VOL. 19 ISSUE 31
$2
JUNE 22 - 28, 2022
Real Stories
Real People
suggested donation goes directly to your vendor
Real Change
Thousands march for rights of poor and lowincome people, page 12
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Watercolor paintings and art, page 8 STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG
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BUSINESS MODEL
1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347 - 2006 streetsensemedia.org info@streetsensemedia.org
How It Works
Street Sense Media publishes the newspaper
Each vendor functions as an independent contractor for Street Sense Media, managing their own business to earn an income and increase stability in their life.
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DONATION
per newspaper copy
goes directly to your vendor, empowering them to overcome homelessness and poverty
VENDORS Abel Putu, Abraham Aly, Aida Peery, Amina Washington, Andre Brinson, Andrew Anderson, Angie Whitehurst, Anthony Carney, Anthony Pratt, Archie Thomas, August Mallory, Betty Everett, Beverly Sutton, Brianna Butler, Carlos Carolina, Carol Motley, Charles Armstrong, Charles Woods, Chon Gotti, Chris Cole, Chris Sellman, Conrad Cheek, Corey Sanders, Cortney Signor, Daniel Ball, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Don Gardner, Doris Robinson, Earl Parker, Eric Thompson-Bey, Evelyn Nnam, Floyd Carter, Franklin Sterling, Frederic John, Fredrick Jewell, Gerald Anderson, Gracias Garcias, Henry Johnson, Ivory Wilson, Jacqueline “Jackie” Turner, Jacquelyn Portee, James Davis, Jeanette Richardson, Jeff Taylor, Jeffery McNeil, Jeffrey Carter, Jemel Fleming, Jenkins Daltton, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jermale McKnight, Jet Flegette, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Joshua Faison, Juliene Kengnie, Justin Blakey, Katrina Arninge, Kenneth Middleton, Khadijah Chapman, Kym Parker, Laura Smith, Lawrence Autry, Levester Green, Malcolm Scott Jr, Marcus McCall, Mark Jones, Maurice Spears, Melody Byrd, Michael Warner, Michele Rochon, Mildred M. Hall, Morgan Jones, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Phillip Black, Queenie Featherstone, Redbook Mango, Reggie Jones, Reginald Black, Reginald C. Denny, Ricardo Meriedy, Rita Sauls, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, Sasha Williams, Shawon McCrary, Sheila White, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Susan Westmoreland, Susan Wilshusen, Sybil Taylor, Warren Stevens, Wendell Williams BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androff, Jonquilyn Hill, Greg Jaffe, Stanley Keeve, Clare Krupin, Ashley McMaster, Matt Perra, Michael Phillips, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu
NO CASH? NO PROBLEM.
Pay vendors with the Street Sense Media app! S earch “S treet S ense ” in your app store .
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Brian Carome
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
AVA I L A B L E
Doris Warrell
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Darick Brown
CASE MANAGER
VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT
Leo Grayburn
As self-employed contractors, our vendors follow a code of conduct. 1.
2.
3. 4. 5.
I will support Street Sense Media’s mission statement and in so doing will work to support the Street Sense Media community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity. I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media but an independent contractor. While distributing the Street Sense newspaper, I will not ask for more than $2 per issue or solicit donations by any other means. I will only purchase the newspaper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not distribute newspapers to other vendors.
6. 7.
“I will not distribute copies of “Street Sense” on metro trains and buses or on private property.” I will abide by the Street Sense Media Vendor Territory Policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes with other vendors in a professional manner.
8.
I will not sell additional goods or products while distributing “Street Sense.”
9.
I will not distribute “Street Sense” under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
10. I understand that my badge and vest are property of Street Sense Media and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing “Street Sense” and will always display my badge when distributing “Street Sense.”
INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW
The Cover Demonstrator at the Poor People’s Campaign march holding up a sign that says “Everybody Rises.” PHOTO BY SHEILA WHITE
The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper: They use film, photography, theatre, illustration, and more to share their stories with our community. Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence. And our in-house case-management services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing. At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents, and character, not through our housing situation.
DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT
Thomas Ratliff
VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES
Aida Peery, Clifford Samuels
VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS
Jeff Barger, Haley Gallagher, Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Kevin Jaatinen, Jacob Kuba, Eva Reeves, Mauricio Reyes
MANAGER OF ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS
Maria Lares
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Will Schick
DEPUTY EDITOR
Kaela Roeder
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Athiyah Azeem
STAFF REPORTER
Annemarie Cuccia
MICHAEL STOOPS FELLOW
Jasper Smith
INTERNS
Atmika Iyer, Hajira Fuad, Hannah Loder, Holly Rusch, Hope Davis, Ingrid Holmquist
ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
Ariane Mohseni (Film), Bonnie Naradzay (Poetry), David Serota (Illustration), Lalita Clozel (Film), Willie Schatz (Writing)
ARTS EDITOR (VOLUNTEER)
Austine Model
OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)
Rebecca Koenig, Emily Kopp, Lydia DePillis
EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS
Josh Axelrod, Ryan Bacic, Katie Bemb, Lilah Burke, Chelsea Ciruzzo, Lenika Cruz, Alison Henry, Kathryn Owens, Nick Shedd, Andrew Siddons, Jenny-lin Smith, Rebecca Stekol
STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG
NEWS IN BRIEF
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AT A GLANCE
Street Sense Media wins top honors at annual Dateline Awards
VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • Congradulations to Levester Green for getting his poetry published by Silver Sprak Press! Read it at: https://tinyurl. com/levester-poetry
The staff of Street Sense Media’s newsroom. From left to right: Annemarie Cuccia, Kaela Roeder, Athiyah Azeem and Will Schick. Street Sense file photo
Street Sense Media won a total of six awards for work produced in 2021. Photo by Will Schick
Our team at Street Sense Media won a slew of honors at this year’s Dateline Awards contest, which is hosted by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, for work we produced in 2021. We won top awards in the categories for breaking news, non-breaking news, business reporting, photojournalism, art/illustration and cover design. We were also a finalist in an additional three categories: investigative journalism, series reporting and beat reporting. Our awardwinning work included stories spotlighting solutions to homelessness, policy-explainers and deeply reported pieces on the efficacy of city-sponsored housing subsidy programs. For nearly twenty years, we have consistently produced quality journalism and it feels great to be recognized for our
work. Throughout the years, we have relied on a steady stream of volunteers and interns to assist us with everything from graphic design and editing to photography and reporting. Two of this year’s winners went to members of our volunteer team: Rodney Choice and Josh Kramer. Maydeen Merino, an intern from last summer, also won the top award for photojournalism. In addition, three of this year’s top awards were for work co-produced with The DC Line. We are forever grateful for their contributions to our newsroom. Will Schick, Editor-in-Chief
The answer to last week’s scavenger hunt WENDELL WILLIAMS Artist/Vendor
The place we drive by without paying much attention to is the US National Cemetery at 6625 Georgia Ave NW. It is where the lives of the people who fought and died in the 1864 Battle of Fort Stevens are buried and honored.
• The next vendor meeting, including pizza and drinks, is on Friday, June 24 at 2 p.m. • The Street Sense offices will be closed Monday, July 4 • New workshop! Watercolor workshop is every Thursday at 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. • “Beat the Streets” is every Thursday at Street Sense at 3 p.m. • Papers for vaccinations? Show us your CDC card and get 15 papers for being fully vaccinated plus 10 more for being boosted.
BIRTHDAYS Morris Graham Artist/Vendor
June 23
Photo courtesy of Wendell Williams
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NEWS
Following the money: Council implements new accountability measures ANNEMARIE CUCCIA
w
Staff Reporter
ith the recent passage of accountability measures in this year’s Budget Support Act, the final piece of D.C.’s budget is in place. The D.C. Council unanimously passed the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Support Act on June 7. The annual legislation — known in D.C. government circles as the BSA — contains the legal language necessary to implement the budget and often includes oversight guidelines for city agencies on how to manage their money. The BSA comes after the FY 2023 Local Budget Act, which distributed $19.5 billion of funds to government agencies. This year, the BSA includes notable requirements for three government agencies key to implementing the agenda established by the mayor: the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG), and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The council’s final version of the BSA also authorized enforcement of a recently passed tenant’s rights bill — which had been subject to future appropriations — and extended the Flexible Rent Subsidy Pilot Program (regularly called D.C. Flex) through 2026. The bill strengthens the ban on landlords discriminating against people who have housing vouchers, including a new provision against the use of rental history as reason to reject an applicant. It also capped rental application fees at $50 and sealed eviction court records after three years. This year’s budget funded the Office of Human Rights to enforce the bill. D.C. Flex, a program that gives $7,200 a year to extremely low-income residents to use on expenses such as rent, was set to expire this year. The subsidy, which lawmakers say they want more time to test before making permanent, is also being expanded to cover individuals as well as families for the first time, rather than just families.
Reigning in the HPTF This year, the BSA includes additional reporting requirements for DHCD, the agency that administers the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF), a taxpayer-funded pool of money used to create and preserve affordable housing in the city. After regularly failing to meet existing accountability targets, DHCD will now have to report every HPTF project to the council and request a waiver when those targets are not met. In May, the council allocated $446 million to the HPTF, the largest one-time investment in recent history. By law, the city must allocate half of the fund to constructing and maintaining affordable housing for extremely low-income households. In D.C., a household of four that makes below $38,700 annually is considered extremely low-income. However, DHCD has regularly failed to meet that
requirement, spending just 27%, 18% and 13% on extremely low-income housing in the last three years, with the rest going toward housing units for households who are closer to the median family income for the region. An Office of the Inspector General report released last September found DHCD habitually selected proposals with fewer affordable units over those with more, a finding mirrored in previous reports issued by D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson. Over three years, DHCD spent $81 million reserved for extremely low-income units on less affordable ones, according to the inspector general’s report. To keep tabs on the fund’s affordability targets, the council is now directing DHCD to send a full report of any new projects it plans to fund. The report must include the number of affordable housing units to be created by the project proposals that are selected as well as those that are rejected. If the agency chooses a project that will produce fewer affordable units over a project that will produce more, DHCD will have to explain why. If the DHCD does not meet the affordability targets by the end of the fiscal year, the mayor must submit a waiver request to the council. The HPTF finances the construction of affordable housing and is funded through appropriations and by transfer and recordation taxes collected when real estate is sold. Mayor Muriel Bowser has lauded it as a key part of D.C.’s plan to end homelessness through the creation of more affordable housing. A last-minute amendment from At-large Councilmember Anita Bonds, who chairs the Committee on Housing and Executive Administration, removed a provision from the BSA that would have increased the share of the HPTF devoted to extremely low-income housing in FY 2023 from 50% to 56%. This was similar to a proposal from advocates that sought to replace the $82 million slated for extremely low-income housing that DHCD misspent. While no councilmembers expressed opposition to the idea of spending more on extremely low-income housing, Bonds said it was unlikely DHCD officials would be able to meet this goal given their poor track record. The amendment to remove the requirement passed unanimously.
Priorities at the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants The Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) — two agencies key to D.C.’s public safety plan — also face new public reporting requirements. As part of its work with victims of crime and individuals involved with the justice system, the OVSJG helps fund housing programs for survivors and individuals just out of jail; it also provides various grants to domestic violence prevention and recovery organizations in D.C. Leaders of
several nonprofits that work with the OVSJG testified at an oversight hearing held by the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety this spring that increased rates of domestic violence in D.C. have outpaced available funding during the pandemic. Front-line service organizations, according to an opinion piece by Bridgette Stumpf, executive director of the Network for Victim Recovery of D.C., don’t know why they have seen grant decreases despite overall budget increases for the office. The OVSJG usually posts grant details each year so service providers can understand the agency’s priorities, but it has not yet posted information for FY 2022. For every year moving forward, the BSA will require that the OVSJG post the amount, recipient and purpose of each grant. In response to concerns the agency does not have a clear mission, the mayor will now also have to include grant-making priorities as part of the agency’s budget request, including how much the OVSJG expects to spend on emergency shelters, shortterm housing and transitional housing. This transparency aims to repair what domestic violence service providers have described as a damaged partnership with the OVSJG.
Counting MPD In her budget proposal, Bowser included $30 million to hire and retain 350 new police officers over the next year. This is the first step toward her goal of bringing MPD up to 4,000 sworn officers, which she and the police chief say is necessary to have adequate response times and a consistent neighborhood presence. The force currently has 3,500 officers and loses about 300 each year; the police department projects that it would take a decade to reach 4,000 officers. While the council approved most of Bowser’s proposed increase for MPD, not all policymakers or residents are sold on the 4,000 number as a long-range policy. Beyond those who have sought to defund or reduce the police force, multiple groups have called for an audit to determine how many police officers D.C. needs. While some MPD information is already public, the BSA will require the police department to release additional data, including the unit of officers that make stops. All information on stops and use of force will have to be posted on the MPD website, along with a report on the number of sworn officers and civilian employees, where officers serve, the number of vacant positions, and standard salaries. MPD will also have to provide an annual report on overtime spending, expenditures and projected hiring. The BSA will next go to the mayor for approval. Due to the legislation’s complexity, it frequently takes several weeks after passage for the D.C. Council’s staff to finalize the text for the administration to review. This article was co-published with The DC Line.
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‘The social butterfly:’ vendor Marcus Green dies at 60 HOPE DAVIS Editorial Intern
Marcus Green poses in his Negro Leagues Baseball jacket in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 4, 2020. Green’s loved ones remember him as a man who loved personal style. Photo courtesy of Eva McNabney
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treet Sense Media vendor and artist Marcus Green died April 2 — five days shy of his birthday. He would’ve been 61. Green’s generosity and boisterous energy left impressions on those who knew him, including his three children, three grandchildren and long-term girlfriend. Green’s family held a memorial service at the Palace nightclub in D.C. in April. The celebration — complete with a D.J. — honored Green’s fun-loving spirit. His older sister, Trina Mercer, described him as a “class clown.” “The social butterfly, [he] would talk to anybody anywhere,” his daughter Markia Green said. “Even when he was joking, it was very loud. So, he drew a bunch of attention and he was embarrassing, but he was the most loving person I’ve ever met in my life.” The Southeast Washington, D.C. native served in the U.S. Army in his early twenties before experiencing homelessness in adulthood. He began working as a vendor for Street Sense Media around 2010. Vendor Eric Thompson-Bey said Green was the reason he stayed at Street Sense Media in the first months of the COVID19 pandemic. The friends worked in the office as vendor program associates during that time, and Green showed him the ropes of the job. Thompson-Bey knew Green growing up, but they didn’t become close until working together. Green — five years Thompson-Bey’s senior — called Thompson-Bey his nephew. When Thompson-Bey had trouble cashing his first paycheck due to a missing ID, Green offered to loan him money. Thompson-Bey described Green as a jack of all trades who could shape a hairline better than a barber. He remembers
Marcus Green hugs his daughter, Markia Green, in a family polaroid from the 1980s. Photo courtesy of Markia Green
their morning phone calls and laughing together on the bus ride home from work. “I wish I could ride the bus with him today,” Thompson-Bey said.“I think about him every morning I get up because I can’t call Marcus for a haircut anymore.” Gerald Anderson also grew close with Green after he began vending for Street Sense Media. He admired Green’s drive. When new editions were released, Green would arrive before 5 a.m. to help unload papers from the truck. When vendors lined up for their papers to sell, he would keep Anderson laughing with jokes about cutting the line. Anderson was hit hard by the loss. “I feel like I’d just seen him and he went away that fast,” Anderson said. He said he wants people to remember Green as a smart man who was friendly with everyone. He appreciated Green’s preaching and advice. “If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be moving,” he said. Green’s penchant for giving advice and his sense of purpose shine through his writings for Street Sense Media. His submitted works would offer guidance for avoiding bad influences or describe his passion for caring for animals as a “mission.” He would take readers through his workout regimes or practices for self-betterment, describing PTSD classes or the “power, peace, and joy” he got from his girlfriend’s two cats. Green wrote often about finding inspiration and meaning in his daily life. “My belief is that life means more if you put in work with a team instead of by yourself,” he wrote in 2020. “We feed off each other to be the best we can be.” Markia Green remembers her father being honest about more
Marcus Green poses for a military portrait after joining the service after high school. Photo courtesy of Markia Green
serious matters of life. “A very wise man — he had a way of delivering good or bad news in a way that didn’t ever sound too bad,” Markia Green said. “But he was very honest with us.” Eva McNabney got to know Green while working in the Street Sense Media office as the director of vendor employment. She said the team supported each other through a “chaotic, emotionally taxing and intense time” during the summer of 2020. The two would walk around town on the job and develop inside jokes. Green taught Baltimore native McNabney about the rivalry between Baltimore and D.C. and bought lottery tickets because he said she had good luck. Green kept a strict schedule of wiping down surfaces in McNabney’s workspace. She described the practice as emblematic of Green’s care for others and keen sense of right and wrong. “It was a gesture of care to be like ‘I take seriously the fact of your safety and I want to communicate that to you by showing you that I prioritize it,’” McNabney said. McNabney remembers Green as a stylish man. She and Thompson-Bey would find him doing pushups to stay fit during downtime at work and he would talk about his appreciation for German shoes that grew out of his time stationed in the country. “He was a sort of enigmatic, very positive presence,” she said. In their time working together, Green would take time each day to feed birds in a practice he described as giving and receiving “blessings.” “I feed the birds daily and I’m a dog lover. So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it,” Green wrote in “A prayer for police reform” in 2021. “The luckiest people in the world are people who need people.”
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NEWS
Martha’s Outfitters reopens for in-person shopping after a hiatus FATIMA HAIDARI Volunteer
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artha’s Outfitters, a store providing affordable business attire and children’s clothing to low-income families, reopened May 23 after operating remotely due to the pandemic. Street Sense Media caught up with Laura Grossman to ask her about the store’s reopening.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you ended up in Martha’s Outfitters. I have had a meandering career in several different fields. Prior to this, I was working in research, and I took a break from that to go back to school. I had all this free time to give back to the community that I live in. [In 2017] I started volunteering for a couple of organizations, one of which was Martha’s Table. I started volunteering more and more and I loved it, for the most part, because of the people. By the time I was finished with school, I realized I was not really looking for a job. I just kept volunteering and to my luck, a position became available. I got the dream job that I did not plan for and did not realize it was my dream job until I started it. That was three years ago in 2019. I have loved it. I love our organization, clothing program and the small piece of pie that I am a part of.
Tell us a little more about Martha’s Outfitters and how it works. Our classic membership program focuses on the 20020 zip code, the community we primarily serve. Folks who register with us get a membership card, and it has its own barcode and everything. It is loaded in our system with a $40 credit every month. For kids’ clothing, tops and bottoms are $2 each, and for adults, the price is around $5. We have other items that are priced accordingly, so with a $40 credit, an adult can shop a few items for themselves as well as for their kids, nieces and nephews. It is about choice and ownership. We are also very careful about the clothing we put on the floor. We are not going to put anything that we would not wear ourselves. There is not much dignity in giving somebody a dirty shirt. In the past couple of years that the shop was closed, we turned our shop to a phone and web program. So, while people were not selecting the clothes themselves, we would talk to them on the phone, and they would let us know their size, favorite colors or hated colors. We tried our best to accommodate. In the past, I have run into people who have asked: “I still have
my card, can I come by the store?” Or “I have lost my card, what do I do?” There is a sense of ownership and community that comes with something as simple as a membership card. Our second program, which is the “select program,” is designed for all other D.C. residents with slightly less amount of credit to make sure we can help as many folks as possible without running out of clothing.
Who came up with the idea? It was the management before me. The former leadership collaborated and figured out what the fair prices would be, because we automatically think of monetary value while shopping. Many years ago, there was an older program where folks could get three pants or three shirts which took away a little bit of choice. They still made sure that people could get a whole menu of items. But what if you did not need any pants, you just needed all shirts? This made our leadership sit together and assign a monetary value to each clothing item which supports our customers in choosing what they want and need.
How was your re-opening on May 23? It was a great feeling unlocking the door with a few people waiting outside ready to shop, and before COVID, we often had people waiting before 10 a.m. as well. It was great seeing a couple of familiar faces, a couple of kids running around and staff coming in and out. It was a great day. All our hard work, preparation and getting ready; we did well. We are keeping the web and phone program to make sure we are as accessible as possible. Wondrously, we got inundated with donations during the pandemic, specifically in the first couple of months when everyone was home and perhaps, did nothing except cleaning out their closets. So, we had massive piles of clothes to the roof which we had to organize and sort through, and we have updated our inventory system to best serve the community.
What about the times when donations are not as generous? I have noticed over the years that there is a cycle with donations. In the fourth quarter of the year, particularly between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we do very well with donations because a lot of people are doing clothing drives. It gets quieter in March and April. We are lucky enough to be part of Martha’s Table, a wider organization that enables
us to buy clothing items when needed. We also have other partners we work with. Sometimes people donate items that are not appropriate for the shop so we let our partners pick them up and when we need for example a white button-down in women’s clothing, they will help us out. Sometimes when our community members come for shopping, they bring a bag of clothes that their kids have just outgrown. We have some of these wonderful arrangements, but for the most part, we are donation reliant.
Out of curiosity, what is a popular item? Obviously, when we put new items, they are the first ones to go. We do our best. There is sometimes a box with a clothing item that has never been worn before. This morning, I saw a bunch of adorable party dresses before going out of the door with a grandmother who was super excited. Very frilly, pink, beautiful, brand-new dresses. For adult clothes, women’s shirts and dresses are popular. In this time of the year in D.C. when it can get very hot, dresses are the only thing that are remotely comfortable.
Could you comment on the role with community-based solutions to community problems? I am very excited to see what happens in the next four and five years because we are very committed to helping folks in the area right around where we are, to stay, thrive and be empowered and have all the tools to make their lives successful, happy, and healthy. If we are not helpful, we should not be here. If we are not listening carefully and understanding what is being communicated. For example, in Martha’s Outfitters, we had always focused on business and professional items for adult clothing such as dress pants, suits, nice dresses, button-downs and skirts. We did not have jeans, sweatpants or anything more casual. But during the pandemic, no one was wearing suits. You are not going to sit on your couch in a suit, that is just not comfortable. As we reopened now, I do not think we will get rid of jeans since they are also more acceptable nowadays for office attire than 10 years ago. We have to change with the time, and we will keep doing that. I cannot say we will never have sweatpants and comfortable clothes, especially if people start telling us those are the helpful items they want to see in the shop.
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West End encampment sweep displaces ‘staple of the community’ HOPE DAVIS Editorial Intern
Workers for the Office of the Deputy Mayor and the Department of Public Works pull apart and throw away the tent, belongings and art supplies of a man who lived in it. Photo by Athiyah Azeem
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man living in a tent on the edge of D.C.’s West End got up around 9:30 Thursday morning and gathered his belongings at the curb of M St. NW. By 10:50 a.m., workers from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) and the Department of Public Works (DPW) pulled down the umbrella roof and plastic sheeting walls of the tent and loaded them in the garbage truck. They had disposed of the man’s possessions: a sculpture of foam insulation and glitter, a soup pot and a fuchsia bedspread. Spilled red and silver glitter glistened on the sidewalk. The man stood to the side and watched, recording the proceedings with his cell phone. Passersby stopped to watch the clearing. Some held up their phones to snap photos and record videos. A mother from Sweden stood on the corner and watched as city workers dismantled the man’s shelter. Her children stood next to her, confused. She tried to explain what they were seeing. By noon, the corner where the man lived for years was empty.
The man declined to speak with DMHHS representatives as they prepared to clear him and his belongings from the corner. He also declined to speak with reporters from Street Sense Media. DMHHS posted a notice beside the man’s tent at 22nd and M St NW on June 2. The department’s website categorized this clean up as “hazardous waste removal.” Neighbors who know the man, a local painter and visual artist, told Street Sense they thought the “hazardous waste” referred to the painting supplies and bleach the artist kept in his tent. DMHHS workers on scene said they were not authorized to speak to the media, and referred reporters to their public information officer. The DMHHS contact did not respond to multiple requests for comment via email and phone. A few mutual aid volunteers and homelessness outreach workers trickled onto the scene before the clean up began. Members of D.C. Ward Two Mutual Aid helped the man carry a new generator out of his tent and told him they would store it for him. The District’s “Encampment Engagement Protocol”
gives encampment residents the chance to have belongings stored for 60 days, but the man did not respond to DMHHS representatives who asked him if he needed storage. A resident of the area expressed shock when he saw the encampment taken apart on his walk to work. He said he had seen the man and known him in the neighborhood for six years. The neighbor gave his name as Momo. “He’s got nothing but this art that I see him do every day,” Momo said. Another housed neighbor, Joewy Mumba, talked about the displaced man and spoke about his artwork. Mumba returned to D.C. after living in Atlanta for three years and found the man still living and working in the same spot. “He’s like a staple of the community,” Mumba said. “He’s become a part of the community — never bothers anybody, keeps his place to himself most of the time. He’s always painting.” Athiyah Azeem contributed to this report.
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ART
SHEILA WHITE Artist/Vendor
LORI SMITH Artist/Vendor
QUEENIE FEATHERSTONE Artist/Vendor
JACKIE TURNER Artist/Vendor
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AMINA WASHINGTON Artist/Vendor
ABEL PUTU Artist/Vendor
ROCHELLE WALKER Artist/Vendor
AIDA PEERY Artist/Vendor
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OPINION
Poverty is like doing time while living in freedom ANITA GLASS
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f time is money, then being poor is very expensive. It eats up your whole life. I can trash an entire day by standing in a queue, getting my laundry done for free with Orange Sky, visiting a food bank and looking for a cheap room to rent (they are either elusive or non-existent). The poverty traps are out there, and I have managed to walk into all of them. My first mistake was to rent a flat that was way over my budget — but it was the only one available. My pension barely covered my rent. Once you are behind, getting alternative private accommodation is virtually impossible. My second mistake was to adopt a rescue cat. Over time he developed a chronic, life-threatening illness that meant lots of trips to the vet for tests, treatment, a special diet and costly medication. These wiped out my life savings and then some. It even cost a fortune to bury him. Borrowing money is a no-no, even if one is desperate, because it guarantees problems further down the track. Lesson learnt. Helping Out, a guide to finding support services in Melbourne, lists a diverse collection of agencies that offer food, clothes, showers and laundry, but one should not use them on an ad-hoc basis. You need the mindset of an army general because logistics are tricky. Unless you coordinate the available supports, you could run around in circles all over the city. Agencies are open at set times, or you may not be in the right catchment area to access them. Some of the services do not live up to their promise. For
example, you may be given a clothing voucher, but on arrival at the opportunity shop find stock is unseasonable, or there is nothing to fit you. After a few more trips I discovered that men’s jumpers are the warmest (if available). Visiting the market shortly before it closes can save you money if you have some, as I found you cannot rely solely on a food bank for meals. Even so, I am grateful for every single donation. You can survive on cereal. I can’t afford to put my health care on the back burner any longer, having become more fragile and high maintenance. The range of medication I need costs a fortune. There is my broken denture to be repaired, and I need treatment from a podiatrist, but these luxuries I can’t address at the moment. The hardest part is uncertainty. I swear that a fiendish goblin is looking over my shoulder to make sure I’ll never get ahead. As soon as things start looking promising, he arranges a setback, or worse, an emergency. A couple of weeks ago I was at the supermarket where someone dropped a bottle of detergent that spilled all over the floor. I slipped and tried to break my fall by holding out my hands, badly injuring a finger that swelled to twice its size and turned blue. I also hurt my right hip. What distressed me more than the pain was having to pay for a taxi from the hospital’s emergency department after the X-rays and first aid. I had no spare money. Because of the rent I can no longer afford, I have been sent a notice to vacate. The looming eviction is my worst nightmare. I feel trapped. Even if I’m lucky enough to get emergency accommodation, I will have to dump (or give away) all my
belongings because I can’t afford to pay for storage. These comprise a few pieces of furniture, cooking utensils, the usual stuff that most people accumulate. They may not be much, but they mean a lot to me. With no cooking facilities, life will be even more constrained and expensive. Time is not an infinite resource, and at 77 years of age, I have precious little of it left. I spent years doing what was necessary just to keep afloat. It feels as if I have frittered my life away, barely surviving, with nothing meaningful to show. Poverty is a zero-sum game. Whatever effort you make to help ends meet, life snatches the result from you, leaving you with nothing. Anita Glass is a pseudonym. Courtesy of The Big Issue Australia / International Network of Street Papers
Tennessee’s anti-homelessness law feels like someone ripping our collective hearts out VICKY BATCHER
T
he world is changing. Many American cities are experiencing a crackdown on homelessness. Individuals and families without a safe place to call home are being displaced with no place to go. People are losing their belongings. In Tennessee, it’s become extreme. On July 1, a new law will pass making homelessness a felony “for a person to engage in camping on the shoulder, berm, or right of way of a state or interstate highway, under a bridge or overpass or within an underpass, of a state or interstate highway.” A felony for trying to exist, to sleep. We don’t have enough shelter space, much less housing, for all the people who are homeless. For those that don’t know, Tennessee is nicknamed the volunteer state. It’s a place I call home. We’ve been through a lot. In 2010, massive floods impacted my community in Nashville, along with many others. People suffered. Still, Tennesseans came together and helped each other. We didn’t wait for federal aid and the troops to be called in. We did what we had to do until aid could be dispatched. The TV was filled with images of trailers, cars, and even schools, floating away. Many people’s homes were destroyed, yet we still came together. Neighbors helping neighbors because that’s what we do in Tennessee. We volunteer to support one another. Just before we went into lock down in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 outbreak Nashville and our region was devastated by a series of tornadoes. Neighborhoods laid in ruins. Streets were littered with the remnants of what was once a family memory. In 2021, tornadoes struck again. This time, during the height of the pandemic. Again, people’s homes were destroyed. Tennesseans rose above. We carried on. Helping strangers without thought of reward or five minutes of fame. Still, we came together, regardless of the hardship. Again, volunteering for one another. That’s why I am in a state of shock knowing our state has chosen to literally criminalize homelessness on public lands, a law that could potentially punish people with up to six years in prison. Not Tennessee, after all the hardship and loss of housing and witnessing so many people’s lives being destroyed. Honestly, it feels like someone ripping our collective hearts out. How could this be? I’m housed in affordable housing in Nashville, but there is 2,000-plus that remain on the streets and call encampments home. There are thousands more around the state and tens of thousands more around the country living with no toilets, no running water, no electricity and no roof over their head. It’s unacceptable. It’s inhumane. We’ve thrown out our most vulnerable populations into the streets. There is no place left to go. More so, there are
thousands more awaiting their fate. The eviction courts are overwhelmed. It’s heartbreaking to see this happening. Through all of this, people will be forced to hide their existence just to avoid arrests. If we can hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause, why can’t we hold politicians to the same standard? It’s never been done, but maybe it’s time to start. Maybe it’s time to really hold politicians accountable for the lack of affordable housing. We have laws protecting our dogs from being left without food and water during inclement weather. Yet, our leaders choose to create laws making life worse for people. At what point do we stand up and say this isn’t working? At what point are we going to receive the human rights we deserve? There’s no question we have failed our neighbors, but I’m convinced it’s times like these we must continue to come together to help one another. We must all volunteer and use our voices for housing justice in Tennessee, in America and throughout the world. To be honest with you, I feel like shouting fire in a crowded theater right now. “Give our neighbors a safe place to call home!” It’s something we all deserve. Vicky Batcher is a writer and housing advocate. She also sells The Contributor in Nashville, Tennessee. Courtesy of INSP North America / International Network of Street Papers
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State of mind ROBERT WARREN Artist/Vendor
End of days, end of time It’s all about your state of mind. I know what my eyes have seen. Yes, alien spaceships flying over the top of me. I’m not the only one who believes In the unseen visitors Unexplained phenomena In the sky, for those who have seen them Flying by I know the US military wouldn’t lie. Yes, there’s a truth in what people say. Everyone must face that day
My childhood pastoral JAMES DAVIS Artist/Vendor
My 46 brothers and sisters Nine biological, 14 Floyds and 23 Peoples So appropriate because that was their last names We had a baseball team and just seven bodies Short of a whole Atlanta Falcons team The ice cream truck would come Playing the same tune that is timeless today Not a bright guy, because if he were He would come to our block first and golf the day away I would tell him, “Sir, I’m not a tourist You can keep your saltwater taffies —” It would be no sooner than we’d be gone on Vacation for the summer Load up the van, mom, we’re going to Disneyworld Summer coming to an end, slow but fast The sound of the school buses early in the morn Securing our lunchboxes and bookbags To my childhood pastoral and the love of school
Hope KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor
At this same age, we pray, There is hope, there is God's blessing: She never leaves us. How can’t we see him? She gives us love, faith and hope. She provides us with the strength to continue through. The mother's hearts are crying because of the death Of all of our children that were shot on the street. It pains us all, but I still pray, and I know she is listening. Pray for everyone in this world. It is the hope that she gives and takes me in her love.
When the angels will say You are among those who have lost Their souls or peace be unto you For the good work you used to do. From the beginning to the end of times When the sun and the moon unwind And become one, all in the Lord’s time of glory and praise Who is really ready for the end of days? End of time, it’s all about your state of mind. If one would have thought about this Time we live in today: no baby milk What would Mother Mary say?
Is it all a disguise? More right-wing lies trying to change Our state of mind, Trying to make us believe that I didn’t see spaceships Flying by It’s not true that COVID-19 has taken over. Didn’t Trump lose an election and propagate the Big Lie on Jan. 6? Were there not Confederate flags Flying high on the Capitol? Now, that really changed my state of mind.
Rhyme
Guns
Artist/Vendor
Artist/Vendor
RONALD SMOOT
I feel good like the hood Right now, I wish I can cut wood As I should and one should Be in the hood, because they could Let the sun shine like a bottle Of wine and you would be divine Always be the best, like the rest Like a bird in its nest And I will do the rest Because I am the best
KHADIJAH CHAPMAN
Every country has guns, only one country has an issue. The death of a child is too much to go through, if people kill people and guns do not, then why are children being shot? If you kill a child, are you still human? I wonder if they knew what they were doing. Of course they did.
Arrival to animal You don’t know town me REGGIE JONES Artist/Vendor
It was a beaver named Chuck, who drove a wagon from Middletown, Conn., gathering all kinds of animals on his way to Washington, D.C. His first stop would be New York City. Chuck picked up all kinds of animals on his journey, as many animals as he could load. Mice, possums, rats, raccoons, etc. It didn’t matter he loved them all. Big, fat, skinny or tall, as long as they didn’t make the wagon fall; he laughed out loud. Come all big, fat, skinny or tall. “Ha, ha, ha! Get on, I’m on my way to Washington,” he said, “would you like to come?” Chuck was willing to help anyone he could, because he was a millionaire. He had plenty of money. Money so tall makes all the females want to claw. He did not care, because money came to him easily all his life. He knew he couldn’t take his money to heaven or hell before he left this place called Earth, as his momma gave him birth. “Ha, ha, ha!” He said, “come on y’all. Let’s make a new start in Washington D.C..” He was on a mission for more riches. “Get this money,” he said, “work for me, I have a vision for the business. All kinds of strip clubs, grocery stores, clothing stores, restaurants, etc.” As he invested, he said, “I have ambition, that's my mission.”
CAROL MOTLEY Artist/Vendor
You don’t know me, my ancestry. The reason why my hair is nappy. Each nap is a story of our Pride and glory, How we struggled as slaves, How cornrolls got their name; Would you bother to ask, If you were concerned about our past? I am that little girl whose smile could light up the world Had to go back to the back because Blacks don’t use that. You don’t know me for hundreds of years Blood shed, children fear. Because, if you knew me You would see that you are me!
1 2 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A / / J U N E 2 2 - 2 8 , 2022
NEWS
Rally for poor and low-income people brings thousands to DC HOPE DAVIS Editorial Intern
Demonstrators for the Poor People’s Camapaign gather in front of the Capitol. Photo by Athiyah Azeem
T
housands of people gathered in downtown D.C. on June 18 to call on the U.S. government to do more to support the lives of millions of poor and low-income people living across the country. The Poor People’s Campaign has a long list of demands to include: a federal $15 minimum wage, universal health care, expanded COVID-19 relief and guaranteed housing. “This level of poverty and greed, in this — the richest nation in the history of the world — constitutes a moral crisis,” Bishop William. J. Barber II, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, told the crowd. Religious leaders and people impacted by poverty and low wages took the stage to reflect on “interlocking” issues of systemic racism, restricted voting rights and environmental devastation. The new Poor People’s Campaign bills itself as a revival of the late 1960s movement of the same name started by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. King’s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King, spoke of her parents’ vision before the crowd on June 18. “54 years later, poverty still has a grip on the soul of our nation,” Dr. Bernice A. King said. Barber criticized Congress for lack of action for low-income people — including the lapse of the child tax credit and the
failure of a national $15 minimum wage. “Regressive policies which produce 140 million poor and low wealth people are not benign,” Barber said. “They are forms of policy murder.” The campaign’s 140 million figure draws from the Census Bureau’s supplemental poverty measure from 2017. It includes people living at or below the poverty line and people earning under twice the income level of the poverty line. Speakers shared their experiences with homelessness and working in dehumanizing conditions. Other people discussed how poor healthcare access disproportionately impacts lowincome people. Jamelle Hill, representing Georgia’s Poor People’s Campaign, said that the scope of experiences represented shows the diversity of low-income people and demonstrates the power of a broad coalition. “We gain energy and synergy in coming together,” Hill said in an interview. “Poverty spans all different races, creeds, color.” Mark Denning, a member of the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, told the assembly about the suicide deaths of his three children. Denning said that his daughter was denied services while grieving the death of her brother. A third of native people experience poverty, according to Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research. “My daughter and my sons’ death — it didn’t happen all
by itself. It has a face. It has a name,” Denning said in an interview. “It’s poverty and it’s exclusion — that some people get and some people don’t in this country.” Denning also said America’s embrace of individualism causes alienation and contributes to the nation’s mental health issues. That alienation enhances the importance of bringing people into the tent of movements like this one, he said. If different forms of injustice can interlock, then “we must interlock as a ‘we,’” Denning said. “That’s what’s happening here.” Pam Garrison from West Virginia’s Poor People’s Campaign said that having to work two jobs her whole life stole her motherhood and her children’s childhoods. “I’m absent in my kids’ memories. They remember mom always working,” Garrison said. “They don’t remember me helping (with) homework. They don’t remember me putting them to bed. Because I was trying to keep a roof over their head and food on the table and their shoes on their feet.” “And no matter how hard I worked — no matter how hard — it was never enough.” The program also featured musical performances by a band of low-income people. During one performance, Kimberly Owens-Pearson, who traveled from Memphis, Tenn., raised her hands in the audience. She felt “blessed” to be at the event and said the experience was emotional. “Punishing the poor has to stop,” she said in an interview.
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Poor People’s Campaign photo essay SHEILA WHITE
Artist/Vendor
What this March was all about is shown in this photo.
The Poor People’s Campaign drew demonstrators from across the country to advocate for the rights of people experiencing homelessness and living in poverty.
This sign encapsulates how people feel about the Poor People’s Campaign.
The love shown here caught my eye.
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, the co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, encouraged the crowd to break its silence on poverty issues. His speech made me realize how I can help make a difference.
I was moved by this crowd of people standing together in solidarity.
We can’t be silent anymore to the homeless communities. Poor people’s rights matter!
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<< LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION
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Find the solution at https://onlinecrosswords.net/71515
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Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.
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ART
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder REDBOOK MANGO Artist/Vendor
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Your trash was his treasure and he didn’t even know her. The mystery of this lady is that she always smiled. He asked for her number, but she had nothing to give out. He wanted to help her, but she denied his hand. She started to shake, she could barely stand. He noticed her behavior — he asked her a favor. Her chest got tight like somebody made her, Panic attack is what she called it. The tingling in her arms and legs, she couldn’t hide it. He asked what happened — the cat must have caught her tongue inside. Cats have nine lives — no one — she said no one. We can act like animals, but we are both human. The Lord is my shepherd — what is he doing? He walks in mysterious ways — be careful what you say. The Lord is transforming you to a better day. You get what we deserve, or do we really? Does God gamble, little angel, don’t be silly. No, he does not, but where can you find God at? In the bottom of your soul — and your actions will show it. Actions speak louder than words, you can only control your own words. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You have a purpose, a gift — we have one mouth and two ears — be still and know he is God, but be careful and listen.
My fathers were my heroes ANTHONY CARNEY Artist/Vendor
I did not know my biological father. But the good news is I had another father who raised me. One is Sherman Leon Scarboro, my stepfather. He loved my mom, Barbara Carney Scarboro, so much he put up with her two bad kids (my brother and me). He taught me about the value of a work ethic that I still follow. I miss him all the time Another hero is my grandfather, Benjamin Carney. He taught me how to cook all kinds of food and how to
plant collard greens. He was a very wise man. Sometimes I wish he were still alive so he could give me advice. Then there’s mom. She is my mother and my father. She means the world to me. I love her with all my heart. When your biological father is not around, God will send you another father even though “he” may be female. Spread love.
DANIEL BALL Artist/Vendor
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