minute,” he said. That hopeful course in life came to a screeching halt when involvement with drugs landed Donelson in prison. He was incarcerated on and off for more than 15 years. Yet it was during a period behind bars when Donelson’s art career began. While he was in prison in Memphis, the warden hired Donelson to paint seven 9’ x 19’ murals. “He saw one of my paintings while he was walking down on the compound. Next thing I know I’m painting pictures on the cafeteria,” Donelson said. Despite personal doubts over the sheer size of the job, Donelson could not pass up the opportunity. All seven murals wrapped around the prison’s cafeteria and the administration pro-
vided supplies, including a 6’ scaffold, latex wall paint, and plenty of cheap paint brushes. “It took nine months, they paid me $100 a month,” Donelson laughed, “which is nowhere near worth the price of ‘em, but y’know - I’m locked up – that was the only way I could get some income.” Donelson began drawing at age 5 – copying from comic books and magazines. He said his mother remembered that he didn’t spend a lot of time playing outside with other children, but preferred to sit in a corner and draw. It had been his hobby ever since. “Even coming out of college I don’t think too many people can put it down like I can do on paper. Especially with colored pencils and ink. I make it look like paint,” said Donelson. After moving back to the District, Donelson found a place to live above a Jamaican restaurant and emerged as a prolific muralist in the North Capital community. He painted a mural within the restaurant, and several for other local businesses, including Taylor Funeral Home and Compliments Hair Salon. “The more they learn about what I can do, the more they ask, the more they want it,” Donelson said. He has expanded outward, having also completed a mural inside a Georgia Avenue liquor store, and several portraits and interior paintings for individuals. When asked what kind of work he is looking for, Donelson said he wants to keep doing murals and portraits “anywhere they need ‘em.” “I need to really do something with this talent now, I’m 54 – I don’t have time to waste,” said Donelson.
He has managed to kick drugs and has been sober for about a year. But during th at same time, his money ran out and he has had to deal with homelessness. He began selling Street Sense after seeing other vendors selling the paper, in hopes of rebuilding financially. “It’s hard for me to get a job,” he says. “ I’ve got a felony record and a 15-year gap in my work history. Every time I fill out an application, that blows me out of the water,” said Donelson.
Selling the paper gives him the chance to talk to many different people, and get his name out there by submitting content to the paper. Donelson also feels the need to be a part of anything that supports the homeless. “It took me a long time to get here, to become homeless. Now I just wonder how long it’s going to take me to get back.”
January 2 - 15, 2013 • Volume 10 • Issue 4
Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW
Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC
Washington, DC 20005
Mail To:
Permit #568
Remember, only buy from badged vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper. Interested in a subscription? Go to page 3 for more information.
Commissioned work: an outdoor mural (top), portrait, and indoor mural, by Timothy Donelson. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TIMOTHY DONELSON