WINNER OF THREE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS Maryland Rescinds Mask Mandate in Public Schools Page 12 Vol. 57, No. 20 • March 3 - 9, 2022
D.C. Remembers Former Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe Washingtonians ‘Stunned’ by His Sudden Death at 61 WI Web Staff
5 The day before delivering the State of the Union Address, President Biden hosted Black employees working throughout the government in celebration of Black History Month at the White House on February 28 to recognize their accomplishments. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)
Russia, Inflation Take Centerstage at State of the Union Address
When President Joe Biden took the podium for the annual State of the Union Address, it marked the first time two women – Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – sat on the dais for the official address. The President began by addressing the elephant in the room – or at least Eastern Europe.
He declared that the West had united in tackling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, noting that America would join a host of nations in banning Russian aircraft from its airspace. “[Russian President] Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy,” President Biden declared. “He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And he thought he could divide us here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready.”
ELLERBEE Page 11
Missing Children Activists D.C. Police Department Continue Search for Relisha Rudd
President Biden Briefly Mentions Need to Pass Voting Rights Bills Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
District leaders and residents continue to mourn the death of former D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services [EMS] Chief Kenneth B. Ellerbe. Ellerbe, 61, was found dead in his home in Southeast on Sunday, Feb. 27. No cause of death has been announced. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly, Sr. said Ellerbe’s death stunned and saddened him. “It is so tragic,” Donnelly told the Informer. “He was a Washingtonian. He grew up in Washington, attended school in Washington, joined the fire department and was a leader in the fire department. He stayed in the city
after he retired. This is devastating.” Ellerbe served 31 years in the Fire and Emergency Medical Services, including three as the chief. He led
James Wright WI Staff Writer
In both a symbolic move and a show of solidarity, the President entered the Joint Session of Congress escorted by Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-Indiana), a Ukrainian-American. Outside the Capitol, a host of
It has been eight years on March 1, 2014, since an official report indicated that a District youth, Relisha Tenau Rudd, had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Then just eight years old, she remains missing. But activists dedicated to finding missing children, in collaboration with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, remain committed to resolving the case. On the anniversary of her reported disappearance, several people gathered at the intersection of New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road in Northeast
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CONTENTS 12
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY
BLACK FACTS
6
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
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National Cherry Blossom Festival 2022 Returns to In-Person Celebration The National Cherry Blossom Festival, alongside Mayor Muriel Bowser, National Park Service and other city officials, and Festival stakeholders, invite neighbors from near and far to rediscover spring throughout the District during the 2022 National Cherry Blossom Festival. The annual springtime celebration will bring back well-loved traditions and new collaborations and experiences from March 20 – April 17 for four weeks of food, fun, culture and entertainment beyond the fully open Tidal Basin. The National Park Service predicts that the peak bloom dates will be March 22-25. “The National Cherry Blossom Festival, like springtime and the cherry trees themselves, symbolizes hope, renewal and new beginnings,” said Diana Mayhew, National Cherry Blossom Festival president and CEO. “The trees, a gesture of goodwill from Tokyo to Washington, DC now, more than ever, serves as a reminder of the importance of unifying communities and sharing in the celebration of peace and international friendship.” On Sunday, March 20 – the first day of spring and the opening day of the 2022 Festival – the District and surrounding communities will come alive with in a pink, spring, and blossom-themed collective community celebration through visual art installations, neighborhoods decorations, cherry
blossom projections on buildings, and more. “This year, we are pleased to finally be back in-person and have the opportunity to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry trees that was given to us by Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki in 1912,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “Whether you are a fifth-generation Washingtonian like me or a first-time visitor to our nation’s capital, I hope you will immerse yourself in the spectacular radiance of our beautiful and blossoming cherry trees and take advantage of all that our city has to offer.” The 2022 Festival will be held in person, supplemented with programs and activities that allow visitors to skip the crowds and engage with the Festival based on their comfort level. WI
(Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
Biden Administration Invests $5 Billion for EV Charging In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $55 per year, two years $70. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com
PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF D. Kevin McNeir, Senior Editor, Copy Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince George’s County Writer), Hamil Harris, Curtis Knowles, Daniel Kucin, D. Kevin McNeir, Dorothy Rowley, Brenda Siler, Lindiwe Vilakazi, Sarafina Wright, James Wright PHOTOGRAPHERS Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Jr., Robert R. Roberts, Anthony Tilghman
4 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
In a joint announcement, the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy will release funds to assist states with Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans. Funds are available under the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program established by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Close to $5 million is available over five years to help states create a network of EV charging stations. This funding announcement follows an EV presentation made by White House National Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy at the D.C. Auto Show held last month. In her presentation, McCarthy said in 2020, EVs saw a 41 percent increase in global sales. With the Biden administration investment, states will be able to expand their designated Alternative Fuel Corridors that have been created over the past six years. Most of those corridors are along interstate highway
systems. The total amount available to states in Fiscal Year 2022 under the NEVI Formula Program is $615 million. States must submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan before accessing the funds. Funds allocated in FY2022 for the District are $2,468,807, for Maryland $9,298,080 and for Virginia $15,745,244. “A century ago, America ushered in the modern automotive era; now America must lead the electric vehicle revolution,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The new Joint Office of Energy and Transportation recently launched a new website at DriveElectric.gov. Officials can find links to technical assistance, data and tools for states, and career opportunities. Qualified individuals can apply to be an EV Charging Fellow, working with a team to research and analyze EV charging projects. WI
Maryland House of Delegates Approves Recreational Use of Marijuana Maryland voters are one step closer to deciding whether to legalize the recreation use of marijuana. The Maryland House of Delegates voted Friday, Feb. 25 to place the question on the November general election ballot. A companion bill also received approval from the Democratic-controlled legislature that would allow people 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis. The legislation would require the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission to study a program for people to grow cannabis for personal use, establishment of cannabis sites and methods to use reduce of it by minors. An analysis from the state Department of Legislative Services showed
Blacks 21 and older accounted for 59% of the 1,072 arrests in 2020. In comparison, about 39% of whites got arrested and 2% Asians. The report also noted Blacks “are twice as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession as compared to their proportion of the state’s population.” The bills now head across the hall to the Senate chamber. WI
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Brooke Pinto’s Mobile Voting Bill Gains Support from Black Leaders James Wright WI Staff Writer A bill introduced by Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto on Feb. 18 that would allow District residents to cast an absentee ballot digitally has generated support among key African-American leaders. The bill, the Mobile Voting Options for Turnout Equity Amendment Act of 2022, would allow residents to use their smartphones, tablets or computers to vote and direct the D.C. Board of Elections [BOE] to establish a secure system that protects voter information and election integrity. “Our city and nation have well established values that voting rights are civil rights; enfranchising District residents by making voting easy and accessible for all is fundamentally important in advancing those values,” said Pinto, a Democrat, in a news release. “Despite District efforts to increase voting access, many residents continue to face voting barriers.” Pinto noted in 2018, less than 19% of D.C. registered voters voted in the 2018 primary and only 46% casted a ballot in the general election, according to statistics from the BOE. Even in the 2020 election cycle that had a historic turnout, Pinto said only 28% of registered voters voted in the primary and 67% in the general election. Kemry Hughes, a Ward 8 representative to the D.C. Democratic State Committee, likes Pinto’s legislation. “Mobile voting is the way to go,” Hughes said. “Mobile voting will make casting a ballot more accessible to people. We have an aging population that may not be able to make it to the polls comfortably. We also have people who are disabled and cannot come to the polls and vote without some hardship. Mobile voting works because nearly everyone has a computer in their hand.”
SPECIFICS OF THE MOBILE VOTING BILL
Under Pinto’s legislation, voters wouldn’t need to visit a polling
location. In a manner similar to electronic confirmation of filing tax returns, voters can verify their ballot choices as being recorded correctly and track them to confirm their submissions have been accurately received and accepted. Pinto said 85% of District adults owned a smartphone in 2021 and noted financial transactions such as filing taxes and managing bank accounts are done by devices. The bill also contains measures to guard against hacking and calls for routine maintenance by BOE staff. Pinto’s bill was co-introduced by D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and Councilmembers Trayon White, Sr. (D-Ward 8), Christina Henderson (D-Ward 2), Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), Anita Bonds (D-At Large), Robert C. White (D-At Large) and Vincent C. Gray (D).
SUPPORTERS PRAISE THE BILL AND VOICE CONCERNS
should be safe-guarded, easy and accessible to all because our lives depend on it.” Tajuan Farmer, the legislative chair of the National Federation of the Blind of DC, said “the mobile voter bill will make sure that I, as a blind person and a person of color, will have my voice heard.” “Special adjustments can be made to my smartphone device so I can vote by way of voice,” Farmer said. “I won’t have someone standing over me at a polling place looking at who I am voting for. Besides, I won’t even have to go to a polling place if this bill becomes law.” The Rev. Lionel Edmonds, president of the Missionary Baptist Ministers Conference, Washington, D.C. and Vicinity, said concerns about hacking, while valid, appear to be addressed in Pinto’s legislation. “We will work out the bugs in the system if there is an attack,”
5 Akosua Ali, president of the D.C. NAACP, supports mobile voting bill. (Photo courtesy NAACP.org)
he said. “We know there are enemies of democracy and we will deal with those enemies. The good outweighs the bad. You don’t stop
putting money in the bank just because there is a hack.” WI @JamesWrightJr10
Akosua Ali, who serves as the president of the District’s branch of the NAACP, embraces mobile voting. “The NAACP calls for mobile voting as an additional option to increase voter participation in the District of Columbia because mobile voting can help eliminate voting barriers and increase voter participation among Black voters,” she said in an email to the Informer. “Recent polling showed 70% of D.C. residents supported the idea of mobile voting. In 2020, less than 58% of nonwhite voters participated,” she said. Ali said, “voting rights are under attack nationwide but in the District of Columbia, we have a historic opportunity to become the first to allow residents to vote from their mobile devices,” she said. “The NAACP works to ensure voting is accessible for all. Voters should not be forced to choose between working and casting their vote. Black and brown people disproportionately work in frontline service industries, offering restricted access to leave work to vote during business hours. Voting
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MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 5
AROUND THE REGION
black facts
MAR 3 - 9, 2022 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
MARCH 6
1857 – The U.S. Supreme Court issues a decision in the Dred Scott case, affirming the right of slave owners to take their slaves into the Western territories.
MARCH 7
1539 – Estevanico, one of the first native Africans to reach the present-day continental United States, sets out to explore what is now the southwestern part of the U.S. 1927 – In the U.S. Supreme Court case Nixon v. Herndon, the court strikes down a Texas law forbidding Blacks from voting in the state Democratic Party primary. 1942 – The first class of African American pilots at Tuskegee Army Air Field completes advanced pilot training. 1965 – The Selma to Montgomery marches (below), held to champion voting rights for African Americans and in protest of segregation, begin in Selma, Alabama.
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THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. MARCH 3
1821 – Thomas L. Jennings patents a dry-cleaning process, becomes the first Black American to receive a patent. 1865 – The Freedmen's Bureau, a federal government agency that aided freed slaves in the South during the Reconstruction era, is established. 1991 – Black motorist Rodney King is beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers following a highspeed car chase. The incident is captured on video and incites a massive riot in
MARCH 4
1825 – Alexander Thomas Augusta, the first Black professor of medicine in the United States and the Army's first African American physician, is born in Norfolk, Virginia. 1876 – PBS Pinchback, the nation's first Black governor, is denied by Congress a U.S. Senate seat he won four years earlier. 1993 – Famed jazz singer Billy Eckstine dies in Pittsburgh at 78 from complications following a heart attack.
MARCH 9
1841 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the African slaves who seized control of the Amistad slave ship had been illegally forced into slavery, and thus are free under American law. 1961 – African American corporate executive, educator and philanthropist Clifton R. Wharton is sworn in as U.S. ambassador to Norway. 1966 – Andrew F. Brimmer is sworn in as the first Black governor of the Federal Reserve Board. 1997 – Famed rapper The Notorious B.I.G. is shot and killed in Los Angeles at age 24. WI
1954 – J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. is appointed assistant secretary of labor by President Eisenhower, becoming the first African American to hold a sub-Cabinet position in the federal government.
MARCH 5
1770 – Crispus Attucks, widely considered to be the first American casualty in the American Revolutionary War, is killed in the Boston Massacre. 1939 – Acclaimed playwright Charles Fuller, best known for his Pulitzer-winning play "A Soldier's Play," is born in Philadelphia. 1985 – The U.S. Postal Service issues the eighth stamp in its Black Heritage series, honoring Mary McLeod Bethune.
6 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
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I'm so sick of this empty, hollowed-out symbolism! I could just scream. This late into the 21st century, and the story is still the first Black this, that. The elephant in the room is reparation for the descendants of American slavery!
JACQUI GREENE / WASHINGTON, DC
This is Biden's strategy to get the Black vote again in 2024. I'll do my research on this lady before I get excited.
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I am AKA proud.
EMBERT EMMANUEL / NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Congratulations. Ketanji Brown Jackson will make the world proud.
CELESTE TERRY / SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO
It is about time! Congratulations! What credentials she has and intellect she will bring to the court—praying for her confirmation.
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The World According to Dominic D. Kevin McNeir / WI Senior Editor
I Used to Be Jealous When Champions Gave Their Mothers a Shout — Now I Understand Why
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March is Women’s History Month and as always, we can expect to hear unending conversations about or analyses of the lives of women who have made a difference in our homes, communities and the world. Some of these women bear names that are well known, even to children in elementary school who find themselves searching for a woman who inspires them and about whom they can write in that obligatory essay. It’s easy to call the roll: Mae Jemison, Shirley Chisholm, Marian Anderson, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Coretta Scott King, Oprah Winfrey, Althea Gibson, Phillis Wheatley and Michelle Obama. In fact, it’s safe to say that teachers will grow red-eyed and weary after reading version upon version of first-time compositions about the accomplishments these women achieved in their lives despite the odds they faced being Black women in America. But most of the women who have really mattered in our lives — or at least in my life — have rarely made the evening news with Walter Cronkite or Peter Jennings. Few, if any of the women integral to our development and instrumental in our own successes have been showcased on the front page of The New York Times. Even the local newspapers
in the cities where these “phenomenal women” made their mark, or in some cases continue to make a difference, have given these women their just due. Yet, the older I become, the more I understand that stardom and praise was never the motivation for why the special women in my life did the things they did. In fact, with the death of my own mother almost two years ago, which coincided with an unprecedented health pandemic and a surge in domestic violence and heated partisan politics that still threaten to topple our republic, I am amazed at how the ordinary women in my life did such extraordinary things. While I could easily compile a list of the “sheroes” in my life, I find it more prudent to talk about the things they did, the difficult roads they traveled and the little miracles they accomplished. In this way, I believe that they serve as reflections of the kinds of women that others may remember from their own journeys as well. Turning back the clock 50 years ago when I was little Black boy often teased by other children because I was a bookworm, intellectually astute and preferred reading books or playing piano over shooting hoops or tossing footballs, I could always count on my mother’s encouragement. She would say they’re simply jealous. They wish they had the gifts that God has given you. They don’t want you to be the “you” that you’re meant to be. It isn’t easy to go against the grain or to refuse to yield to the normative boxes in which society seeks to place little boys and girls. In my case, however, my mother helped me find my own voice, secure my own path and develop my own sense of self. I learned to love who I was. This is what phenomenal mothers — phenomenal women — have done for ages. Some of the women in my life experienced pain, disappointment and anguish that I cannot fathom. Several of my aunts and adopted mothers were victims of domestic violence in an age when those things simply weren’t dis-
cussed — particularly among children. I say them carry the scars. And yet, they always loved the children in their midst fiercely and without reservation. Others would survive multiple miscarriages — desperately attempting to make their husbands proud by becoming fathers but unable to bring a child to term. And their men would seek companionship elsewhere — deflated or discouraged — as if their wives wanted to lose their children. I didn’t understand. Some would face frequent abuse and discouragement by the men in their world who believed that women were second-class citizens, there to serve their needs and desires. And I wondered, didn’t those women have needs and desires — dreams — of their own? And yet, these women, the women who sheltered me from the storms, who wiped my tears when mental or physical pain was at its highest and who walked with me when I felt most alone, seemed to do so almost instinctively. Somehow, my mother, my grandmothers, my mother-in-law, my aunts and older cousins, my adopted sister — even my longtime babysitter and my favorite piano teacher — all knew what I was feeling in my soul. And they poured out their love to help me make it, one day at a time. I’m sure most of us have watched achievement programs like the Grammy Awards or sports championships like the Super Bowl and heard entertainers and athletes, one after another, thank God and then thank their mothers. Sometimes, they haven’t even mentioned God. But Mom was certainly saluted. I must admit, for a long time every time someone would give a shout-out to their mother, I would experience a tinge of jealousy. Why didn’t they thank their fathers, or uncles, or brothers, or grandfathers? Why were the women of their lives always given such thanks, love, praise and gratitude for all the world to see and hear? Now I understand the many reasons why. WI
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Remembering ‘Bloody Sunday’ and the March from Selma to Montgomery
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Vice President Kamala Harris to Mark Historic Event with Visit to Alabama WI Staff Report In 1965, at the height of the modern civil rights movement, activists organized a march for voting rights, from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, the state capital. On March 7, 1965, Alabama state troopers beat and tear-gassed hundreds of demonstrators. The confrontation set the stage weeks later for the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to lead the massive Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights. The events galvanized support for the passage of the Voting Rights Act later that year. On that day, some 600 people assembled at a downtown church, knelt briefly in prayer and began walking silently, two-by-two through the city streets. With Hosea Williams of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference [SCLC] leading the demonstration, and John Lewis, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee [SNCC], at his side, the marchers were stopped as they were leaving Selma, at the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, by some 150 Alabama state troopers, sheriff ’s deputies and posse men, who ordered the demonstrators to disperse. One minute and five seconds after a two-minute warning was
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announced, the troops advanced, wielding clubs, bullwhips and tear gas. Lewis, who suffered a skull fracture, was one of 58 people treated for injuries at the local hospital. The day has since been known in history as “Bloody Sunday.” This year, Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to commemorate this critical moment which occurred during the Civil Rights Movement. Harris will speak in Selma at an event marking the 57th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” – the day in
1965 when white police attacked Black voting rights marchers. She will also take part in the annual event’s symbolic march across the bridge. Other members of President Joe Biden’s administration will also attend the event, including Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan. WI
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Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is joined by Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando, Montgomery County Public Libraries Director Anita Vassallo, Montgomery County Department of General Services Director David Dise, the Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs, the National President of the Tuskegee Airmen, members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., family members of Brig. Gen. Charles E. McGee, and others in a ceremony signing an executive order renaming the Silver Spring Library to the Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
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WORDS TO LIVE BY Claudette Colvin Refused to Get Up Before Rosa Parks D. Kevin McNeir Senior Editor Before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin, now 72, who at the age of 15, refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, nine months before Parks. Colvin’s book, “Twice Toward Justice,” shares her thoughts including why Parks would become the symbol for the Montgomery Bus Boycott campaign’s battle against segregation and Jim Crow. Colvin said the NAACP and all the other Black organizations felt Parks would be a good icon because “she was an adult.” “They didn't think teenagers would be reliable. Her skin texture was the kind that people associate with the middle class – she fit that profile,” Colvin said, adding, “she had the right hair – the right look.” As for why she refused to get up: “All I remember is that I was not going to walk off the bus voluntarily," Colvin said. "We couldn't try on clothes. You had to take a brown paper bag and draw a diagram of your foot and take it to the store. Can you imagine?”
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ELLERBE from Page 1
Your local marketing experts with UNLIMITED REACH. Kevin Berrier 443-508-1936 KBerrier@MDDCPress.com 5 Current Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember Gray (left) with Kenneth Ellerbe. (Courtesy photo)
“Today we send our prayers and love to the family and friends of former D.C. Fire and EMS Chief Kenneth B. Ellerbe.”
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ers and work for the department,” the chief said. “He was always advancing youth in the city and made it a point to mentor young people.” Donnelly said he has communicated with the Ellerbe family and there will be a ceremony honoring him with full honors from the fire department. At press time, no date had been set for his funeral. WI
’S
Fire & EMS Chief Kenneth Ellerbe,” Walls said on Facebook. “I have no words to describe my feelings of loss and sadness. In all he did, he truly tried to ‘represent.’ RIP my brother and fellow warrior. You will be truly missed.” Donnelly said the fire department’s cadet program will serve as Ellerbe’s lasting legacy. “This is the program for young people who wish to become firefight-
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the city’s fire department from 2011 to 2014 under D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray. Before that, he had a stint as the fire chief in Sarasota, Fla., from August 2009 to December 2010. Ellerbe graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School in the District in 1978 and then went on to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration from the University of the District of Columbia. Current Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember Gray, spoke soberly about Ellerbe’s demise. “This past weekend, former D.C. Fire and EMS Chief Kenneth Ellerbe passed away,” Gray said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and former colleagues. Chief Ellerbe served our city and led FEMS through a period of fundamental change that improved emergency response and created a safer District of Columbia for every resident. It was my honor to appoint [him] to lead FEMS and a great pleasure to work with him. Ken retired to Ward 7, where he was a pillar of our community. We will all miss Ken and will honor his memory with our gratitude for his service,” Gray said. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, on Twitter, praised Ellerbe for his dedication to the District. “Today we send our prayers and love to the family and friends of former D.C. Fire and EMS Chief Kenneth B. Ellerbe,” Bowser tweeted Sunday. “Chief Ellerbe was a native Washingtonian and a graduate of Coolidge and UDC who believed in young D.C. residents and who served our city for three decades.” D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At Large), a candidate for mayor in the June 21 Democratic Party primary, also expressed his thoughts on Twitter. “I’m deeply saddened to learn of the death of former fire chief Ellerbe,” White said. “I had the privilege of getting to know him over the past several years. I send my deepest condolences to the Ellerbe family.” Lon Walls, a longtime public relations entrepreneur in the city and a close friend of Ellerbe’s, expressed sadness over his death. “On Sunday morning, February 27, I lost one of my best friends in life – an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brother and Bando martial arts colleague and student – former D.C.
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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Maryland Legislative Committee Rescinds Mask Mandate in Public Schools William J. Ford WI Staff Writer A Maryland legislative committee voted Friday, Feb. 25, to rescind a mask mandate in the public schools that immediately allows all 23 county and Baltimore City school systems to make that decision. The committee’s near unanimous vote ratified a decision the state Board of Education made last
week based on a recommendation from Superintendent Mohammed Chodury. “We continue to emerge from the pandemic . . . and a greater depth of understanding of COVID-19 and its impact,” he said. “The time has come to return to local leaders.” Lawmakers on the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review voted on the same
5 Students at Bond Mill Elementary in Laurel walk toward a school bus after dismissal Feb. 25. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] released updated recommendations on mask requirements. The federal agency’s guidance allows people to ditch masks and face coverings if hospitalizations in a particular community are low. A color-coded system now out-
lines for any jurisdiction at “green,” or low community transmission, a mask isn’t necessary. A yellow category suggests a person should consult a doctor and orange represents high transmission and those residents should continue to wear a mask indoors and in schools.
Indoor Mask Mandate Ends in Prince George’s, But Not in Schools ARETHA DISTRICT24
5 Tameeka Washington and her two children, Anabel (left) and Aaron, pose for a photo outside of Heather Hills Elementary School in Bowie where Aaron attends in the third grade. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
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William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
Prince George’s County public schools will not follow the trend of several other school systems in Maryland who have chosen to make wearing masks and other face coverings optional, which suits one mother, Tameeka Washington, just fine. Classwork, homework and donning masks has become a regular routine for Washington’s two vaccinated children, Anabel, 13, and Aaron, 7. “I’m not saying it is ideal, but it keeps them safe,” she said. “Our county has been slower to do anything else versus other counties. I’m ok with that.” Anabel, an eighth grader who wears a “regular” black mask at Chesapeake Math & IT South public charter school in Upper Marl-
boro, said she’s accustomed to wearing a mask at school. “I’ve been good. It’s been an adjustment but I’ve adjusted now,” said Anabel, who serves on the City of Bowie Youth Council. “It’s been good to see all my friends and all that good stuff.” One reason the schools will keep the indoor mask requirement rests with a vaccine still unavailable for children younger than 5. However, students can take off masks and face coverings during lunch, while outdoors for recess and if they count as participants in spring sports. When public schools CEO Monica Goldson made the announcement Friday, Feb. 25, she also defended her decision for the more than 206 schools to revert back to virtual learning for several weeks in December and January.
MANDATE Page 33
The CDC assesses the categories based on three metrics: new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 people in the past seven days; the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients; and total COVID-19 patients per 100,000 people in the past seven days. Approximately 17 Maryland counties and Baltimore City are in the green category, per the CDC. Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties along the Eastern Shore are in yellow, along with Garrett and Washington counties in Western Maryland. Allegany County represents the only jurisdiction ranked with a high community transmission in the orange category. Per CDC guidance, Maryland students are still permitted to wear masks on school buses. In addition, everyone must strap them on when riding public transportation. House Speaker Pro Tem Sheree Sample Hughes, who represents portions of Dorchester and Wicomico counties, counted as the only person on the legislative committee who voted no. The Democrat from the Eastern Shore responded to comments a few parents said during a public hearing before the vote on how last year’s decision for students to wear masks in schools resembled a form of child abuse.
MD MASKS Page 34
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Maryland Senate Democrats Push for Paid Family, Medical Leave William J. Ford WI Staff Writer ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After several years of unsuccessful attempts to pass paid family and medical leave in Maryland, Senate President Bill Ferguson said that will change. “It’s gonna pass this year,” he said Thursday, Feb. 24, before a rousing applause from several Senate Democrats and advocates during a press conference in Annapolis. Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) summarized why the bill some of his colleagues and supporters labeled as “common-sense” hasn’t been able to pass in previous years. “It is not something that is a quick-flip switch,” he said. “It’s complicated. It’s complex. But to do it well [and] to do it right, you need to bring everybody to the table. That’s what this moment is.” Some of those standing alongside
Ferguson came from members of the Time to Care coalition – a group of nonprofit organizations and activists who’ve made paid family and medical leave a top priority for this year’s 90-day legislation session. Ricarra Jones, political director for 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and part of the 1,400 members of the coalition, said 2.5 million Maryland workers don’t have the paid leave benefit. According to a brief last month from the National Partnership for Women and Families, the organization assessed “a typical worker” in Maryland who uses four weeks of unpaid leave loses more than $3,700 in income. Since 2020, state workers who contracted COVID-19 lost an estimated $537 million in wages due to inadequate paid leave. “This loss not only hurts workers and their families [but it also] really hits our economy,” Jones said. “No-
body should have to choose between a family they love and a paycheck they need.” Optimism for this year comes from the backing of not only Ferguson but also House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County). One of the main components of the bills labeled the “Time to Care Act” sponsored in both the House and Senate chambers would grant workers not only up to 12 weeks of paid leave but also provide long term care for an ailing family member or following childbirth. Workers can receive partial wage replacement. According to the bill, “any covered employee is an employee who has worked at least 680 hours over a 12-month period immediately preceding the date on which leave is to begin.” The House measures are sponsored by Dels. Kris Valderrama (D-District 26) of Fort Washington
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5 Maryland Sen. President Bill Ferguson leads a press conference Feb. 24 at the Miller Senate Building in Annapolis in support of paid family and medical leave. He said the legislation will “pass this year.” (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
and C.T. Wilson (D-Charles County). A few minor differences include Valderrama’s measure which outlines an employee would make weekly contributions to a state Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund pro-
gram not to exceed 0.75% of an employee’s wages. The bill from Wilson makes the contribution at 1%. A hearing took place on the bill last month before the Senate Finance
LEAVE Page 46
MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 13
BUSINESS Black Women’s Roundtable Hosts 11th Annual National Summit Theme: Rebuilding Hope, Justice, Equity and Equality Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s Black Women’s Roundtable [BWR] will honor Women’s History Month by hosting its 11th Annual Women of Power Virtual National Summit (BWR Summit’ 22) from March 9 – 13 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. BWR Summit ’22 will bring together Black women leaders and allies
from across the country to share and strategize on high-impact public policy priorities and plans to lift and improve the lives of Black women, girls, families and communities. Organizers for the Summit said the event comes at the heels of an unprecedented year of threats to the collectives, economy and representative democracy — including the increase of racism/hate crimes and the nationwide attack on voting rights across dozens of state legislatures.
This year’s theme, “Rebuilding Hope, Justice, Equity & Equality,” embodies the BWR Summit’s mission to leverage the collective and individual power of Black women and girls amidst a series of unprecedented crises, said the organization. The Summit will focus on amplifying the intergenerational power and voices of Black women, recognizing their historic role in shifting political power and inspiring all women and girls to reach new levels of leadership in advocacy, business, and elected office. “Our purpose for gathering this year could not be clearer,” Melanie L. Campbell, president & CEO, NCBCP and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, said. “Black women have an unprecedented opportunity to shape the health and well-being of our communities.”
THE SUMMIT WILL INCLUDE:
• The annual BWR/Essence “Power of The Sister Vote Poll” release • The ninth annual BWR Report on Status of Black Women • The annual Black Women’s Power Table discussions with congressional leaders • Sistars Leadership Awards
• Black Women and Allies Day of Action on Capitol Hill • Rally on steps of the Supreme Court in support of Ketanji Jackson, who President Joe Biden nominated to the Supreme Court on Feb 25. to
Report: 14 Orgs Advancing Black Talent in Technology Sector These Groups Are Providing Pathways into Lucrative Careers Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer Jobs for the Future [JFF], a national nonprofit focused on transforming the American workforce and education systems, released a new report last month identifying 14 organizations working to increase the number of Black Americans in high-earning technology careers. Developed with support from Comcast NBCUniversal, the report — Purpose-Built to Advance Equity: Expanding Opportunities in Tech for Black Americans — is rooted in an analysis of more than 200 startups, educational institutions, nonprofits and other programs focused on the development of Black talent in technology. Despite the explosive growth of new tech jobs, Black professionals continue to be underrepresented in the industry, comprising 12.4 per-
14 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
cent of the U.S. population but just 7.4 percent of the tech workforce. Black women combined account for just 3 percent. According to a recent JFF survey of more than 1,000 Black adults, more than 6-in-10 not working in digital or IT would consider a career change to work in the sector. However, more than half reported they were unsure where to start (55 percent) or felt they lacked the financial resources (51 percent), skills (52 percent), or industry connections (45 percent) to launch a tech career. “To disrupt historic patterns of occupational segregation in technology, we cannot ignore the systemic barriers to access and advancement that begin in K-12 schools and persist in communities and in the workplace,” said Michael Collins, vice president at JFF and a lead author of the report. “The most successful models are not only helping Black talent build
(Photo courtesy of Black Girls Code)
skills and secure employment but also making long-term investments in mentorship, social capital, and networks that enable Black professionals to access — and sustain — careers in technology.” JFF said its report identified new models of career preparation, technology training and career advancement that are working to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in the technology sector.
To assemble the findings, a team of researchers analyzed the work of more than 200 companies and organizations, assessing them based on innovations, program outcomes and their ability to help Black talent and leadership in tech jobs and industries, said the nonprofit. “This analysis provides a new level of insight into high-impact models of
TECH Page 36
replace Justice Stephen Breyer. Campbell praised Biden’s selection in a statement on behalf of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation [NCBCP]. “Today, as we close out Black History Month, we thank President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for keeping their campaign commitment by nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as the first Black woman U.S. Supreme Court Justice,” Campbell said. “The NCBCP Black Women’s Roundtable is working in coalition with our allies to ensure that this nominee is treated fairly and is confirmed without delay.” “This has been a rigorous process with input from Senators of both parties, legal experts, and civil society. President Biden has chosen an exceptionally well qualified and experienced nominee — someone with the character, integrity and dedication to the Constitution and the rule of law to serve on the nation’s highest court.” In the lead-up to this historical confirmation, NCBCP and BWR will organize a month of action, activating #BlackWomenTakeAction. The coalition network comprises over 60+ national and regional organizations and influencers to support, uplift and spread awareness of the historic nomination. To learn more about the BWR Summit ’22, visit 2022bwrsummit. eventbrite.com. WI
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
RUDD from Page 1 to distribute flyers bearing Relisha’s photo along with a computer-generated image of how she may now look to passersby and to those in their cars. Henderson Long, who leads D.C.’s Missing Voice, an organization focusing on finding missing children, said the time has come for Relisha to be found. “If she is alive, she would be 17 and we’re here to solve the case of disappearance,” Long said. “Somebody out there knows something. These cases are tough but you never give up.” Relisha first went missing in late February 2014. She had been living in the D.C. General Shelter with her mother, Shamika Young, when she became friends with the janitor Khalil Tatum, a former felon. While documents indicate she stopped attending school in February, police would not be notified of her absence until 18 days later. Long said a $50,000 award exists for anyone who provides information that leads to the whereabouts of Relisha. When asked by the Informer about where Relisha’s mother fits into efforts to find her daughter, Long said she has not been an active participant in the search. Blaq Rose, well known in the District and throughout the nation for the leadership she has provided with her organization, the Blaq Rose Garden Missing & Murdered Advocacy Center, has been interested in the case since it became public. “I have been out here looking for her since 2015,” she said. “As a native of Southeast D.C., I know how important it is to find missing children. I advocate not only for Relisha’s case but for many others, too. I have also
distributed flyers door-to-door about her. I am out here handing them out because I want to be a voice for the voiceless and I want to keep her story alive.” Blaq Rose believes if Relisha had been another race, her case would have already been resolved. “It has been my experience that Black children’s cases don’t get the attention they deserve,” she said. Phocuz Phil, a radio and podcast personality, has also taken up the cause of finding Relisha. “What this case needs is closure,” he said. “By keeping her name alive, and we are doing that by handing out flyers, we can move on from this.” Pamela Wheeler-Taylor, who serves as the commander of the Youth and Family Service of the D.C. Police Department, said they have not given up hope. “At this time, we have no leads but this is still an open case,” she said. “We have had a lot of participation from the community on this case and we are encouraged by that.” Dana White, an investigator for DC Missing Kids/Children, said she has experiences dealing with missing children on a personal level. “I am a mom,” she said. “I have been there. There is a lot to be done. There are people dealing with mental health problems and homelessness and they need help. We need the right people from the mayor to community leaders to step up and find our missing children.” “But the parents also need to step up. I have a 10-year-old daughter and I don’t want anything to happen to her. I keep tabs on her. I don’t understand parents who don’t know where their child is,” White said. wi @JamesWrightJr10
5 Dana White, an advocate for finding missing children, offers flyers to motorists on Bladensburg Road., N.E. on the Relisha Rudd case. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
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BUSINESS
Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 15
NATIONAL Why Black Lives Should Also Matter in the Russia-Ukraine War Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Black Americans have enjoyed an enduring bond with Africa and their brothers and sisters living on the Continent, with many U.S.-based civil rights agencies, clergy members and African-American organizations taking a keen interest in the welfare of citizens in the 55-nation motherland. Now protesters in the District have gathered in earnest at the Russian embassy to protest the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The protesters have remained outside the Russian embassy since Russian President Vladimir Putin greenlighted a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24. Almost immediately, explosions occurred across Ukraine in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa. Protesters at the embassy carried Ukrainian and American flags while around the world, individuals expressed concern about the inva-
16 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
sion. And in areas with large Black and minority populations, concern mounted for the tens of thousands of international students studying in Ukraine. Many of those students come from Africa. “Many of them do not have paperwork to enter Europe,” wrote Terrell J. Starr, host of the Black Diplomats Podcast that focuses on the intersection of race and foreign policy. Starr also counts as a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, focusing on Ukraine, Georgia, Russia and nuclear non-proliferation issues. Starr notes the especially perilous position facing African students and Black Ukrainians in an op-ed. “There is no census data on their numbers but figures range from thousands to tens of thousands,” Starr wrote. “It is impossible to know without data but it is not uncommon to see Black folks walking around Kyiv speaking fluent Russian or Ukrainian and walking with their white family
5 Protesters in the District gathered in earnest at the Russian embassy to protest the country’s invasion of Ukraine. (Courtesy photo)
members.” Starr added that his friend, a Black Ukrainian, shared that while she’s proud to be Black, she feels the trauma of the Kremlin’s aggression as much as any white Ukrainian. “Like America, Russia is a settler-colonial state and we as Black folks need to understand how leaders of such states operate because we aren’t that far behind when it comes to being on the lower end of the totem pole of racial oppression,” Starr said. “Yes, in America, Ukrainians are white. But over here, many of my Ukrainian friends tell me Putin and Russians who think like him view them as white trash. So many Ukrainians very much see themselves
through the lens of race when it comes to Putin’s revisionism of their shared history,” he said. While multiple reports suggest Ukraine has never championed diversity or an acceptance of Black people, Russia has been especially harsh toward individuals of darker hues. Home to 144 million people, just 70,000 Russian residents identify as Black. The SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, a Moscow-based advocacy organization, revealed that Africans and those who descend from the Continent face widespread hostility and racism that routinely goes unpunished. “We would note one racist action on the territory of Moscow State University of Civil Engineering,” SOVA Center officials wrote in January. “In a video circulated online, young people can be seen harassing Black students, throwing snowballs at them, ‘awarding’ them bananas as ‘gifts’ and insulting them generally.” In 2021, the SOVA Center reported at least 63 victims of ideologically motivated violence; three of them died, and the others were injured or beaten; five people received serious death threats. The total number of hate-motivated attacks had increased compared to the previous year when one victim died and 52 were injured or beaten. “And what should be kept in mind is that our data, especially for the year
that just ended, is incomplete and will inevitably increase,” SOVA Center officials noted. “The figures we provide do not reflect the true scale of violence and are incomplete to a significant extent.” “The mass media provide the lion’s share of information about such crimes but in recent years they have reported practically nothing about hate crimes or have described them in such a way that isolating a motive becomes difficult,” officials said. Victims rarely report attacks to human rights organizations, except in the hope of receiving legal, medical, educational, or financial assistance, officials concluded. They also rarely inform police out of fear of reprisals. With Russia’s Ukraine invasion ongoing, some will train their eyes on the plight of Black people in the region. “Anytime I am asked why Black people should care about anything that is considered non-Black, I refer them to Malcolm X’s call to condemn the U.S. at the United Nations for its abuses against Black Americans,” Starr wrote. “Even a highly pro-Black activist like Malcolm knew the power of solidarity. I suggest we follow his lead as it pertains to Ukraine because colonial conquest of any nation should alarm us all – be it by Russia or even our native United States,” Starr wrote. WI
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NATIONAL The Consequences and Realization of a District Attorney’s Racism Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer As prosecutors weighed a Black man’s life in California, the district attorney asked aloud about the man dating a Black woman. He also talked about Black people trying to “come up” by dating white people. Now, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s comments have led to calls for his resignation, losing political support and a potential rebuke from judges. It has ripped the proverbial scab off old wounds that suggest African Americans can rarely face judgment with fairness. “I have been a criminal defense attorney for 25 years and was a federal law enforcement officer before then,” said Joseph Gutheinz of the Gutheinz Law Firm in Friendswood, Texas. “I can tell you that every defense attorney has heard and seen horror
stories of elected politicians, to include district attorneys and judges, derogatorily using racial slurs about, and even towards, Black defendants,” he said. The incident occurred in the boardroom of the Orange County District Attorney’s office where Spitzer and other prosecutors discussed the fate of Jamon Buggs, a Black man facing the death penalty for allegedly murdering two people over a dispute about his ex-girlfriend, who is white. According to a memo written by former Senior Assistant District Attorney Brahim Baytieh in Dec. 2021, the meeting occurred to hash out whether prosecutors would seek the death penalty or life in prison. Spitzer asked about the race of the defendant’s prior female girlfriends and or victims during the meeting. He allegedly said, “He knows many Black people who get them-
selves out of their bad circumstances and bad situations by only dating white women.” Such questions remain illegal under California law. Later, Spitzer surfaced in a video using the N-word and other disparaging, racist remarks while discussing another case involving a Black man. Spitzer attempted to defend his statements. “I am not perfect but an inartful comment during an hours-long debate in a double murder case is not reflective of my core beliefs or the years I have spent fighting to make our society more equitable and our communities safe for everyone,” he said in a statement. But many believe this type of behavior and hateful attitude reflect a centuries-old problem dogging American justice: the scales of jus-
RACIST Page 52
5 Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s comments have led to calls for his resignation, losing political support and a potential rebuke from judges. (Courtesy photo)
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africa now
COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Fears Grow for Kenya’s Farmers as Crops Fail Due to Drought
Kenya's agricultural lands are becoming dried out and barren as weather patterns change. Drought has left farmers without the crops they have relied on for generations, News.Africa.Com recently reported. For farmer Safari Mbuvi, it's a devastating blow. He sank 50,000 Kenyan shillings in this season alone in planting. 5 Drought has left Kenya’s farmers without the crops they have "Since I was young, my father used to get a bounrelied on for generations. ty harvest in this farm but now there seems to be a change in climate and the rains are no longer dependable," he said. "I will not harvest anything; not even a single sack of maize is possible. I have cultivated four or slightly above three acres and the expense I incurred is not recoverable. And I am not the only one. Every farmer in this area has lost everything." The plants have withered, the maize has turned to dry husks. "Now I am left wondering, because we are still struggling to farm, the weather is continuously changing, we depend entirely on rainfall and from the look of things this rain will no longer be reliable, now I don't know what we shall do," Mbuvi said. Seventy-nine year-old Esther Mulu has seen the weather change over her lifetime. The widow and mother of seven follows a traditional lifestyle where she stays with her last born son and practices subsistence farming on her one acre of land. But it seems like this way of life won't survive much longer. "The world has changed because during our youth, we used to harvest millet, sorghum, pumpkins and maize – it used to rain. But now there are no more rains, what is left is hunger and whenever we wait for the rains, they fail. Now, it is extremely dry and hunger will wipe all of us out," she said. Some farmers have given up planting crops at all. It's not worth the expense just to see them fail. Joe Mbalu, the Kenya Red Cross head of the Eastern region, said communities need to rethink how they farm. WI
caribbean now Bahamas Well-Represented Diplomatically in the U.S. The recently elected Progressive Liberal Party government in The Bahamas will be well represented diplomatically in the U.S. with the announcement on Feb. 25, of consuls general for Washington, D.C., New York, Atlanta and Miami. 5 Pictured from left to right: Anthony Moss, Consul GenThe four consuls general are: Anthony Donald Moss, eral to Atlanta, Georgia; Patrick Adderley, Consul General to who will serve in Atlanta; Leroy Major, Consul General Washington, DC; Leroy Major, Consul General to New York; to New York; Patrick Adderley, Consul General to WashMinister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service Fred Mitchell; ington, D.C.; and Curt Hollingsworth, Consul General to Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper; His Excellency Miami. Wendall K. Jones, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States They join His Excellency Wendall K. Jones, Washingand non-resident ambassador to Colombia and Malaysia; and ton, D.C.-based Ambassador to the United States, whose Curt Hollingsworth, Consul General to Miami. appointment was officially announced by Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis on February 17. Ambassador Jones, who is also non-resident ambassador to Colombia and Malaysia, is one of The Bahamas’ most accomplished journalists. Over the past three decades, he has pioneered the creation of enterprises that have changed the face of journalism and communications in The Bahamas. WI
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OK, who celebrates fifth? Bank of America does. For the fifth year in a row, Bank of America has shared the success of our company with our employees with a valuable Sharing Success compensation award. To recognize the team’s hard work, this award is over and above regular compensation. And this year, we’re proud to commemorate a first — nearly all these awards are in Bank of America stock.
That means 97% of our employees shared $1 billion worth of Bank of America stock this year, above regular compensation. “I want to thank my teammates here in the DMV for their continued hard work and dedication. While other banks might make awards like ours every once in a while, I’m proud to work for an organization that has rewarded our employees for five years in a row. Because success is better when it’s shared.” Lawrence Di Rita President, Bank of America Greater Washington D.C.
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MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 19
HEALTH Medical Debt Has Younger Generations Skipping Rent and Mortgage Payments Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Despite having health insurance, younger generations of Americans find themselves being driven into medical debt. A new analysis from HealthCare.com’s Medical Debt survey found that one-in-four Gen Zers (25 percent) and millennials (23 percent) with medical debt skipped rent or mortgage payments because of their debt. The analysis further revealed that more than half of millennials (52 percent) and Gen Xers (48 percent) with medical debt said their credit scores have suffered. Two-in-three Gen Zers (68 percent) who have health insurance but still incurred medical debt reported that their coverage wasn’t enough to pay for services received. The findings underscore challenges younger generations face,
20 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
particularly young individuals of color. Gen Zers were born between 1997 and 2012. Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996 while Gen X individuals were born between 1965 and 1980. “For people of color, the lack of access to generational wealth further compounds the challenges of employment and insurance coverage,” said Eva Stahl, the director of policy at RIP Medical Debt. “People of color are more likely to carry medical debt compared to their white counterparts,” Stahl said. According to the U.S. Census, nearly 28 percent of Black households and just under 22 percent of Hispanic households had medical debt compared to 17 percent of white non-Hispanic households. According to the Urban Institute, one-in-four people with medical debt in collection count as people of color.
5 A new analysis from HealthCare.com’s Medical Debt survey found that one-in-four Gen Zers (25 percent) and millennials (23 percent) with medical debt skipped rent or mortgage payments because of their debt. (Courtesy photo)
Stahl also pointed out studies that show that while 18 percent of people nationwide have medical debt, bills are concentrated among people living in the South and in lower-income communities. “Medical debt prevents young people from being participants in economic growth – if you are saddled with debt, you cannot invest in housing, grow a family and contribute to your community,” Stahl said. “These barriers are compounded for people of color who are more likely to hold low-wage jobs, lack access to generational wealth and are more likely to struggle with chronic health issues. As a result, medical debt remains an urgent issue in this country and requires policy intervention to make healthcare more equitable, affordable and accessible,” she said.
“For people of color, the lack of access to generational wealth further compounds the challenges of employment and insurance coverage.” -Eva Stahl Healthcare.com also found that debt triggers vary by generation. For example, 68 percent of Gen Zers who have health insurance but still incurred medical debt said their coverage wasn’t enough for the services they received – or they received the services out-ofnetwork. Fewer than half of other generations reported a similar experience. The analysis also found that men remain more likely to crowdfund medical debt. Thirteen percent of men used a crowdfunding source to pay medical debt compared to 8 percent of women. Further, 15 percent of men used their retirement savings for medical debt, compared to 11 percent of women. Individuals in lower-income
brackets were most likely to find themselves harassed by debt collectors. At least half have had their bills sent to debt collectors among those with medical debt and an income below $10,000 (60%) or between $10,000-$24,999 (52%). Twenty-three percent of those with an income under $10,000 say they will turn to crowdfunding to obtain funds to pay their medical debt. The most common source of funds for repaying debts among the lower-income group is their salary and those with lower incomes were more likely to feel anxious about their medical debt. “In many ways, medical debt is the result of the economic world and healthcare world colliding,” Stahl said. “For younger generations, particularly millennials and Gen Zers, medical debt is a double whammy. First, young people, ages 18-26, face greater job insecurity – and many were still recovering from the Great Recession when millennials lost twice as much of their wealth relative to baby boomers.” She concluded: “These groups of younger workers rely heavily on the gig economy and their earnings fluctuate. In addition, they are more likely to be uninsured and have limited access to affordable health coverage. Finally, younger people are also more likely to hold significant debt obligations – from student debt to credit card debt – relative to older generations,” Stahl added. WI
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HEALTH
CDC Foundation’s New Heart Disease Campaigns Aimed at Black Adults Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer
With data showing disproportionate rates of cardiovascular disease in Black adults, a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation [CDC] campaign takes a new approach to promote prevention through focus on empathy, living and small steps. The “Live to the Beat” campaign launched in February to help address cardiovascular disease in Black adults in the U.S. who die from heart disease at a rate two times higher than their white counterparts and whose risk of death from stroke remains even greater. “Live to the Beat” kicked off with a virtual dance party on Feb 23 with iconic hip hop DJ Jazzy Jeff during American Heart Month and Black History Month – a
month that also marks two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC Foundation said Cardiovascular disease [CVD] remains the leading cause of death for people of most racial and ethnic groups, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, deaths from heart disease and stroke have increased during the pandemic. Further, CVD is the number one contributor to all racial disparities in life expectancy, making cardiovascular health a priority for CDC and the CDC Foundation to address inequities in health outcomes, said the CDC Foundation. “It’s difficult to accept one condition leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths. But it is especially difficult when those are hundreds of thousands of preventable
deaths,” Lisa Waddell, MD, chief medical officer of the CDC Foundation, said. “While the statistics point to cause for concern, now we understand the great opportunity we have to empower more Black adults who are at risk for CVD by addressing the beliefs that affect their confidence in their ability to lower their risk – like beliefs that heart disease and stroke are inevitable, that it’s too late to make a difference or that only big changes can have an impact,” Waddell said. Created to support the Million Hearts® initiative, “Live to the Beat” aims to reduce CVD risk among Black adults ages 35–54, focusing on moving more, eating better, quitting smoking and addressing key risk factors like hypertension and high cholesterol and high blood sugar. To inform the campaign, the
(Photo courtesy of Pexels)
CDC Foundation commissioned a national survey of 3,000 U.S. adults that found most adults, including most Black adults, are now both aware of the threat of CVD and knowledgeable about how to prevent it. However, the same survey found that, compared to other racial or ethnic groups, Black adults were least likely to view heart disease and strokes as preventable (61
percent vs. 76 percent of White adults). The CDC Foundation said such data revealed an opportunity to increase confidence in Black adults’ ability to prevent CVD. The “Live to the Beat” campaign was also informed by focus groups including more than 160 Black men and women across the nation.
HEART DISEASE Page 40
DO N ATE TO DAY! Stop by your local Safeway store. Join Safeway’s Nourishing Neighbors initiative, the Washington Commanders, 7News On Your Side, El Tiempo Latino, The Washington Informer, WPGC 95.5 FM, and El Zol 107.9 FM and support the Capital Area Food Bank to help feed local families in need.
This campaign is managed by Albertsons Companies Foundation, doing business as Safeway Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization.
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MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 21
HEALTH Virginia Ends Mask Mandate in Schools with Mixed Reviews Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
On March 1, wearing masks in public schools officially became optional across Virginia. Additionally, public schools across the state fully pivoted to in-person instruction, as outlined in Senate Bill 739 that Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) signed into law. Weeks prior, several county governments lifted in-school mask mandates after Governor Glen Youngkin (R) issued Executive Order 2, which banned Virginia schools from imposing mask mandates. That move intensified
ongoing efforts among parents, educators and advocates to protect immunocompromised children. Not long after Youngkin issued Executive Order 2, the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia (ACLU-VA) filed a lawsuit on the behalf of a dozen children who have disabilities. ACLU-VA said Youngkin’s executive order violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by compelling immunocompromised students to avoid public school settings out of regard for their wellbeing. As Executive Order 2 remains tied up in litigation, ACLU-VA representatives maintain the point of view that educational institu-
A riddle is a statement, question, phrase or visual image that poses a question and requires a solution. Discover some of the earliest riddles and see if you can solve them on this week’s Kid Scoop page. Each week, Kid Scoop brings students interactive games, activities, puzzles and more in a bright & bouncy, award-winning feature kids and their family members can enjoy together. PUBLICATION DATE HERE
Publication Date 3-10-22
22 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
tions have an obligation to create a safe environment for all students. “[Our case] is about schools having the authority and discretion to provide accommodations for immunocompromised students with disabilities, including the masking of those around them, so that they can attend public school like their nondisabled peers,” said ACLU-VA Legal Director Eden Heilman. “It’s about ensuring that schools can implement a coordinated public health response, as necessary, if the circumstances require it. It’s about ensuring that all students have access to a safe learning environment.” This development comes amid a polarizing debate, in Virginia and across the nation, about mask mandates. A poll conducted by Roanoke College’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research toward the end of 2021 found Virginia Democrats more in favor of mask mandates in grocery stores, restaurants and other public places than their Republican counterparts. While 72 percent of respondents said they would wear masks, restaurants have reported seeing declines in patrons’ mask usage. Last weekend. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] announced that more than 70 percent of people live in regions of the U.S. that no longer require healthy people to wear masks indoors. Officials cited community
(Courtesy photo)
level metrics (low, medium, or high) based on new COVID-related hospitalizations, hospital capacity and new COVID cases. In Northern Virginia, Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William have been designated as low community level. Meanwhile, the CDC has given Stafford County, Virginia a medium level. People with a high risk for severe illness have been encouraged to consult their doctors about wearing a mask and taking other precautions.
In Alexandria, City Councilmember John Taylor Chapman (D) said he has heard from teachers and administrators who are anxious about the end of mask mandates at a time when younger students haven’t been vaccinated. However, he acknowledged an agreement among politicians and residents alike, political affiliation, notwithstanding about moving out of the pandemic. How to do so has been a topic of discussion. In speaking about immunocompromised students, Chapman, who’s serving his third term as city councilmember, emphasized the need to strike a balance and keep in mind the needs of at-risk populations. He cited policies that mandate adults wearing masks as a good step in staying true to that cause. “You have Democrats who are loud about getting to a place where they don’t need masks, so I don’t know that it’s as partisan as it was in the beginning or middle,” Chapman said. “We get rid of the mask mandates, it’s about having respect for people and populations who might be affected more than others. It’s one thing to not have masks at all but understanding you have an immunocompromised community and kid who can’t get vaccinated. How do you respect their safety?” WI @SamPKCollins
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Why Developmental Screenings Are Important Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia As young children grow, they reach many milestones in how they move, speak, learn, and play. Milestones are things that most children can do by a certain age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that a delay in reaching milestones is sometimes a sign of a problem. Developmental screenings are designed to pick up such delays early. If all is going well, you will feel reassured. And if there is a problem, your child can get help for it sooner. The CDC says acting early can make a big difference in their success at home and school.
WHAT SCREENINGS LOOK FOR
Your child’s provider or a nurse may ask you questions about their milestones. They may also talk and play with your child. Developmental screenings can find signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This condition can cause a wide range of symptoms that vary in intensity. The CDC says children with ASD often have: • Difficulty communicating and interacting with others. • Limited interests and repeated behaviors. • Challenges in daily life. These screenings can also help find other problems with: • Mental development. • Language skills. • Gross motor skills, such as sitting, crawling, and walking. A screening alone can’t diagnose ASD or another condition, notes the
CDC. But it can show when more testing is needed.
WHEN TO HAVE SCREENINGS
The CDC says your child’s provider should do a developmental screening at these ages: • 9 months. To check for delays in development. • 18 months. To look for delays and signs of ASD. • 24 months. To look for signs of ASD. • 30 months. To look for delays in development. If you notice issues at home, do not wait for those ages. Call your child’s provider to schedule a visit.
WATCH FOR MILESTONES AT HOME
You know your child best! That is why the CDC says parents and caregivers should monitor infants and children up to age 5 for developmental milestones. This means you should watch how they play, learn, move, act, and speak. You can enjoy their progress. And you can share
any concerns with your child’s provider. To learn when milestones often take place, go to www. cdc.gov/milestones. Install and use the Bright Start Plus mobile app to track your child’s information at no cost to you. The information in this article is to help you learn more about this topic. It is not to take the place of your health care provider. If you have questions, talk with your health care provider. If you think you need to see your health care provider because of something you have
read in this information, please contact your health care provider. Never stop or wait to get medical attention because of something you have read in this material. All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model
How to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine
#BestMe
D.C. residents ages 5 and older can now go to walk-up sites to get their first COVID-19 vaccine shot. You don't need an appointment! View site locations, hours, and other important information at https://coronavirus.dc.gov. You can get a ride by calling us at 1-800-315-3485 for transportation to the vaccine site. Talk with your health care provider and/or pharmacist about getting a vaccine if you choose to get it. You can also ask them any questions you have.
Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amerihealthdc. / Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amerihealthcaritasdc. / Find us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/amerihealthcaritasdc.
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MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 23
EDUCATION KIPP, Washington Highlands Community at Odds over Rec Center Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer Contractors will soon place the finishing touches on the plot of land that includes KIPP DC Legacy College Preparatory and Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center. It will not only include both buildings but a football and baseball field, basketball court, community garden and playground. This culminates a process guided, in part, by discussions between KIPP officials and Washington Highlands community members three years ago after KIPP purchased the former Ferebee-Hope Elementary School on 8th Street in Southeast. However, an increasing chorus of community members contend KIPP hasn’t kept up its end of the bargain for Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center. Qualms center on the installment of a nearby 5G tower and the reduction of an indoor pool and the loss of the tennis court, boxing ring and other longtime amenities exclusive to the recreation center. “KIPP promised us one thing but they gave us nothing. The only thing they were concerned about was building the damn school,” said Karlene “Kay” Armstead, former commissioner of ANC 8E06, the single member district that includes Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center. In 2019, Armstead counted among several people who attended community meetings about the eventual launch of KIPP DC Legacy, the third KIPP campus to open in Southeast. As part of the agreement KIPP entered with the District government, acquiring and transforming the former Ferebee-Hope Elementary School obligated them to upgrade the accompanying recreation center.
24 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
In total, $13.5 million had been earmarked for the demolition and rebuilding of Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center. Before KIPP acquired the accompanying elementary school, the District government financed the installation of cameras and lighting for Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center. To the chagrin of Armstead and other community members, the construction project significantly reduced the capacity of the recreation center by half. She likened the new swimming pool to a kiddie pool, calling it unfit for accommodating the swathes of community members who frequent Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center during the summer. In regard to the baseball field, skating rinks and other parts of what has been referred to as the pavilion, Armstead said community members have been kept in the dark about the development of the outside space which will soon be known as the Washington Nationals Philanthropies’ fourth legacy field. As the clock ticks on the completion of the campus wide revamp, residents attempting to enter the recreation center through Condon Terrace said they find it difficult with walls impeding their access. “We’re having a lot of issues and we need someone who’s going to fix it,” Armstead said. “All we have is five rooms. We can’t even put a professional-sized pool table inside. We had a full basketball court. We had a full boxing gym. All that’s gone.”
ADDRESSING COMMUNITY CONCERNS
KIPP, the District’s largest charter school network, has a presence in the eastern portion of the city. KIPP DC
5 Karlene Armstead at Ferbee Hope Recreation Center in Southeast. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)
Legacy College Preparatory opened in the fall of 2019 as KIPP’s eighth campus. It serves students between grades 9 and 12. A virtual meeting between KIPP, Washington Highlands community members, Washington Nationals Philanthropies and descendants of the late Dorothy Celeste Boulding Ferebee has been scheduled for March 10. Representatives of Ward 8 D.C. Councilmember Trayon White’s office are also expected to attend. The meeting will follow a walkthrough conducted by White’s staff in late February. Councilmember White declined to comment on the matter. Jacque Patterson, KIPP DC’s chief community engagement and growth officer, said he first learned about community discontent with development projects from Councilmember White’s office in the aftermath of the walk-through. Responding to concerns about reduction in recreation space, Patterson told The Informer that KIPP had no financial support from the District that allowed it to revamp Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center in a manner similar to what had been done for other D.C.-based recreation centers. In speaking about the loss of the boxing facility and tennis courts, Patterson, who also serves as an at-large State Board of Education member, said community members will always have access to the resources on the newly revamped campus. “There was an understanding that any amenities used by KIPP could
be used by the community. That was the trade-off – you would lose an underutilized tennis court but gain a football field,” Patterson said. “There were several meetings held for the process and I just heard concerns in the last couple of weeks. If people are unsatisfied, what kind of programming and collaboration can we do to make sure the community has what was missing or taken away?” he asked.
A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION
Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center, named after Ferebee, a District-based obstetrician and activist, and social worker Marion Conover Hope, remained open after the accompanying elementary school shuttered in 2013. KIPP DC purchased and demolished the old building years later amid concerns about overcrowding elementary schools in Washington Highlands and the encroachment of charter schools in Ward 8. Years after the pandemic triggered a state of emergency, Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center reopened last October. The indoor aquatic center has been slated to open within a matter of months. When that happens, community members can participate in the DC Summer Swim League with swimming lessons and senior activities coordinated by the YMCA. The degree to which those activities can happen has been a topic of concern for Solomon Robinson, a lifelong Washington Highlands resident and former area supervisor for
all public pools in Southeast. During the holiday season, Robinson served as a special police officer for Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center. That’s when he said he got a peek at what would eventually become the new indoor pool area which he described as ill-suited for the community. As he reflected on the academic and professional opportunities afforded to him through swimming, Robinson said the District has overlooked the needs of young people in Southeast who could benefit from engaging in physical activity outside of football and basketball. “What the recreation center has there now cannot accommodate children coming in the summer. In a community that has a vast amount of young people, it would be less safe,” said Robinson, an alumnus of Ferebee-Hope Elementary School and Ballou High School who later attended Chicago State University on a full swimming scholarship. “The building that sat [in that location] was one of the most equipped elementary schools,” Robinson said. “When KIPP said they would restructure the building, I didn’t think they would knock it down. I didn’t know what to expect [but] I didn't expect the recreation center and pool to be smaller. They made it [into] almost nothing.” A future Washington Informer story will include comments from the DC Department of Parks and Recreation. WI @SamPKCollins
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Guidebook Fetes D.C.’s Female History Sites James Wright WI Staff Writer A recently-published guidebook goes into detail about the District’s sites that deal with women’s contributions to the city and many of those places are African-American female oriented. Kaitlin Calogera and Rebecca Grawl have co-authored a guidebook, “111 Places in Women’s History in Washington, D.C. That You Must Not Miss,” published by Emons Verlag of Cologne, Germany. Cynthia Schiavetto Staliunas worked as the guidebook’s photographer with colorful pictures of sites that have connections to women’s history. The guidebook has become a part of a series of publications with a similar title highlighting tourist sites in places such as Baltimore, Chicago, Boston, New York, San Francisco and Palm Beach, Fla. However, the District guidebook focusing on female-oriented tourist
sites serves as the only one of its kind in the series. Grawl, who works as a tour guide in the city, said the idea of the guidebook came as an outgrowth of Calogera’s District-based tour company, A Tour of Her Own. The two decided to collaborate on the guidebook in 2018 and just as they started the project the coronavirus pandemic took root. “Just as we hit momentum in March 2020, the tourism industry was instantly devastated by COVID-19,” she said. “During a time of prohibited travel, we pivoted to transfer tourism from the streets of D.C. to the pages of this book. We certainly encountered obstacles but we took the time of some places being closed to dig deep into the women’s history in the city. Our stories of people and places often intersected, and when placed together, they formed a more comprehensive narrative.” Grawl said no women’s history of the city would be complete without including the role African-American
women played in its development. “You cannot tell D.C. history without Black women,” she said. “We wanted to make sure we showcase this in the book.” Among the places highlighted in the book: The AKA Sisterhood Mural located on 4411 14th Street., N.W. Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first Black collegiate sorority, had its founding at Howard University in 1908. The mural sits on the back wall of building owned by the sorority’s Xi Omega chapter. The Mary Ann Shadd Cary House at 1421 W Street., N.W. Cary became the first Black female publisher in North America with her anti-slavery newspaper in Canada in the 1850s. She moved back to the District to work for the U.S. Army recruiting Blacks to fight for the Union during the Civil War. She lived in the house on W Street for the rest of her life. The Memorial to Mary McCleod
EDUCATION
Bethune. Located in Lincoln Park, 1301 East Capitol Street., S.E., this is the only memorial dedicated to a Black woman in any District public park. She served in the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidential administration as the director of the Division of Negro Affairs for the National Youth Administration while residing in the District. Juanita Thornton Library located at 7301 Georgia Ave., N.W. The library branch gets its name from Ward 4 civic activist Juanita Thornton. Thornton fought to get a library in her Shepherd Park neighborhood instead of another hamburger outlet. In 1990, the fruits of her labor paid off and the branch received approval from the city. Thornton died two months after the branch opened in 1992. Grawl said Thornton’s struggle to get a library branch for her neighbor-
(Courtesy photo)
hood reveals how hard Black women worked to get things done in the city. “Juanita Thornton really made an impact but she is an example of the hard work African-American women performed to build this city,” Grawl said. WI @JamesWrightJr10
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MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 25
Caught in a loop: Black, elderly D.C. homeowners wait years for home repairs
How long can residents wait for the Department of Housing and Community Development to fix damage to their home? For many, it's years and counting.
By Ashley Clarke and Amy DiPierro
The houses on the Maryland side of the border were cheaper, but Patricia Robinson’s father wouldn’t hear of living outside Washington, D.C. “I was born in D.C., and I’m gonna die in D.C.,” he said. He bought a tidy brick home in Northeast in 1974, and remained a Washingtonian until his death at 101. For years, Patricia Robinson worried she might not be so lucky. Robinson, who still lives in the house her father bought nearly five decades ago, applied in 2018 to a District of Columbia program that promises to repair the homes of low-income residents. Robinson hoped the Single Family Residential Rehabilitation Program would replace her roof and remove the mold growing like stubble in her entryway closet. Instead, Robinson found herself on a waitlist that runs more than 200 homeowners long. “If they don't hurry,” Robinson used to think, “I might have to sell my home.” As property values and taxes have climbed in D.C., some low-income homeowners have looked to the repair program, which paid for fixes like roof repairs and accessibility retrofits at 238 homes from October 2017 to October 2021, as a way to help residents keep homes they cannot otherwise afford to maintain. Most applicants are seniors and Black homeowners like Robinson, as well as homeowners living east of the Anacostia River. Without help paying for repairs like leaking roofs, some say they feel pressured to sell their properties and leave D.C., joining the waves of Black Washingtonians who have moved away in recent decades. But applicants wait an average of three years for repairs, according to the Department of Housing and Community Development, which runs the program. Those delays have
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5 Patricia Robinson stands in front of portraits of her family in her home in Washington, D.C. on January 8, 2022. (Ashley Clark / Center for Public Integrity)
had serious consequences. Applicants described watching water damage eat at their homes in the years since they first sought help. Others reported a cycle in which DHCD staff drafted construction plans and then, months later, repeated the same steps, leaving homeowners dizzy and distrustful. At least two homeowners died before the housing agency could start repairs, one during the reporting of this story. When repairs have gone forward, DHCD staff acknowledge that, in the past, the department entertained almost any fix homeowners requested and had no standing to go after contractors for shoddy workmanship. The repair program has undergone a series of personnel changes and reforms since 2015. But wait times remain years long for many applicants. Incomplete record-keeping makes it difficult to identify where applications stall. DHCD staff acknowledged the backlog but said the program was never designed for emergency repairs and that recent program improvements aim to cut wait times. “Our only interest is to make those resources available for folks to fix their homes,” said Drew Hubbard, the interim director of
DHCD. “I have no interest in anyone losing their home. Quite the opposite. I think one of the features of this program is to help people stay in the city, especially long-term residents that are invested here.” Hubbard said that the program, which had a $2 million budget in 2021, is “a top priority at the highest level of this agency.” At home in Lamond-Riggs on a Saturday afternoon in January, Robinson and her daughter, Carlin Brodie, sat in the living room, the family’s de facto portrait gallery, surrounded by sepia-toned photographs and pencil sketches. Last fall, Robinson, who is in her 70s and runs an air purifier in her home for fear of inhaling mold spores, discovered a way to work around DHCD. A different city department also replaces roofs. They replaced hers within months of receiving her application. “We’re just relieved it’s done,” Brodie said. The two programs are a stark contrast, she said, one complex and inefficient, the other professional and quick to respond. “For a long time, I gave [DHCD] the benefit of the doubt,” she said, “Without me trying to pass judgment on the individuals in the agency, I’ll just say it’s a very cum-
bersome process. It’s a very complicated process. It’s frustrating.”
FOR SOME BLACK RESIDENTS, DELAY AND DISAPPOINTMENT
Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, who represents Robinson’s neighborhood in Ward 4, said elderly residents are counting on SFRRP. “Otherwise, we risk seeing more longtime community members pushed out of the District and worsening the housing crisis that has displaced tens of thousands of Black D.C. residents from our city,” she said. D.C. was once a majority Black city. By 2019 only 44% of D.C. residents were Black. Homeownership among Black Washingtonians also dropped between 2009 and 2019, tracking an overall decline in homeownership in the city. “I just feel like this is systemic discrimination,” said Sabrina Campbell. Her father, a stage four lung cancer patient, died in February, nearly a year after he applied to have his roof repaired through SFRRP. “I just truly believe it’s a way to push the seniors out, to get their properties for cheap.” “Whether that’s their intention or
not,” she added, “it is happening.” City records show that 69-yearold Larry Campbell is representative of applicants to SFRRP, which is open to low-income homeowners who have lived in their homes for at least three years and meet other qualifications. Black homeowners submitted 94% of the applications for assistance pending as of early 2021, and homeowners 60 and older accounted for 77% of applicants. Like Campbell, about half live east of the Anacostia River. The stories of other Black homeowners in Ward 7 and Ward 8 follow a similar arc of delay and disappointment. Serena Barnes said she moved out of her Congress Heights home in 2019 after DHCD staff told her they were ready to start construction. But the contractors never came. She’s lived with her son and other family members in the D.C. area ever since. “I have been entertaining the option of selling my home and moving to Florida,” Barnes wrote in an October 2021 email to Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Hubbard and other DHCD staff, “but that will take me so far away from my grandchildren and I will really miss them.” After Public Integrity started reporting on the repair program, DHCD agreed to exceed their typical $75,000 budget limit on Barnes’ house. As of press time, Barnes said DHCD told her contractors would start construction on her house in March. She believes the new contract does not include repairs she was originally told would be done, however. “I'll manage the best way I can with my family helping me,” she said.
DETERIORATING HOMES
One of the most common experiences homeowners reported was feeling caught in a loop, repeating the same steps of the vetting pro-
OUR HOUSE Page 27
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OUR HOUSE from Page 26 cess as the condition of their homes worsened. In Northwest, homeowner Sara Meacham applied for assistance from SFRRP after the metal roof covering a quarter of her home peeled off like the lid of a sardine can during a “bomb cyclone” rain storm in March 2018. (Meacham tried to fund the roof repair through her home insurance company, she said, but only received enough money for a temporary patch and tarp.) DHCD funneled Meacham into a pilot program for urgent roof repairs, and she expected a fix within months. But progress stalled. New construction plans were made, then scrapped. Meacham, who said she is disabled and has other serious health conditions, started a timeline to keep them straight. In spring 2021, a contractor hired by DHCD pulled permits to repair her roof – then backed out, Meacham said, before construction could start. “I never thought I’d be in a position where I needed help, but I do,” Meacham said. “I’m grateful that they are trying, but what in the hell? What is going on over there?” While she waited, what remained of Meacham’s roof deteriorated. Water damage has carved a blue-gray gash the size of a skylight in the ceiling of an upstairs bedroom, strips of discolored paint dotted with black mold dangling from its edges like tattered curtains. She recently gave it a name: Kevin the chasm.
In early February, DHCD staff told Meacham that colleagues in another department were in the process of selecting a contractor for her house. She doesn’t believe they will. For Thelma Lawson, a homeowner in Ward 8, SFRRP was worth the wait. “We’re very pleased with the repairs – the roof being replaced on the house, the ceilings and things being repaired,” Lawson said. But she added that while she and her husband were waiting, she used a pan to catch leaks and called DHCD staff weekly until they sent someone to inspect her home.
‘THIS IS HOW HE’S TREATED IN DEATH’
For other homeowners, the offer of assistance from DHCD’s home repair program has come too late or not at all. When Sabrina Campbell realized the long wait time at DHCD, she applied to two other repair programs on her father’s behalf. He died before any could fix his house. Though one program told Campbell she could reapply, she now plans to pay for the repairs, little by little, out of pocket. “Almost 30 years of being a homeowner, paying property taxes, working in the federal government over 35 years, paying taxes in D.C. and now this is how he’s treated in death. That’s not right,” she said. When asked what he thought DHCD should do if a family member inherits a property following
the death of an applicant to SFRRP, Hubbard said that “to the extent that we can still complete that work on behalf of an heir or otherwise, we will make every effort to do it.”
REFORMING THE REPAIR PROGRAM
Since 2015, at least four people have led the single-family repair program. An interim manager started work in February after the previous manager moved to another DHCD program. The same period saw SFRRP undergo reforms aimed at reducing the backlog of cases and improving the quality of workmanship. In the past, Hubbard said, construction contracts were between homeowners and contractors, so that “if that work was not done properly, we didn’t have any standing to go after that contractor to get them to correct it.” Hubbard said companies hired through SFRRP now contract with D.C. government directly, giving DHCD recourse to ask contractors to correct their work. Perhaps the biggest change is that the city no longer loans homeowners money to cover repairs, but provides only grants, Hubbard said. The department has also narrowed the type of projects it finances. It covers roof repairs, related interior fixes and home accessibility retrofits only, rather than more cosmetic fixes. “It goes back probably more years than this administration has been here, but I’ve seen scopes of work on completed jobs through this program that included some things that never should have been approved, in that they were purely aesthetic,” Hubbard said, like knocking down a wall to create an open concept kitchen. Hubbard said DHCD is also in the process of hiring a firm to provide temporary fixes, like roof patches, which would prevent damage from worsening while homeowners wait for larger repairs.
TRACKING THE REFORMS
5Sara Meacham gestures toward the cracks in the ceiling in her home in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2022. (Ashley Clarke / Center for Public Integrity)
City records suggest the changes had mixed results. The number of repairs completed under the program rose modestly from 2017 to 2018, but processing times in 2018 were significantly delayed due to understaffing – including in the program’s top job, which stood vacant for a year. In 2019, staff said a policy of prior-
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5 From left, Carlin Brodie, her grandfather, Charles T. Boggs, and her mother, Patricia Robinson, pose in a photo provided by Brodie.
itizing “older, more complicated cases” took more staff time and reported that the average time from application submission to project completion was two years and nine months, up from their last report in 2018. Then came the pandemic. The program ceased all construction from March to September 2020. When it resumed, Hubbard said, DHCD struggled to attract contractors busy with more lucrative private home renovations, though the program has fielded more interest recently.
‘WE CAN NOT HAVE HOMEOWNERS AND SENIORS LIVING IN DILAPIDATED CONDITIONS’
DHCD staff and other city leaders said they will stand by SFRRP and that recent changes will help it to run more efficiently. At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds, who chairs the Council’s Committee on Housing and Executive Administration said that D.C. has “enough money in our budget to support this program while building more affordable units.” Bonds said switching to a grant-only program has reduced the application backlog, and that digitizing the application process and creating virtual walkthroughs for contractors have improved the program's efficiency. But the program could improve the way it assigns projects to contractors, she said, and a separate D.C. de-
partment focused on smaller-dollar housing projects might be helpful. She also promised strict oversight of the plan to provide short-term fixes while homeowners wait for repairs. “We can not have homeowners and seniors living in dilapidated conditions while they wait,” she wrote. Hubbard said SFRRP is “resourced well, so it’s really about streamlining it, making sure it’s efficient. … It’s not about it being a competing priority with our other functions.” Susanne V. Slater, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C., said the home rehab program would likely need more resources to meet the backlog of applications. Not just money, she said, but also support from nonprofits to help homeowners navigating the program and large contractors. Slater, who chairs the city’s Housing Production Trust Fund Advisory Board, recommended DHCD undertake a more comprehensive analysis to determine the need for home repairs and what it would take to address them. The trust fund is D.C.’s major funding source for affordable housing. “We have a responsibility to the taxpayers to make every dollar count,” Slater said. “Running an underfunded program with a lot of unhappy people is, in my personal opinion, not the best option. Either you do it right or you don’t do it.”
MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 27
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2/15/22 2:17 PM
EDITORIAL
Racism is a Form of War Images of desperate citizens fleeing Ukraine seeking refuge in neighboring countries are dominating news feeds worldwide. International protests and acts of humanitarian support are also evidence of the empathy Ukrainians are receiving, and rightfully so. Meanwhile, disgust and outrage are fueling anti-Russian sentiment resulting from the unprovoked attack on Ukraine launched over a week ago. President Joe Biden urged Americans to leave the country immediately as he warned of the imminence of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan to wage war against Ukraine. To do so, Biden said, would provoke a world war. When asked under what condition the president would send American troops in to rescue Americans, the president reportedly said, “There’s not.” Days later, the attacks began and Ukrainians were not the only ones attempting to leave the country. Recent reports estimate hundreds of thousands of immigrants live in Ukraine as migrant workers, students and professionals. They are also seeking asylum in safer places. Unfortunately, there’s growing evidence of their removal from trains and buses for those who are Black. They are held back from crossing at many border crossings because of their nationality and the color of their skin. “It feels unfair. We just want to get out. We don’t want to waste time; we just want to get out. But we’re told, ‘Don’t go to this border; they won’t let you out.’ It’s very frustrating to tell you the truth,” an African immigrant told a CNN reporter. Media organizations are finally picking up on this story as UN officials begin to focus on increasing reports of racism. A statement issued by the chair of the African Union and president of the Republic of Senegal H.E. Macky Sall and the chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, expressed outrage that “African citizens on the Ukrainian side of the border are being refused the right to cross the border to safety.” “All people have the right to cross international borders during the conflict, and as such, should enjoy the same rights to cross to safety from the conflict in Ukraine, notwithstanding their nationality or racial identity,” the AU officials stated. We want to see the war end in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world. But racism and discrimination are also forms of war that must also end if there is to be world peace. WI
“All people have the right to cross international borders during the conflict, and as such, should enjoy the same rights to cross to safety from the conflict in Ukraine, notwithstanding their nationality or racial identity.”
TO THE EDITOR I give major respect to Ketanji Brown Jackson for being President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee. We as a community must support this pick as she is qualified and it’s about time in this country’s 244-year-old history that a Black woman will sit on the high court for the first time. This is history. Lakeitha Dowd Washington, DC
Readers' Mailbox
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I was happy to read “UDC Renames Sports Facility after Grandfather of Black Basketball.” It’s long overdue for Dr. E.B. Henderson to receive his flowers and respect. I’m happy that his descendants will have a physical acknowledgment of his works and legacy. Hope Chasten Silver Spring, Md.
The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer. com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you. MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 29
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Jullianne Malveaux
African Americans and the Fed: From Andrew Brimmer to Lisa Cook
The Federal Reserve Bank, founded in 1913, has had more than one hundred members of its Board of Governors. Forty-four White men governed the nation's monetary policy until 1966 when Dr. Andrew Brimmer became the Fed's first Black governor. He served until 1974. In 1979 Dr. Emmett Rice (father of Domestic Policy Council Director and diplomat Dr. Susan Rice) joined the Fed. In 1997, Dr.
Roger Ferguson joined the Board of Governors, and in 1999, he became Vice-Chair. There have only been three Black governors in one hundred and nine years, all men. Now, President Biden has nominated economist, Dr. Lisa Cook, to serve on the Fed. She would be the first Black woman and one of just a handful of women on the Federal Reserve Board. Of course, the white racists are in attack mode, attacking her qualifications, written work, and activism. Few Black economists have the luxury of simply sitting in
Guest Columnist
an ivory tower and pontificating. Whether we are studying the workplace and many Black economists identify as labor economists or agriculture, the inequities that permeate our nation are in our faces. You don't need to study racism to see the glaring inequality that the data illustrate. African Americans consistently experience twice the unemployment rates as whites. We have a tenth of the wealth. We've lost our family farms at an alarming rate. Once upon a time, there were more than a hundred Black-owned banks. Now
there are twenty-three. Many Black economists have commented on these inequities, whether or not race and racism represent the bulk of their body of work. Lisa Cook is among those who have commented on race matters, although most of her work focuses on international economics, especially the Russian economy. It seems that any mention of race puts white folks into a tizzy. So the ill-informed, ranging from a particularly vapid Tucker Carlson to the predictably conservative Wall Street Journal, have been highly critical of Dr. Cook, if not
downright racist. In mid-February, Republican members of the Senate Banking Committee boycotted a meeting that would move Cook's nomination (and that of others) to the full Senate. It is not clear when the full Senate will have the opportunity to vote on these nominations. Most folks don't know the Fed from a farmhouse, but anyone spending money these days must wonder what role the Fed has played in the skyrocketing prices consumers are facing. Rents in
MALVEAUX Page 53
Ben Jealous
Ketanji Brown Jackson Is the Supreme Court Justice We Need Now
It is with profound joy that I write these words today: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been nominated to become our nation’s first Black woman Supreme Court Justice. From a pool of outstanding Black women attorneys, jurists and legal scholars, President Biden has chosen Judge Jackson for her stellar credentials and brilliant legal mind.
We are overjoyed by this nomination; now the Senate needs to move quickly to confirm her. In the coming weeks we will all get the opportunity to learn more about Judge Jackson’s story and her record. Her legal credentials are outstanding: a double-Harvard alumna, earning both her undergraduate and law degrees with honors; a clerk for three federal judges – including the one she will succeed, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who called her “great” and “brilliant”; a star in private practice and as a pub-
Guest Columnist
lic defender in Washington, D.C. The country will also come to know that Judge Jackson wrote nearly 600 opinions in her time as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, before she was elevated to the Circuit Court – and that she was reversed fewer than twelve times. But what is just as important as Judge Jackson’s resume is her character, and her deep personal commitment to civil rights. Ketanji Brown Jackson could easily have chosen a lucrative career in private
practice, advancing the interests of the wealthy and powerful. Instead, she chose public service. And that speaks volumes. As a public defender, Judge Jackson represented people who could not afford to hire a lawyer. She chose to stand beside these people in their hour of need, and she has seen the justice system through the eyes of the vulnerable. It’s hard to overstate the importance of that insight in the context of the Supreme Court. As Vice Chair and Commission-
er on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, she worked to end the huge discrepancy between sentences for crack cocaine and powder cocaine, a discrepancy that had a devastating impact on Black communities. And on the bench, her opinions have shown her dedication to upholding legal protections for people with disabilities, workers, immigrants, freedom of speech, and the environment. Also evident is her commitment to see the humani-
JEALOUS Page 53
Marc H. Morial
Coach Flores' Lawsuit Presents NFL With 'Opportunity To Engage In Substantive Change'
“More than half the players in the NFL are Black, and most coaches have played the game at some level. That would seem to be the perfect recipe for Black coaches to find success. But most NFL owners have been white men, and they have seldom been willing to let African Americans or Latinos call plays— either on the field or from the sidelines.
30 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
This is no different from when franchises presumed that Black players weren’t smart enough to play quarterback and lacked leadership skills to command men. The league’s paltry record of hiring minority head coaches comes from the same mind-set. And its primary effort to address the problem has been a failure, because a policy can’t compensate for ignorance.” – Jemele Hill Three days before Brian Flores was
scheduled to interview for the position of head coach with the New York Giants, he received a text from New England Patriots general manager Bill Belichick congratulating him on getting the job. Except Belichick thought he was texting Brian Daboll. The Giants not only had decided to hire Daboll before even interviewing Flores, but already were sharing the information with others. Belichick’s flub illuminated what
has long been an open secret in the NFL: too often, complying with the “Rooney Rule,” which requires league teams to interview candidates of color for head coaching and senior football operation jobs, is an empty gesture – a fig leaf to conceal the owners’ indifference to achieving racial parity among top coaching and executive positions. As head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Flores led the team out of a 20year slump to consecutive winning seasons between 2020 and 2021. Rather
than celebrate his success, Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross fired him. And rather than leap at the chance to hire Flores – or at least seriously consider him – the Giants used his sham interview to create the false impression that a Black candidate had a legitimate chance at obtaining the job. Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL, the Giants, the Dolphins, and the Denver Broncos – whom he accuses of
MORIAL Page 53
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Kimberly Perry
Throwing Away Criminal Youth is Not the Solution
I am deeply concerned by recent comments made by some District leaders calling for harsher consequences for youth involved in criminal activity. Where is the accountability? Where is the vision and leadership? Instead of finger-pointing and blaming, leaders should be asking themselves, "have we done all we can do to create an environment where all young people have what they need to thrive?"
We are all disturbed by the increase in violent crime in the District and saddened by the needless loss of life. However, we recognize that excessively punitive responses to young people who commit crimes do not reduce crime rates. And, treating youth as adults and involving them in the adult criminal justice system only results in more lives shattered by the ripple effects of over-incarceration. We do not believe a young person's worst action should define who they are or eliminate future opportunities. Almost all children and youth
Guest Columnist
charged as adults in court (more than 94%) are Black, which reflects a culture of white supremacy that denies Black children and youth their rights and seeks the harshest and least forgiving penalties. Let's look at the big picture. According to MPD annual reports, violent crime in the District has fallen almost 50% over the past 15 years, and youth arrests have fallen almost 60%. But the level of investment in proven strategies to reduce youth crime such as school re-engagement, broad access to after-school
programs, mental health services, workforce development, guaranteed jobs, and diversion programs are insufficient. We can and must do more. A particular focus should be on expanding the District's restorative justice programs. The DC Office of the Attorney General is the only AG office in the US to employ restorative justice instead of traditional prosecution in some cases. The DC Department of Human Services operates the Alternatives to Court Experience program to help youngpeople refocus their lives in a
positive way. Studies indicate that youth who become part of the juvenile justice system are more likely to become part of the adult criminal justice system. James Forman Jr., a former public defender in the District and author of Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America, illustrates in his book that the tough on crime policies of earlier decades did not make our cities safer. Instead, they shattered generations of Black families.
or jogging, like Ahmaud Arbery. They are no more disheartening than being denied the opportunity to self-identify as gay, queer, or straight as one’s inner consciousness dictates. They are no more threatening than burning books to erase personal and/or group histories and ideas from records of human endeavor. And they are most certainly no more damaging than listening to Tucker Carlson swoon over or having a former president brag about the savvy of Vladimir Putin. The world’s current upheaval
poses many challenges for us all, especially those prone to prejudice and thoughtless evaluation of others. What are we willing to do to help those who survive this horror? If a Ukrainian family manages to survive, what are you willing to do to help them? Would you send money? Would you be willing to help them move to another country--including ours? Would you be willing to provide a place for them to live while they recover? Would
was sick much of the time. On June 23, 1855, she was desperate and appealed directly to Newsom to leave her alone. His response was to tell her that he was coming to her that night to rape her. Unable to endure the sexual abuse any longer, Celia found a large tree branch to use as a club and took it back to the cabin she shared with her two small daughters. That night, when Newsom entered Celia’s cabin while her two children were present, Celia pleaded
with him to leave her alone. He ignored her, but she managed to grab the club and struck him in the head. This blow did little more than anger Newsom who lunged at her. She delivered a second blow to his head that killed him. Realizing the extreme danger she was in for killing him, Celia attempted to dispose of Newsom’s body by rolling him into the cabin’s fireplace. She spent the night reducing his body to ashes and a few small
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E. Faye Williams
Another War
Before going to bed on 2/22/22, we knew that Ukraine and its citizens had been brutally attacked. In our hearts, we also knew that this was only the beginning of their terror. Although most of us initially wanted to deny the possibility of Vladimir Putin’s threats against an innocent nation, reality dictates that we acknowledge the hard, cold facts of the brutality of a pragmat-
ic, authoritarian kleptocrat. It is clear that inhumanity is a constant in the human condition. The actors may be different and their methods unique, but the plot of inhumanity remains uncomfortably common. Although violent loss of life is always disturbing, it is no worse than the psychological destruction and murder of self-esteem consistent with never-ending discrimination. Russians viciously attack hospitals, schools, businesses, homes, and every other vestige of
Guest Columnist
Ukrainian infrastructure -- all that is near and dear to them. I tremble at the news that innocent children and their mothers live fearfully in the relative safety of underground subway stations. They ‘exist’ with the uncertainty of their futures and lacking the knowledge of what is happening with family members and friends who fight outside to protect them. As horrible as these circumstances are, they are no more destructive than living with the fear of being shot for merely driving, walking
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Oscar Blayton
Let’s Talk About Celia
At 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 21, 1855, Celia was hung in Callaway County, Missouri. Her crime: Defending herself against a rapist who had sexually assaulted her for years. There is no documentation of Celia’s birthdate, birthplace or parentage. Her recorded history begins when she was purchased at the age of 14 in 1850 by a man named Robert
Newsom. Records show that Newsom purchased Celia in Audrain County, Missouri, but the record is unclear as to whether the first time he raped her was on the return trip to his farm in Callaway County or immediately upon arriving at his farm. A year after his wife’s death, Newsom bought the 14 year old for the explicit purpose of sexual exploitation. And for the next five years, he subjected Celia to repeated rapes. Newsom placed Celia in a brick cabin near the main house for his conve-
nience and abused her often. It is reported that Celia had appealed to Newsom’s white adult daughters to intervene and stop their father’s repeated assaults. But there is no evidence that they did anything to aid her. At 16, Celia was pregnant with her first child by Newsom, a daughter. Within two years after that, she gave birth to a second daughter by her enslaver. In the summer of 1855, Celia, now 19, was having difficulty during her third pregnancy by Newsom and
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WOMEN'S history month
The Profound Impact of Black Women on D.C.’s Political Terrain James Wright WI Staff Writer African-American women in the District have long played an historic and pivot role in city politics, especially since Home Rule took effect in 1974. In fact, Black women in the District have served in multiple capacities – from behind-the-scenes workers to leaders on the frontlines of movements which bore unprecedented results. Along the way, they have shaped the nation’s capital into the international center for politics, guiding political dialogues and shaping the Black struggle for equality. If readers observe significant gaps in time that indicate the absence of Black women’s participation, it should be noted that presidentially-appointed commissioners ran the city and made major decisions about the District from 1874-1967 when no Black woman served on the commission. Nonetheless, Black women have faced and overcome the obstacles which lay in their paths. Their stories and the political accomplishments they achieved follow below.
MARY CHURCH TERRELL
In 1895, M a r y Church Terrell became the first Black woman in the U.S. to be appointed to the school board of a major city, Washington, D.C. She served on the board until 1906. Terrell became known for her advocacy for equitable resources for
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segregated Black schools in the District. She participated in the founding of the NAACP in 1909, the Colored Women’s League of Washington in 1892 and help started the National Association of Colored Women’s Club in 1896, serving as its first president.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLORED WOMEN’S CLUBS
The National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs became established in the District on July 21, 1896. The inaugural session featured the participation of Black women notables including civil rights and feminist leader Harriett Tubman, journalist Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Margaret Murray Washington, the wife of Tuskegee Institute founder Booker T. Washington, Josephine Ruffin, Victoria Earle Matthews and, as previously mentioned, Mary Church Terrell who served as the organization’s first president. Throughout the years, the organization became known for its work in civil rights, women’s suffrage, lynching and fighting Jim Crow laws.
DELTA SIGMA THETA AND THE 1913 MARCH FOR SUFFRAGE
On March 3, 1913 women from across the U.S. came to the District to let President Woodrow Wilson know that female suffrage’s time had come. The relatively new Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., founded Jan, 13, 1913 at Howard University by 22 young Black women, participated in the march on Pennsylvania Avenue. But because of racism, they
would be relegated to the back of the procession. They marched despite being called names as well as being spat upon and physically harassed by white onlookers. Seven years later, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted women the right to vote, including Black females. But it would take the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act for Black women to safely and unequivocally be allowed to cast their ballot.
BARBARA LETT-SIMMONS
Barbara Lett-Simmons first became a member of the D.C. Board of Education in 1973 and served until 1986. Simmons made national headlines in 2000 while serving as a District presidential elector. She refused to vote for Al Gore, the Democratic candidate who won the city’s electoral votes. She did so due to the District’s lack of voting representation in the U.S. Congress.
JOSEPHINE BUTLER
J o s e phine Butler co-founded the D.C. St a t e h o o d Party in 1971. She p re v i o u s l y established herself as an activist in the District’s Democratic Party fighting for civil and workers’ rights. Butler ran for the D.C. Council as a D.C. Statehood Party candidate in 1974 and 1976. She also led the fight for a cleaner environment. In 1994, she introduced President Bill Clinton at an Earth Day speech in Meridian Hill Park. Clinton later awarded Butler the National Partnership-Leadership Award. One year later, she organized an Earth Day parade of 4,000 people who marched to the U.S. Capitol where she addressed a crowd of 250,000.
WILLIE HARDY
Willie Hardy became the first woman to represent Ward 7 on the D.C. Council. Hardy, a Democrat, made history as one of the original members of the council in 1974 when the District first secured
Home Rule – limited self-government. She represented Ward 7 from 1975 to 1981.
NADINE WINTER
Nadine Wi n t e r made history as the first woman to represent Ward 6 on the D.C. Council. Winter, a Democrat, won election as one of the original members of the council in 1974 when the city first gained Home Rule, and served from 1975 to 1991. In addition, Winter served as a presidential elector for the Democratic Party in both the 1996 and 2000 presidential elections.
WILHELMINA ROLARK
Wilhelmina Rolark became the first woman to represent Ward 8 on the D.C. Council. Rolark, a Democrat, served on the council from 1977 to 1993. Rolark won the seat after losing by a small margin to the Rev. James Coates in the 1974 Democratic Party primary, securing victory in the next general election as a write-in candidate.
HILDA MASON
H i l d a Mason became the first woman on the D.C. Council to have not been a member of the Democratic Party. Mason served on the council for the D.C. Statehood Party as an at-large member from 1977 to 1999. At the time of her departure from the legislative body, Mason had the distinction of having the longest tenure since the beginning of Home Rule. Additionally, Mason stood out nationally as one of the few members of the Democratic Socialists of America serving in elected office prior to 2017.
CHARLENE DREW JARVIS
Charlene Drew Jarvis, a Demo-
crat, served as the first woman to represent Ward 4 on the D.C. Council. Jarvis won a May 1, 1979 special election to the position after incumbent Arrington Dixon gained the council chairman’s seat in 1978. Jarvis served as the Ward 4 lawmaker from 1979 to 2001. She later ran for District mayor in 1990, finishing third behind winner Sharon Pratt.
PATRICIA ROBERTS HARRIS
While Patricia Roberts Harris has become best known as a Black female trailblazer as a U.S. ambassador, dean of a major American law school (Howard School of Law) and a member of a presidential cabinet during the Carter administration, she also counts as the first major female candidate for District mayor. In 1982, Harris ran for mayor in the Democratic primary against incumbent Marion Barry and lost.
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON
In 1990, Eleanor Holmes Norton won election as the first woman to represent the District in the U.S. Congress. Norton took the place of the Rev. Walter Fauntroy, first elected to the position as the D.C. delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1971. Norton, a Democrat, continues to serve as the D.C. delegate.
SHARON PRATT
District voters elected Democrat Sharon Pratt, a first-time candidate for a major office in the city, as its first female mayor in 1990. Political experts consider Pratt to be the first Black woman elected as mayor of a major city. Pratt ran for re-election in 1994 but lost in the Democratic primary to Marion Barry.
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IMPACT from Page 32
LINDA CROPP
L i n d a Cropp made history when she won election as the first Black female to win a citywide council race as a Democrat in 1990. She served on the council as a Democratic at-large member from 1991 to 1997. In 1997, Cropp become acting chairman of the council following the death of David Clarke. Later that year, she won a special election to finish Clarke’s term, becoming the first woman elected to lead the District’s legislative body. Cropp successfully ran election campaigns in 1998 and 2002. In 2006, she left the chairmanship to run for District mayor but lost the Democratic primary to Ward 4 Councilmember Adrian Fenty.
E. FAYE WILLIAMS
E. Faye Williams serves as the National President/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women, an organization founded to further the interests of African-American females in the political sector. Williams has served in that position
MANDATE from Page 12 When in-person learning resumed the week of January 17, the school system uploaded about 85,000 student take-home COVID-19 tests. This will be the last week for students to conduct COVID-19 tests at home. Goldson said weekly student positive cases decreased from 888 the first week of implementation to 246 last week. Prince George’s will utilize the state Department of Education’s guideline to review its masks policy once at least 80% of the county’s population becomes fully vaccinated. The figure currently stands at nearly 73% which ranks sixth in the state. “We implemented every tool available to the school system in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Goldson said. “We have done our best to exercise due
since October 2005. She ran for the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana in 1986 and lost the election within a six-tenths margin. If Williams had won, she would have been the first Black to represent Louisiana since Reconstruction. Williams led a campaign to have the bust of 19th century abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth erected in the U.S. Capitol.
MURIEL BOWSER
Muriel Bowser has served as mayor of the District since 2015. The second woman elected to the position, she became the first female to win a second term in 2018. Bowser also counts as the second female elected to the council representing Ward 4, serving from 2007 to 2015. She is currently seeking her third term in office.
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
ANITA BONDS
Anita Bonds has served on the D.C. Council since 2012. Selected by the D.C. Democratic State Committee in 2012 to replace Phil Mendelson as an at-large member on the council, Bonds won the seat permanently in a special election in May 2013. She served as the chair of the D.C. Democratic State Committee from 2006 to 2018.
YVETTE ALEXANDER
In May 2007, Yvette Alexander became the second woman to represent Ward 7 on the council. Alexander served until 2017. She lost to Vincent Gray in the 2016 Democratic primary.
WANDA LOCKRIDGE
Wanda Lockridge serves as the chief of staff to D.C. Councilmember Trayon White (D-Ward 8). She began her public service career at the age of 18 as an advisory neighborhood commissioner in her native Ward 8. During the 2000s, Lockridge chaired the D.C. Democratic State Committee. She has also served in various positions with the Ward 8 Democrats. Lockridge also leads the
diligence at every turn. We are making progress and turning the corner.” Tamarah Fosso, a PTA president at Woodmore Elementary, applauded Goldson’s decision. “As we have seen with our surrounding counties and school districts, when the mask mandate is lifted, the infection rate spikes and then the mandate is reinstated,” said Fosso, whose two daughters attend Woodmore in the second and third grades, respectively. “I appreciate Dr. Goldson’s efforts to keep our district off that merry-go-round.” “I know [masks are no longer required] when you go to restaurants but in the schools I think it is better to be safe than sorry in keeping the masks on,” Fosso said.
NO MASK INDOORS
After showing signs of improvement while battling the coronavirus pandemic, an indoor mask mandate at grocery stores, restaurants
5 Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced at a press conference Feb. 25 the county will lift the indoor mask mandate Feb. 28. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
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William O. Lockridge Foundation, named after her late husband, a former D.C. school board member. The foundation provides financial assistance to District residents along with educational programming, mentoring and other opportunities.
ANISE JENKINS
A n i s e Jenkins is a D.C. statehood activist and serves as the executive director of Stand Up! for Democracy in DC. Jenkins has been arrested nine times on behalf of D.C. statehood. She also co-led an effort to defeat North Carolina Sen. Lauch Faircloth in his re-election bid in 1998 because of his hostile attitude toward the District while the control board managed the city.
JANEESE LEWIS GEORGE
Janeese Lewis George currently represents Ward 4 on the D.C. Council. She became the third woman to hold that seat. George defeated incumbent Brandon Todd in the 2020 Democratic primary and won overwhelmingly in the general election. She serves as the first and other public spaces in Prince George’s ended Monday, Feb. 28. According to updated COVID-19 metrics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], the county joins 17 other counties and Baltimore City in Maryland categorized as “green,” or low community transmission. The federal agency outlined residents who reside in any jurisdiction with that designation can ditch the mask or other face coverings. Masks must still be worn on public transportation such as Metro and the county’s “TheBus,” based on guidance from the CDC. As of Saturday, the county ranked third in the state with 86% of residents 5 years and older who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Some of the county’s data includes the county’s weekly case rate at 45 per 100,000 residents and a positivity rate of nearly 2.3%. About
democratic socialist lawmaker since Hilda Mason.
CHRISTINA HENDERSON
Christina Henderson serves as an independent D.C. councilmember. She won her first election in 2020. Before entering elected politics, she worked as an aide to D.C. Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
JEANNETTE MOBLEY
Jeannette Mobley has volunteered with the D.C. Democratic Party and the Ward 5 Democrats as an activist for many years. She previously worked as the chief of staff to D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5). In addition, she earlier served as the president of the D.C. Democratic Women’s Club and as an ex-officio member of the D.C. Democratic State Committee, also serving as the financial secretary of the Ward 5 Democrats. WI @JamesWrightJr10
three weeks ago, the weekly case rate stood at 104 cases per 100,000 residents and a 5.2% positivity rate. Dr. George Askew, the county’s deputy chief administrative officer for health, human services and education, said analyzing the science made the decision to lift the mask mandate easier. “We didn’t change things unless the science told us it was ok to do so,” said Askew, who participated in his last press briefing Friday before moving on in his new position as president and CEO of the Meyer Foundation, effective April 1. “I am Prince George’s proud of the way our residents displayed love of neighbor and community by heeding and trusting the science and following the recommendations that lead us to where we were able to make this exciting change in our mitigation strategy,” Askew said. WI @WJFjabariwill
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WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Dr. Dietra Trent Takes Over as Director of White House HBCU Initiative
Hampton Alumna Brings Extensive Experience Helping Disadvantaged Youth on Advancing Educational Eq- budget cuts; acquiring state fundD. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor Dr. Dietra Trent, an alumna of Hampton University with a deep commitment to the mission of HBCUs who understands the impact of these institutions on students, graduates and our nation, recently assumed the helm as executive director of the White House HBCU Initiative. Most recently, she held leading roles with George Mason University, including chief of staff and interim VP for Compliance, Diversity, and Ethics. And with over 25 years of experience working to advance equity for Virginia’s under-resourced communities, she previously served as Virginia’s Secretary of Education in 2016. She’s also served in the administrations of three former governors including Mark Warner as well as the office of Congressman Bobby Scott. Now, Trent has taken on a new assignment as the executive director of the White House Initiative
uity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities [WHI-HBCUs]. Dr. Tony Allen, chair of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs], had this to say about Trent and her new position. “Dr. Dietra Trent’s 25 years of experience in advancing equity and leading efforts to strengthen Virginia’s HBCUs is emblematic of the task in front of us,” Allen said. “When I talked with her recently, she was anxious to get to work, just like a Hampton alumna would be. This announcement is a clear example of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing commitment to ensuring HBCUs remain central engines of opportunity propelling thousands of citizens into the American middle class. We look forward to working with Dr. Trent in her new role.” Trent brings a wealth of federal, state and higher education experience and has led efforts to strengthen Virginia’s HBCUs, including: ensuring they were spared from
ing for student success centers; acquiring state funds for need-based financial aid; and promoting the work of HBCUs across the state. Trent earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Hampton University and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Commonwealth University. And she brings more than 25 years of experience working to advance equity for Virginia’s most disadvantaged populations. Scholars of HBCUs, advocacy organization leaders and former directors of the White House Initiative said they welcome the appointment, particularly of a Black woman. “It’s exciting that we’ll have a Black woman in this position because I don’t think that has happened before,” said Dr. Felecia Commodore, an assistant professor of educational foundations and leadership at Old Dominion University, where she studies HBCUs. “I don’t know much about Dr. Trent but I think it’s promising
MD MASKS from Page 12 “When you have a child that is traumatized and truly abused, don’t put that in the same category as wearing a mask to protect the child,” she said. “So to that end, I thought that was very disappointing.” The committee co-chairs, Sen. Sarah Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel County) and Del. Samuel Rosenberg (D-Baltimore City), released a joint statement with hopes residents will be sympathetic to each other. “As our State moves forward, many will continue to live with and be adversely impacted by COVID-19,” they said. “Therefore, we should be mindful and sensitive to the concerns and needs of all Marylanders in the coming months.”
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“As our State moves forward, many will continue to live with and be adversely impacted by COVID-19.” Several school systems throughout the state have already decided to offer a mask optional policy. Anne Arundel County became the first on Feb. 18. A main reason for the change there comes as the county reported at least 80% of the population are fully vaccinated which serves as one of the benchmarks the state Department of Education outlined for local school boards to eliminate mask requirements. School officials in Carroll and Cecil counties implemented mask
optional policies that took effect immediately. Baltimore and Howard counties went into effect Tuesday, March 1. In nearby Prince George’s County, the majority-Black school system will maintain indoor mask requirements. The public schools will utilize the state Department of Education’s measure when at least 80% of the county’s population becomes fully vaccinated. The figure currently stands at nearly 73%. In Southern Maryland, masks optional for students and staff in
5 Dr. Dietra Trent (Courtesy photo)
“I’m delighted on many fronts and given the fact that a female will be serving in this capacity is really empowering.” that she graduated from Hampton University, which means she has a direct connection with HBCUs,” she said. Trent could not respond to interview requests prior to taking on her new assignment but Dr. Robert T. St. Mary’s County public schools began Monday, Feb. 28. Superintendent J. Scott Smith wrote in a letter after the legislative committee’s vote Friday that students and staff in the Head Start program will still be required to wear masks. Because of the legislative committee’s vote Friday, the Montgomery County school board plans to discuss and vote on making masks optional when it meets Tuesday, March 8. “This action, the decline in cases, updated guidance from the CDC and the lifting of the county indoor mask mandate indicate that MCPS can operate with optional masking,” officials said in a statement from the Montgomery County school system, Feb. 26. WI @WJFjabariwill
Palmer, department chair and associate professor in the department of educational leadership and policy studies at Howard University, commented on Trent’s experience which makes her a perfect fit for the job. “I’m delighted on many fronts and given the fact that a female will be serving in this capacity is really empowering,” Palmer said. “More importantly, you have someone who is very well-qualified, who got her undergraduate degree at an HBCU, who has worked in higher education, who has worked in policy and with governors before, who has rich experience.” Dr. Ivory A. Toldson, director of the Initiative under former President Barack Obama, echoed the significance of the job. “The White House Initiative on HBCUs is the most important entity for HBCUs to gain access to federal resources, including Title III, student aid, and grants and contracts from across 30+ federal agencies,” Toldson said. “The current revenue HBCUs receive from the federal government is essential to their short-term survival and long-term growth.” Toldson, a professor of counseling psychology at Howard University, said he’s eager to provide assistance to Trent and anticipates the work and progress which lie ahead. “As a former director of the Initiative and current HBCU professor and director of education innovation and research for the NAACP, I stand willing and ready to support her and her staff,” he said. WI
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WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH Ethel Delaney Lee’s Greatest Contributions in D.C. Politics Forged Behind the Scenes James Wright WI Staff Writer
Ethel Delaney Lee never held an elected office in the District or received an appointment to a high-level position in a mayoral administration but “those in the know” said she served with distinction behind the scenes and made a difference in city politics and in the lives of District residents. “Ethel Delaney Lee was very involved in the community and in politics,” said D.C. Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-At Large). “We worked together on past campaigns, particularly the effort to get Marion Barry elected his first time as mayor in 1978. Throughout the years, she checked on what was going on in the city through the radio. She was very good at what she did.” Lee, who died earlier this year on Jan. 28 at the age of 96, graduated cum laude from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in home economics. She married E. Preston Lee, who eventually became a dentist, teaching at the Howard University College of Dentistry and eventually setting up his own practice. She counts as one of the first Black women to work for the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. One of her most lasting memories while employed with the police department had to do with an assignment during which she served undercover at one of President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Balls. She attended the event, dressed in a formal gown with a gun in her purse. In 1990, Lee retired from the D.C. Public School system as the state level attendance officer after just over 24 years of service. Lee began her civic and political activism with the swearing-in of D.C. Mayor Walter Washington in 1975 as the city’s first elected leader after Home Rule went into effect one year earlier. However, four years later, she changed course and decided to support then D.C. at-large Councilmember Marion S. Barry, Jr., for mayor in 1978. In a July 28, 2017 interview with writer Betty King of the Marion Barry 1978 Mayoral Primary Campaign Oral History Project, Lee talked about how she became involved with
Barry’s first mayoral victory. She said Washington didn’t know her personally but knew her face and expressed shock when he saw her supporting Barry while at the D.C. Board of Elections. “Walter was a classy guy but not what we needed at the time,” Lee said during the interview. Also, she talked about how the Lee household became split among the three major candidates in the mayor’s race. “And the interesting part about that was my husband, even though he was not involved, was a Walter Washington person, my oldest daughter was working in Sterling Tucker’s campaign and I put Marion Barry’s poster on the front lawn,” Lee said. After Barry’s victory, Lee decided to run for a Ward 4 position on the D.C. Democratic State Committee. She ran against and defeated Dr. Janette Hoston Harris – a capable opponent and friend who later became the District’s “first city historian.” “She has never forgiven me for it,” Lee said in the interview. Lee advised and mentored such District political figures as former D.C. Councilmembers Charlene Drew Jarvis, John Ray and Brandon Todd and Council Chair Linda Cropp and Mayors Sharon Pratt, Adrian Fenty, Vincent Gray and Muriel Bowser. Bowser praised Lee as a friend and mentor. “Ethel Delaney Lee was a neighbor and a friend of mine and a friend of Washington, D.C.,” the mayor said at Lee’s Funeral at Metropolitan AME Church on Feb. 16. “She loved Ward 4 and the city. When she would call me, I made it a point to get back to her right away. The real story of Washington is the story of Ethel Delaney Lee.” While Lee mainly operated locally, she did have her moment in the national spotlight. On Sept. 15, 1999, Lee spoke about the need for seniors to have Medicare fully funded in the federal budget while standing with Vice President Al Gore, House Democratic Leader Gephardt and Democratic members of the U.S. Congress at the Hart Senate Office Building. “Medicare and Social Security are vital to me and millions of Ameri-
cans,” Lee said to an audience televised by C-SPAN. “I am now 73 and have developed hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Fortunately, I have Medicare and supplemental health insurance due to retirement from my job. But many people cannot afford supplemental insurance and the cost of prescription drugs have skyrocketed. The Republican tax cut sounds good but the country should take care of its obligations and the seniors should be first.” Denise Reed, a Ward 7 political activist, said Lee influenced a long line of elected officials. “Her advice to politicians in this city extended to many generations,” Reed said. “She was an influencer and many elected officials took their marching orders from Mrs. Lee.” WI @JamesWrightJr10
5 Ethel Delaney Lee formed friendships with many of the key political players in the District. (Courtesy photo/Scripps Howard Foundation Wire)
Guidebook Fetes D.C.’s Female History Sites James Wright WI Staff Writer A recently published guidebook goes into detail about the District’s sites that deal with women’s contributions to the city and many of those places are African-American female oriented. Kaitlin Calogera and Rebecca Grawl have co-authored a guidebook, “111 Places in Women’s History in Washington, D.C. That You Must Not Miss,” published by Emons Verlag of Cologne, Germany. Cynthia Schiavetto Staliunas worked as the guidebook’s photographer with colorful pictures of sites that have connections to women’s history. The guidebook has become a part of a series of publications with a similar title highlighting tourist sites in places such as Baltimore, Chicago, Boston, New York, San Francisco and Palm Beach, Fla. However, the District guidebook focusing on female-oriented tourist sites exists as the only one of its types in the series. Grawl, who works as a tour guide in the city, said the idea of the guidebook came as an outgrowth of Calogera’s District-based tour company, A Tour of Her Own. The two decided to
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collaborate on the guidebook in 2018 and just as they started the project the coronavirus pandemic took root. “Just as we hit momentum in March 2020, the tourism industry was instantly devastated by COVID-19,” she said. “During a time of prohibited travel, we pivoted to transfer tourism from the streets of D.C. to the pages of this book. We certainly encountered obstacles but we took the time of some places being closed to dig deep into the women’s history in the city. Our stories of people and places often intersected, and when
“You cannot tell D.C. history without Black women. We wanted to make sure we showcase this in the book.”
placed together, they formed a more comprehensive narrative.” Grawl said no women’s history of the city would be complete without including the role African American females played in its development. “You cannot tell D.C. history without Black women,” she said. “We wanted to make sure we showcase this in the book.” Among the places highlighted by the book: *The AKA Sisterhood Mural located on 4411 14th Street., N.W. Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first Black collegiate sorority, had its founding at Howard University in 1908. The mural sits on the back wall of building owned by the sorority’s Xi Omega chapter. *The Mary Ann Shadd Cary House at 1421 W Street., N.W. Cary became the first Black female publisher in North America with her anti-slavery newspaper in Canada in the 1850s. She moved back to the District to work for the U.S. Army recruiting Blacks to fight for the Union during the Civil War. She lived in the house on W Street for the rest of her life. *The Memorial to Mary Mc-
HISTORY Page 40 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 35
LIFESTYLE Shedrick Pelt Provides Powerful Images from January 6 5 Photo journalist Shedrick Pelt discusses his photographs. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)
5Washington Informer Editor, D. Kevin McNeir, stands with Shedrick Pelt (right) and journalists for a photo-op during an artist talk at the January 6 Insurrection exhibit by Shedrick Pelt at Gallery O on H in Northeast on February 26. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)
TECH from Page 14 education, training and career development that can accelerate pathways to careers in tech for Black talent,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, executive vice president and chief diversity officer of Comcast Corporation. “Just as importantly, this report provides recommendations for how policymakers, companies and communities can help create the conditions for Black professionals to advance in technology careers – from career entry to leadership,” she said. Based on the evaluation of the current landscape of programs, the report identifies 14 "Innovators to Watch,” all of which are Black-led or founded and focused on helping Black Americans advance in tech careers and industries.
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JFF said they conducted the analysis with the guidance and insight of an advisory council of Black leaders in venture capital, technology, philanthropy, and education.
THE INNOVATORS TO WATCH:
• Black Girls Code is a nonprofit that has provided software development training to more than 30,000 Black girls ages 7 to 17 to help them get started on journeys that could lead to careers in tech. • Black Tech Pipeline provides recruitment services that connect Black technologists to companies with diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environments. • CodePath provides college students with no-cost coding courses,
5Elvira Besong, a DC resident, observes photos in the January 6 Insurrection exhibit by Shedrick Pelt at Gallery O on H in Northeast on February 26. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)
mentorship, and career support to prepare them for careers in tech. • Code2040 is a nonprofit community of Black and Latinx tech professionals offering internships, mentoring programs, and professional development opportunities for early-career technologists. • /dev/color, a peer mentoring community that provides a safe and positive environment for Black technologists to support and learn from one another. • Ed Farm, a Birmingham, Ala.based nonprofit working to address gaps in K-12 and adult computer science education, with a model that includes wraparound supports like participation stipends and device grants. • Eskalera, developer of a digital
platform called the Inclusion Index that offers large and midsize employers insights about the effectiveness of their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. • Girls Who Code is a nonprofit that creates pathways into tech careers for girls and young women, advocates for gender equity in K-12 computer science, and has taught 450,000 girls to code. • The Hidden Genius Project is a nonprofit which helps young Black males build the experience, networks, and technical skills to succeed as technologists, leaders, and entrepreneurs. • Kanarys is a platform that offers employers a data-driven approach to improving their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Mentor Method matches learners and workers with mentors to help them forge relationships and build the social capital they need to advance in their careers. • Onramp is a skills-based hiring platform that creates new career pathways for job seekers who may get overlooked in traditional hiring processes. • Opportunity Hub (OHUB) is a parent holding company of a suite of businesses committed to increasing racial equity in the fourth industrial revolution. • Praxis Labs is pioneering the application of virtual reality to help organizations build more empathetic, equitable, and inclusive workplaces. WI
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UNION from Page 1 National Guard soldiers on high alert were stationed to provide extra security. While the President didn’t address Statehood for D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser still offered praised for the commander-in-chief. “Tonight, President Biden presented the nation with a united, fortified, and clear path forward – a path where the United States is a global leader in standing up for democracy and the values that are at the core of our social fabric as Americans,” Mayor Bowser said in a statement. “Under President Biden, our nation has confronted incredible challenges. We’ve experienced tremendous loss and have had to endure sacrifices that we never imagined we’d confront. But through historic investment, determined leadership, and a collective courage, our nation has continued our path to recovery and an even brighter future. Mayor Bowser continued: “We still have a lot of work to do and much to accomplish. But President Biden reminded us that our best days lie ahead. As proud Washingtonians, we know that to be true. Over the past two years, we have witnessed the resilience of our city and the strength of our people. And as Mayor of my hometown, I couldn’t be prouder of how we’ve come back stronger than ever. “This coming year, I will continue to work with the Biden-Harris Administration, Congress, and regional leaders on the priorities we know will help give all DC residents a fair shot, including becoming the 51st state.” Domestically and briefly, President Biden called on the Senate to pass voting rights legislation. “Tonight, I call on the Senate to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act,” President Biden insisted. “And while you’re at it, pass the Disclose Act so Americans can know who is funding our elections.” He also spelled out his goal of putting a lid on inflation. He proposed cutting the cost of childcare, noting that those living in major cities pay as much as $14,000 per child each year. “Middle-class and working folks shouldn’t have to pay more than 7 percent of their income to care for their young children,” President Biden asserted.
“My plan would cut the cost of childcare in half for most families and help parents, including millions of women who left the workforce during the pandemic because they couldn’t afford childcare,” he continued. “[My plan] also includes homeand-long-term care. More affordable housing, Pre-K for 3 and 4-year-olds. All these will lower costs for families. Nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in taxes.” The President also addressed his historic Supreme Court nominee, D.C. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, urging swift confirmation. “No matter whatever your ideology, we all know one of the most serious constitutional duties a president has is nominating someone to serve on the United States Supreme Court,” the President declared. “I’ve nominated Circuit Court of Appeals Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of our nation’s top legal minds who will continue in Justice [Stephen] Breyer’s legacy of excellence,” he stated. “The former top litigator in private practice, a former federal public defender, from a family of public school educators and police officers. She is a consensus builder. “Since she has been nominated, she has received a broad range of support including the Fraternal Order of Police and former judges supported by Democrats and Republicans.” He also honored Justice Breyer, urging him to stand up and “let them see you.” Turning his attention to the pandemic, the President said cases of Covid-19 finally are falling. “Thanks to the progress we have made this past year, Covid-19 need no longer control our lives,” President Biden offered. “I know some are talking about ‘living with Covid-19.’ But tonight, I say that we will never just accept living with Covid-19.” He continued: “We’re launching the ‘Test to Treat’ initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they’re positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost.” While Republicans will undoubtedly push back against the President’s address, several civil rights groups applauded him. “As we assess the state of the union, without question, President
LIFESTYLE
5 President Joe Biden delivers his first official State of the Union address in the House Chamber. (Screen grab/DR Barnes)
Biden gets high marks for supporting legislation on childcare, voting rights, maternal health, abortion access, and worker’s rights,” said Marcela Howell, the President, and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive
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Justice Agenda. “But the same senators who consistently block voting rights protections also block reproductive rights protections and safety nets for working-class families. Make no mistake, the enemies of equality are
determined to shut down progress at every turn,” Howell stated. She said it’s time to pass the President’s Build Back Better bill and protect the lives of all who live in the United States.
UNION Page 46
MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 37
LIFESTYLE
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Delivers Brilliantly in 50th Anniversary Tour Kennedy Center Hosts Classic Musical and Brings Audiences to Their Feet Jamila Bey WI Contributing Writer “Hosanna! Hosanna!” to be back in a (nearly) packed theater once again to enjoy the spectacle of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s 1970 rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The 50th anniversary tour continues at the Kennedy Center through March 13 and this interpretation is one of the most impactful and imaginative yet. Playing up the theme “Superstar,” the energetic, and at times frenetic, pace of the show leads one to believe they’re witnessing a revival, a rock show and newsreels of the Beatles coming to the U.S. before screaming, hysterical fans rolled into one.
This show pulls out all the stops to make it clear that Caiaphas is right: “Jesus is cool!” Also keeping with the rock star theme, the show is a 90-minute concert with no intermission and no pauses for a breath or a prayer. From the moment the low bass rumbles the audience to take their seats for showtime, the full sensory experience draws you into the Galilee of Judas and Jesus where the audience has scored seats to the hottest show in town. As the bass diminishes, viewers are blinded by a cross, blazing enough to make everyone squint and shield their eyes, yet there is no place else to look! The brilliant cross dims and the cast runs onstage through the audience as the familiar guitar riff kicks off the show.
5 The company of the North American Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
We see Jesus, performed wonderfully by Aaron LaVigne, certainly looking the part of a Renaissance Christ gone hipster. He’s blonde, blue eyed and he looks like someone who could surely make all the girls go wild. Judas, as portrayed by Omar Lopez-Cepero is a visual contrast.
Catholic Charities Seeks to Reduce Poverty with New Scholarship Program
Provide Advanced Degree Opportunities for Residents in Wards 7 and 8 Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer As has been the case in years past, the next cohort of the Pope Francis Scholars Compass Program will have a chance to pursue a master’s degree in social work at The Catholic University of America while serving as interns in Catholic Charities’ COMPASS Program. Catholic Charities' COMPASS Program sets out to reduce poverty in Wards 7 and 8 by helping residents fulfill significant life goals. Some of the Pope Francis Scholars Compass Program interns who aided in this effort, including Joseph Garnett, have lived east of the Anacostia River for most of their lives. Years after completing the Pope
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Francis Scholars Program, Garnett said he wants to ensure that other residents of Wards 7 and 8 have an opportunity to learn about the program and apply. This month, he and his colleagues will spread the word to residents living in those communities. “As an intern, when you’re pursuing the degree, you’ll practice social work with the agency. It’s been great being in the community I serve and learning more about it though I have lived there for more than 30 years,” Garnett said. Garnett, who studied journalism at Ball State University, entered the Pope Francis Scholars Program in 2017 after stints in Texas and Seattle as a camp director and some experience as a second grade interventionist at Patterson Elementary School.
Upon his graduation from Catholic University two years later, Garnett received a master’s degree in social work along with experience as a COMPASS partner social worker. He and his colleagues in the program, then at its infancy, created and coordinated aspects that Ward 7 and 8 residents have come to enjoy. Garnett said future COMPASS partner social workers will have similar opportunities. “Part of Catholic Charities’ work is helping families develop skills [to go from] crisis to stability and growth,” said Garnett, who currently serves as a COMPASS community liaison. “This is a vision imagined by [Catholic Charities CEO] Father
CHARITIES Page 39
Dark eyed and dark haired, dressed in black and far less flashy than the heartthrob Jesus, Lopez-Cepero brings an impeccable voice and fully embodied the torn and confused disciple. Concerned with the mission, Judas can’t reconcile the teacher he follows with the superstar with fawning legions surrounding him. But with this cast, I believe it. LaVigne appears at ease with the crowds and comfortable with his disciples and even with the Pharisees and eventually the Roman leaders, Pilate and Herrod. He is the son of God. Others may call him the “King of the Jews” but he moves and sings with the confidence of one who knows his true mission. As essential to the performance cast is the choreography of Drew McOnie, whose frenzied and frantic, unceasing dancers tell the story of what’s happening whether as part of the mob of Jesus’s followers, or as small groups or individuals, experiencing the moment before the audience. Mob leader Sara Parker is a genuine treasure who dances the story’s opening and keeps dancing until the curtain comes down at the end of the performance. While diminutive in stature, she moves as the individual drops of a hurricane making landfall: as beautiful and precise as she can be hard and violent. McOnie’s skill at conveying grand themes and feeling through
his choreography are realized in Parker. Throughout the show, the dancers blind themselves with open palms and spread fingers as they either adore Jesus or condemn him. Meanwhile, their literal blind obedience echoes their emotional blindness and results in a touch of artistic mastery. Every performer in the cast is a standout. From Jenna Rubaii’s Mary Magdalene and Alvin Crawford’s Caiaphas and Tyce Green as Annas, there is no performer in this production who doesn’t absolutely nail their role. A special treat comes from the background singers who undulate in a sirens’ chorus and punctuate that while this is a religious play, they equally recognize that spectacle is a thing. Besides, this is a rock concert, remember? Paul Louis Lessard’s King Herod, gold resplendent with the eyelashes fit only for a drag queen, is camp personified! His over the top declarations to “Prove to me Christ, you’re the Great Jesus Christ!” are matched only by his wardrobe and the sheer cheek to pull off such a performance. There may be no more perfect time to point out the excesses of fame and notoriety than in this modern, social media time but this 50th anniversary tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar” drives home the spirit of the gospel more deftly than one might expect. WI
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CHARITIES from Page 38
Jones, who completed her undergraduate studies at Trinity Washington University in Northeast, said those experiences gave her intimate knowledge of Ward 8, the place she has called home for nearly 30 years. As a social worker, Jones works in Hendley Elementary School, among other schools, as part of an arrangement between Catholic Charities, D.C. Department of Behavioral Health and DC Public Schools. In that capacity, Jones said she often encounters young people still reeling from the effects of an extensive quarantine period. Since the school year started, she has worked closely with families to help students transition into a new paradigm. Though she admitted the work could be daunting at times, Jones said Catholic Charities continues to prepare her to effectively help her fellow Ward 8 residents. “The 17 years I put in before this process put me in a place to understand family dynamics,” Jones said as she reflected on the totality of her Catholic Charities experience.
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John Enzler to create a program with smaller caseloads and focus on individual-centered work while building long-lasting relationships,” he said. The Pope Francis Scholars Compass Program, open to all District residents, covers two years of tuition. Scholarship recipients must be accepted into Catholic University’s National Catholic School of Social Services and commit to pursue a social work master’s degree full time. On March 3, Catholic Charities will host a panel discussion featuring Black and brown male social workers. A week later, on March 10, prospective recipients can attend a virtual information session about the scholarship. These functions come at a time when, according to the National Association of Social Workers, less than 25 percent of new social workers identify as African American and 14 percent are Latino. In addition to meeting and closely working with Ward 7 and
8 residents, scholarship recipients have the opportunity to participate, alongside members and current COMPASS partners, in virtual monthly discussions called Compass Cafes. Each session allows them to engage in dialogue with COMPASS members and staff about community concerns, available resources and opportunities to learn various skills, including self-care techniques. Scholarship recipients also socialize as they learn clinical skills, create new programming and engage residents during community pop-ups and other functions. Catholic Charities employee Karen Jones credits the Pope Francis Compass Scholars Program with helping her see social work in a new light. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Jones graduated from Catholic University with a Master of Social Work degree. Before entering the scholarship program, she worked in the areas of advocacy, case management and program/community development while at Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative.
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LIFESTYLE
5 This photo, taken before the pandemic, includes a group of then-COMPASS interns alongside their program manager, Regena Humphries. Joseph Garnett (Back L – R), Regena Humphries, Karen Jones, Haley Drier, Edward Baffoe-Bonnie; Joseline Araujo (front L – R), Maureen Fitzpatrick (Photo Courtesy of Catholic Charities)
“We use evidence-based practices and [the leadership] is heavily engaged in giving us the most upto-date training and continuous support,” Jones said. “In the Compass program, even as alumni, we are always in touch and uplifting
each other, not just professionally, but personally. It was a big shift from the undergraduate experience [when] I didn’t have a cohort to support me.” WI @SamPKCollins
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LIFESTYLE Black History Month at the White House...
(Photos: Ja'Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)
HEART DISEASE from Page 21 Based on these audience insights, the campaign is centered on: empathy – acknowledging that barriers to heart-healthy habits are real and the audience is not alone in struggling to make changes; living – centering messages on how a heart-healthy lifestyle can improve a person’s quality of living, instead of emphasizing the threat of CVD and how it contributes to the risk
HISTORY from Page 35 Cleod Bethune. Located in Lincoln Park, 1301 East Capitol Street., S.E., this is the only memorial dedicated to a Black woman in any District public park. Bethune served in the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidential administration as the director of the Division of Negro Affairs for the National Youth Administration while resid-
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of dying; and small step solutions – highlighting a variety of paths and specific steps a person can take to lower their CVD risk, one step at a time. “It’s a heavy thought to know that heart disease impacts the Black community more than any other community, but knowing it is preventable gives me hope,” said DJ Jazzy Jeff. “If I can inspire people through music to move more as a way to improve their heart
health, I’m all in.” The campaign represents the latest to be released by the CDC Foundation’s Alliance for Million Hearts®, a public-private coalition to help fuel the Million Hearts® Initiative toward its goal of preventing one million heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events by 2027. To learn more, visit LivetoTheBeat.org. WI
ing in the District. *Juanita Thornton Library located at 7301 Georgia Ave., N.W. The library branch gets its name from Ward 4 civic activist Juanita Thornton. Thornton fought to get a library in her Shepherd Park neighborhood instead of another hamburger outlet. In 1990, the fruits of her labor paid off and the branch received approval from the city. Thornton died two months
after the branch opened in 1992. Grawl said Thornton’s struggle to get a library branch for her neighborhood reveals how hard Black women worked to get things done in the city. “Juanita Thornton really made an impact but she is an example of the hard work African American women performed to build this city,” Grawl said. WI @JamesWrightJr10
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MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 41
© 2022 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 38, No. 14
Although it began in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world. People with Irish heritage remind themselves of the beautiful green countryside of Ireland by wearing green and taking part in the festivities. Standards Link: Social Science: Students compare the beliefs, customs, traditions and social practices of various cultures.
In Ireland, clover leaves are also called shamrocks. Fields of clover or shamrocks are part of what make Ireland’s countryside so green. Most shamrocks have three leaves. But sometimes one grows with four leaves. This is called a lucky four-leaf clover. Can you find one on this page? Standards Link: Classification: Visual Discrimination.
Standards Link: Math: Measure the length of given objects.
Look for a pattern in each row. Draw the picture that comes next in the box at the end of each row.
Can you find the leprechaun twins? Careful—they’re tricky!
“St.” is an abbreviation for the word Saint. Clip six examples of abbreviations from the newspaper. Write the whole word for each abbreviation.
Standards Link: Social Science: Students compare beliefs of various cultures drawing from folklore.
S P P H Y S N S A K
K I N T S L E D C C
C R S Y E I E O A U I E G A T I R E H L
R V F D I M G I T S
T O R I A N F O U R
A L C H I K T S L D P C S E I R I A F D
Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.
Clip five words from the newspaper to describe St. Patrick’s Day. Paste the words on a green shamrock. Write a sentence using each adjective. Select your favorite sentence and use it as the main idea for a paragraph.
The leprechaun’s shoe shelf has toppled. Can you match the pairs of fairy shoes?
Standards Link: Math: Students identify, sort and classify objects.
H A L A C I G A M Y
Lucky Shamrock Adjectives
Standards Link: Math: Students identify and extend simple patterns.
Stories from Ireland tell about magical little people called leprechauns who make shoes for fairies. Fairies wear out their shoes quickly because they dance all night. Leprechauns sell a lot of shoes to fairies and the fairies always pay in gold. This is what the stories say. What do you think?
Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Students follow simple written directions.
SHAMROCK IRISH HERITAGE GREEN FAIRIES SHOES SAINT CLOVER GOLD MAGICAL LUCKY FOUR LEAF PATRICKS DAY
The leprechaun Seamus O’Scoop has hidden 10 shoes in these shamrocks. Can you find them all?
Can you read three shoe-lengths of news? Put your shoes end to end to measure three shoe lengths. Mark the length on a piece of paper. Now read a news story in today’s newspaper. Using your measure, find the length of your news story. Did you read the length of a leprechaun?
Color each shape with a shamrock green. What is hidden in this box?
Standards Link: Writing Conventions: Identify and correctly use abbreviations.
Standards Link: Grammar: Identify and use adjectives correctly in writing.
Four-leaf Clover I knew my luck would change when I picked up a four-leaf clover. Finish this story.
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42 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
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LIFESTYLE
wi book review
horoscopes
MAR 3 - 9, 2022
Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler By Ibi Zoboi
ARIES The stage is set for fantasies galore. You're happy to get swept away by whimsical, wild daydreams you are content to keep to yourself or share with a lover when the mood is right. Taking the initiative in your existing or a new relationship comes even more naturally than usual, and you'll have an easy time expressing your deepest emotions in a passionate, physical way. Lucky Numbers: 3,5,17,24,32,46
c.2022, Dutton Books for Young Readers $16.99 128 pages
TAURUS The desire to break free of your usual grind could be burning in your gut. It might be difficult not to daydream about traveling or taking a class to expand your skillset. Allow yourself the time to really key into your vision. One-on-one teamwork plus passion can lay the groundwork for an exciting win. Lucky Numbers: 1,17,21,30,36,45
Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Twinkle, twinkle, little... What? Natural elements, space dust, and turbulence that makes it all look sparkly? Or maybe other creatures, planets, or whole other worlds with new ideas and inventions? In the new book "Star Child" by Ibi Zoboi, you'll read about one author who came from stars, wondered what was beyond them, and dared to dream about it. Laurice James Butler and his wife, Octavia Margaret, tried and tried. Oh, how they tried to have a child together, but the stars weren't ready to let that happen. It took nearly sixteen years after they were married before the universe said they were ready, and little Octavia Estelle Butler was born in June of 1947. Just days later, a UFO crashed in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico; a year after that, the big bang theory was formulated. Three years after her birth, little "Junie" lost her father and from then on, she was raised by strong women: her grandmother, and her mother, who was "the greatest constant in her life." Her mother protected her, and Junie wasn't often allowed out of the house alone. Perhaps that was why she was a bit of a loner, preferring her books to almost anything else. Or she might have been an introverted child because she was very tall for her age, or because she was not a good student. Segregation might have had something to do with it, too. At any rate, she was quiet, observant, and bookish. At some point shedding the nickname, young Octavia began to devour books on horses and fairy tales, and she jotted down stories of her own that never ended. She wrote tales about traveling to Mars and exploring space. She created other worlds and universes that pleased her. She "copied boys' books" and the plots that she made into a book series later. At age thirteen, Octavia discovered an abandoned writer's magazine that someone had left on a bus seat. Curious, she read it all. It was then that she learned that it was possible to make money from the stories she told... In latter chapters of "Star Child," author Ibi Zoboi explains how she formed a friendship with Octavia Butler, and why she felt that she and the author were "kindred." It's a story that kids will love – what child hasn't dreamed of meeting the person who wrote their favorite tales? – and it absolutely adds to this book. What may fall flat, however, is its poetry. Zoboi says that Butler told her "Poetry simplifies" things but here, the "biographical speculative poems" seem to be too full of imagery to be helpful – particularly for kids on the lower end of the targeted age group for this book, some whom may not grasp the meanings of the fantasy-filled stanzas. Think twice, then, before handing this book to a kid ages 10-13 unless you intend to help them understand it. Older kids and adults will appreciate it more, especially if they're fans of poetry. For them alone, "Star Child" will shine. WI
GEMINI The cosmos amplifies an inclination to be playful, flirtatious, and spontaneous with your lover or a potential significant other. Your confidence is on fire, and you feel like you're glowing from the inside out. You'll be inspired to try a new workout routine or experiment in the kitchen. Even if you begin by taking a small step, you're right on track. Lucky Numbers: 2,9,14,23,38,47 CANCER If you've been dealing with a challenging situation in your relationship, consider having that tough heart-to-heart talk at the start of the week. You'll have the clear headedness and sensitivity to find common ground. Later, diving into a project that allows you to express yourself creatively can feel even more fulfilling. Lucky Numbers: 7,12,20,29,33,45 LEO Talking through concerns on the job with your colleagues and higher-ups comes naturally when the week begins. You'll be more willing than usual to take a microscope to challenging issues that arise on a regular basis and to solve problems alongside others. Together, you can land on a solid solution. Lucky Numbers: 5,13,27,33,38,42 VIRGO You might be surprised by how assertive and confident you are in all manner of conversations, from those that are professional to others that are intimate and personal. Take advantage of this by pitching that business proposal you've had on the back burner or talking to a romantic partner about the areas of your relationship that could use more reciprocity. Lucky Numbers: 9,16,21,30,42,47 LIBRA You might be feeling like sharing your most passionate desires in a far more direct way than usual early in the week. You're also more in touch with your feelings and sex drive than usual, so expressing how you feel with a special someone is sure to set off fireworks. Later, you'll be focused on setting bold financial goals. Lucky Numbers: 3,5,14,26,38,43 SCORPIO You have the power to make your mark in a major way with others, especially if you're in tune with your self-image. This is also a good time to express yourself openly. If you've been wanting to make the first move toward hitting a long-term professional goal or take your fitness routine up a notch, now is an amazing moment to get started. Lucky Numbers: 7,12,24,29,36,40 SAGITTARIUS You might be feeling like spending more time on your own, plotting out steps related to your professional track or other big-picture dreams. Tuning in to your intuition and trusting it to guide the way will allow you to make the most of this transit. Lucky Numbers: 5,11,13,29,33,47 CAPRICORN Spending more time with friends and colleagues can be inspiring and help you make significant progress on your goals. Don't be afraid to lean into opportunities to turn a solo project into a team one! Later, you might be feeling frustrated with higher-ups who seem to be hell-bent on standing in the way of your goals. Lucky Numbers: 8,12,16,20,34,43 AQUARIUS The cosmos bolsters your ability to tackle deep-rooted, psychological topics with your lover or someone else near and dear. Being unafraid to open up with one another can strengthen your bond. Later, you might find yourself strategizing a whole new approach to your big-picture professional aims. Lucky Numbers: 6,13,27,31,36,40 PISCES You want to see more of the world by traveling or even experience more of what your neighborhood has to offer (think visiting museum exhibits or taking classes at a meditation studio). Any opportunity to expand your mind and learn can have you feeling more fulfilled. Lucky Numbers: 8,11,20,32,40,47
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MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 43
SPORTS Lincoln University and Fayetteville State Capture CIAA Basketball Trophies
New Champions Emerge for Both Ladies’ and Men’s Teams in HBCU Classic Ed Hill WI Sports Writer Baltimore, MD – The CIAA Tournament represents the oldest basketball tournament among all HBCUs and one of the most established in all of college basketball. Over the years, it has provided several days of excitement and entertainment for generations of followers. Along the way, there have been loads of surprises and memories that continue to contribute to its rich legacy. This year's version lived up to its billing and when the smoke had cleared, the ladies of Lincoln Universi-
ty [LU] of Pennsylvania and the men’s team from Fayetteville State University [FSU] men emerged as the champions before an estimated crowd of 13,000 at Royal Farms Arena. The championship, held on Feb. 26, featured top-seeded Lincoln University (22-7), led by the scoring of CIAA Player of the Year, Bryanna Brown, who coasted to a 67-52 win over Elizabeth City State University [ECSU]. Brown led all scorers with 28 points. The win served as a bit of redemption for Lincoln who lost two years ago in the semifinals. "We felt like were just starring in a
SOCCER RETURNS!
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5 Fayetteville State (1) edged out Virginia Union (2) 65-62 to win its first CIAA basketball title since 1973. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
movie called ‘Unfinished Business,’” said Brown, who also grabbed six rebounds. "We had a wonderful cast and winning this year is a true blessing.” ECSU (21-7), the No. 2 seed, got off to an early, taking a seven-point lead. But Lincoln eventually responded with a scoring flurry that resulted in a 10-point lead just before halftime. ESCU closed the deficit to 44-40 at the end of the third period. Then Lincoln showed why it has become the league’s best team, closing out the game with a 23-12 run to win its first ever title. "We were a little bit flat at the start but that’s happened before. However, we were able to work our way through
that,” said LU Head Coach Janice Washington. “I was really proud of the way they closed out the game in the fourth quarter." ECSU, which awaits an NCAA Division 2 tournament bid, was led by junior forward Sirean Pitts (15 points) and senior guard Felicia Jackson (10 points, 5 assists). LU, who got 11 points and four assists from junior guard Jade Young, earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. On the men’s side, No. 1 Fayetteville State University edged out No. 2 Virginia Union, 65-62, to win its first CIAA basketball title since 1973. The Broncos and Panthers were tied at 33 going into halftime. On the men's side, the Fayetteville
D.C. United kicked-off the 2022 Major League Soccer regular season against Charlotte FC on Feb 26 at Audi Field. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)
State Broncos got balanced scoring from junior guard Jalen Seegars (15 points), senior center Darian Dixon (14) and junior guard Cress Worthy (13 points, six assists). The two teams split during the regular, each winning on its homecourt. And while Virginia Union held the edge, having won 18 previous titles, FSU entered the game with just one championship under its belt back in 1973. But for FSU (21-8), they may have wanted this win more than their opponent, after losing 63-62 in the 2020 title game. In that contest, FSU held an 11-poimt lead with less than four minutes to go. ""We took that one in 2020 hard so we knew this year we had to come in and win it,” said Head Coach Luke D'Alessio. "That helped us with our focus. The whole year we were locked in.” Virginia Union (23-7) kept the game close with outstanding performances from junior forward Robert Osborne who led all scorers with 25 and 10 rebounds and senior guard Tyrek Railey and graduate guard Jordan Peebles, who contributed 15 and 12, respectively. A veteran who has been around the block, D'Alessio, won a CIAA title at Bowie State. He said there was a method to his madness in his quest for victory. "I knew we had a good team this year – that’s why we scheduled some really tough teams early in the season. And it paid off,” he said. With the victory, FSU earned an automatic bed to the NCAA Division 2 tournament while VUU awaits an at-large bid. WI
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Swimming Safety
SPORTS
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. in partnership with USA Swimming hosted SWIM 1922, an adult water and swim safety program at Bowie State University’s Leonidas S. James Physical Education Complex on Feb. 26. The program was developed to increase swim participation and decrease drowning in minority communities across the country. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
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MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 45
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“It is time to protect bodily autonomy and ensure all people have access to abortion services. It is time to pass a comprehensive voting rights bill that rejects the voter suppression tactics of the far right,” Howell demanded. “Black women are even more determined to fight for our human and civil rights. We demand the right to exercise bodily autonomy, to have the resources to raise our families with dignity and to exercise our constitutional right to vote. And nothing will stop us.” Howell continued: “Black women are putting politicians on notice; we are holding them accountable to their oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution. It is not an easy task. We invite the country to stand and fight with us to defend human and civil rights. Join us in demanding that elected officials uphold and abide by the Constitution. We will not stop until America’s promise of liberty and justice for all is our lived reality.”
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON BIDEN’S ADDRESS
The Rev. John E. Richardson said he heard quite a bit from President Biden’s first State of the Union address such as raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, ensure children receive “in-person” instruction versus virtual learning and cut the cost of prescription drugs. Richardson said he appreciated the president mentioning Ketanji Brown Jackson as the person nominated to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. “She would be the first Black
(Courtesy photo)
woman to serve on the court in its 233-year history, if his nomination is confirmed,” said Richardson, who serves president of Coalition of Central Prince George’s County Community Organizations. “That means a lot, especially as we are celebrating Women’s History Month.” Sherman Hardy, an Air Force veteran from Clinton, said he heard the president talk about how the economy grew, but his remarks didn’t mention how African Americans are still struggling. “I want elected officials, especially the Democratic Party, to start addressing the fact of there are two types of economies and how Black people are increasingly left out and we need to do something about it to correct those mistakes,” said Hardy, a registered Democrat running for Prince George’s County executive. “It’s ok to say we have a problem and we can fix it. We just can’t keep ignoring it.” Hardy also noticed Biden didn’t
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LEAVE from Page 13 Committee sponsored by Sen. Antonio Hayes (D-Baltimore City). Hayes spoke about how he and other family members help care for his grandmother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. “No other family member should be put in that situation where they have to choose between their employment and taking care of a loved one, especially folks like my grandmother who’s nurtured me most of my life,” he said. Lisa Barkan of Towson in Baltimore County described how she accrued leave and her former coworkers donated their saved time off so
she could care for her ailing son. Barkan, a volunteer with Jews United for Justice, acknowledged she “was fortunate” to receive that benefit more than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, her son died at 2½ years old. Barkan and her husband, both lawyers, have a daughter, now 20, in college studying chemistry with plans to become a veterinarian. “You learn how to go on. If I didn’t have my daughter, I wouldn’t know if I could go on,” she told The Washington Informer. “Paid family leave is important so families can spend quality time with loved ones when they need to. It’s necessary.” WI @WJFjabariwill
mention about the negative impact of student loan debt. In an opinion piece published for Black Entertainment Television on Monday, Feb. 28, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson to end student loan debt. They wrote the median white borrowers of federal student loans will owe just 6% of their debt 20 years after staring college. In comparison, median Black borrowers will still owe 95% during that same timeframe. “This disparity is unacceptable. It is un-American and at the current rate, it is entirely unsustainable,” they wrote. Former Congresswoman Donna Edwards, who’s running again for Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, posted several tweets on her Twitter page during Biden’s speech. She said the president calling out the Russian oligarchs for its war against neighboring Ukraine, summarized his four-part unity agenda – combat opioids, mental health crisis, supporting veterans and beating cancer – and urged Congress to pass the Pro Act (Protecting the Right to Organize Act), which would allow workers to form unions and bargain for changes in the workplace. Edwards said the president gave remarks he would rarely say. “He challenged the policies of the former president’s administration focusing on tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%,” she said in interview. “In contrasting that with his desire to provide for tax fairness so that the corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share.” Staff Writer William J. Ford contributed to this story. WI
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
A Salute to Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design ast weekend I was invited to L attend the Michigan State Black Caucus Celebration and luncheon held in Detroit at the College of Creative Studies to attend their annual Black History Month Celebration. It was rather interesting to see how God moves in mysterious ways. This year’s celebration took place Feb. 25 at the College of Creative Studies in Detroit – a first after always being held at the rotunda of the state capitol in Lansing. The theme: “Honoring Our History Writing Our Stories.” Why am I sharing this story? My 79-year-old business and professional sorority was founded at Lewis College of Business, Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc. My connection to the college goes back to the early 1990s where I served as the college consultant, public relations and fundraiser, coordinating their annual celebration. Though I lived in the District, Detroit became my home away from home. Our sorority headquarters was once owned by music mogul, Berry Gordy and it’s located directly across the street from Hitsville, USA, the Motown Museum. The keynote speaker was Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, founder of Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design who served as my guest on The Lyndia Grant Show after the event. Dr. Edwards shared with listeners how he learned of Lewis College of Business, since he’s from Inglewood, California. He shared how one of his fellow alumnae and he were talking about HBCU’s and because the friend was from Detroit, he mentioned that Michigan’s only HBCU, Lewis College of Business, had been an institution in the City of Detroit for generations, but was now closed. Dr. Edwards then shared with
listeners how he stayed up all night long reading all about Dr. Violet T. Lewis, the founder of the college. He read so much exciting history that he was overwhelmed with a feeling of how to help get this college back up and running again. His goal is to tell the story of Dr. Violet T. Lewis so the world will know her tremendous history. Now, the only HBCU in the state of Michigan is back, under the name Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design. Students will be able to attain their business education under the umbrella of Lewis College of Business and those who are interested in the design program can take those courses as well. It is a marriage made in heaven and we salute Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, the family of Dr. Violet T. Lewis and the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus for an outstanding program for Black History Month. Special thanks to Dr. Violet Ponders, the last president of Lewis College of Business, was also on the program and a guest on my radio show along with Dr. Edwards. What a privilege and a pleasure to be in attendance to hear how this historical college will be holding its first class on May 2. Awards during the celebration included the following: Ken Coleman, an author and journalist who has a passion for chronicling Black life in Detroit.
He covers Southeast Michigan, economic justice and civil rights for Michigan Advance, a policy and politics news site. Rochelle Reilly received the Advocacy Award. In 2019, she ended a nearly 20-year career as an award-winning Detroit columnist to become the City of Detroit’s Director of Arts and Culture. She now guides the city’s investment in the creative economy and transformative innovation. The Michigan Chronicle was presented the Innovator Award, accepted by AJ Williams, managing editor of the Michigan Chronicle. AJ Williams is an author and media personality with experience in print, radio and television. She serves as the city and lifestyle editor as well as managing editor. The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History was founded in 1965 by Dr. Charles Howard Wright, a Detroit physician and civil rights activist. Its role as an international, Black museum remains to educate the public about the history and contribution of African Americans. The Museum was honored with the Legacy Award, accepted by the board chair, Eric Peterson. For more than half a century, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History has dedicated itself to exploring and celebrating the rich cultural legacy of African Americans. WI
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Adams Inspirational A.M.E. Church Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness / Senior Pastor Rev. Ali Gail Holness-Roland / Assistant & Youth Pastor 12801 Old Fort Road • Ft. Washington, MD 20744 Office (301) 292.6323 • FAX (301) 292.2164 Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:15 am Sunday Church School 11:00 am Youth Sunday every 4th Sunday Prayer Call @ Noon every Tuesday & Thursday 978.990.5166 code: 6166047# Virtual Bible Study Wednesday Facebook & Zoom 7:00 pm “A Growing Church for a Coming Christ” www.adamsinspirationalamec.org
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MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 47
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
Blessed Word of Life Church
Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Reverend William Young IV Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com
48 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org
Twelfth Street Christian Church Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion every Sunday: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 10:00 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 PM Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org / Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com
Mount Carmel Baptist Church
“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”
Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax
Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church / Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org / emailus@gmchc.org
Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM
Reverend John W. Davis Pastor 5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.) Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m. “A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
headline and photo for Mount Olivet LIF - MALCOLMXLutheran Church DAY John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423
1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005
themcbc.org
“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”
Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM
Crusader Baptist Church
Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com
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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com
Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion shall: Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, And Exalt our Savior. (Acts 2: 41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org
St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon
All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards
Israel Baptist Church
1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM
Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor
2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”
Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor
2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office / (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!
623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 / Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 / Fax (202) 483-4009
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor
Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor
1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org
5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42
New Commandment Baptist Church
Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor
Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor
8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240
13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM
Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM
Rehoboth Baptist Church
Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor
Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor
2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074
621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112
Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"
Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM
Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org
Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”
“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958
Shiloh Baptist Church
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class: 8:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM “The Loving Church of the living lord “
4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Christ Embassy DC
Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com
Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor
Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor
9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288
602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595
2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon
www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor
Email Address: admin@pbc712.org
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor
1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor
Motto: "Faith On The Hill"
Mount Moriah Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “
Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.
MARCH 3 - 9, 2022 49
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “ Terrell De Von Green© ”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ TERRELL DE VON GREEN© ”, corp.sole Dba.: “ TERRELL D GREEN© ”, having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Estados al-Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: “Terrell De Von Green©”, from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “ r'el yahuuda el©”. Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors de combat”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: STATE OF MARYLAND, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Division of Vital Records : State File Numbers: 1977 -22- 11549, & 1977 11549, “ TERRELL DE VON GREEN© ”, “TERRELL D GREEN© ”, “ TERRELL GREEN© ”, & “ GREEN, TERRELL DEVON ” and GREEN,TERRELL D is as a special deposit order conveyed to “ Freed Ruach Trust© ”. All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: “r'el yahuuda el©”, nom deguerre: “Terrell De Von Green©”, as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of: “Freed Ruach Trust©”, an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2022 ADM 00013
2021 ADM 001183
Levon H. Garabedian Decedent
Fred L. Simmons, Sr Decedent
Carolyn P. Vinson, Esq. Venable LLP 600 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC 20001 Attorney
Pro Se Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Dean V. Shahinian, whose address is 8909 Captains Row, Alexandria, VA 22308, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Levon H. Garabedian who died on May 17, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/17/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/17/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/17/2022 Dean V. Shahinian Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
50 MARCH 3 - 9, 2022
Probate Division
Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2022 ADM 000107 Estate of
Joseph L. Coleman NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Joseph Barrow for standard probate, including
the appointment of one or more personal representatives.
Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division
Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.
In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint a supervised personal representative
Date of first publication: 2/17/2022 Joseph Barrow
25 Van Buren Street, NW Washington, DC 20012 Petitioner/Attorney:
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens
Register of Wills Washington Informer
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 00481 Clarence J. Day Decedent Aimee D. Griffin, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Crystal Day, whose address is 9019 Elk Avenue, Upper Marlboro, Md 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Clarence J. Day who died on October 26, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/22/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/22/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/17/2022 Crystal Day Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Michele L. Simmons, whose address is 2628 Myrtle Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Fred L. Simmons, Sr. who died on 1/12/2021 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/17/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/17/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/17/2022 Michele L. Simmons Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: ‘‘Jesus Felipe Familia Lugo© ’’, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: ‘‘LUGO, FELIPE FAMILIA LUGO© ’’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘‘JESUS FELIPE FAMILIA LUGO© ’’, having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: ‘‘ Jesus Felipe Familia Lugo©’’, from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: ‘‘jesus felipe familia lugo© ’’. Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors de combat”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: STATE OF DOMINICANA – REPUBLICA DOMINICANA – JUNTA CENTRAL ELECTORAL, STATE FILE NUMBER : 191-01191, ‘‘ JESUS FELIPE FAMILIA LUGO© ’’, to the depositor: ‘‘ jesus felipe familia lugo© ’’, nom deguerre: ‘‘ Jesus Felipe Familia Lugo© ’’. All property , of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: ‘‘ jesus felipe familia lugo© ’’, nom deguerre: ‘‘Jesus Felipe Familia Lugo© ’’, as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : ‘‘Jesus Felipe Familia Lugo Trust© ’’, an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank , nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction.
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2021 ADM 001541
2021 ADM 000379
Harold Smith Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tianna Marrow, whose address is 1403 Congress Pl, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Harold Smith who died on December 4, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/17/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/17/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Leonard L. Ledbetter aka Leonard L. Ledbetter Sr. aka Leonard Lenard Ledbetter Sr. Decedent Ronald Dixon Bynum & Jenkins 1010 Cameron St., Alexandria VA 22314 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Tianna Marrow Personal Representative
Ronald Dixon, whose address is Bynum & Jenkins 1010 Cameron St. Alex. VA 22314, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Leonard L. Ledbetter aka Leonard L. Ledbetter Sr. aka Leonard Lenard Ledbetter Sr. who died on 10/23/2018 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/17/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/17/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
TRUE TEST COPY
Date of first publication: 2/17/2022 Ronald Dixon Personal Representative
Date of first publication: 2/17/2022
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2022 ADM 000095
2021 ADM 000890
J. H. Michael aka John H. Michael aka John Henry Michael Decedent Attorney Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Rd. Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ludmila Michael, whose address is 1810 24th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of J. H. Michael aka John H. Michael aka John Henry Michael who died on 9/20/2021 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/24/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/24/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/24/2022 Ludmila Michael Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Helen Branada Britt Decedent Samuel C. Hamilton, Esq. 8601 Georgia Ave. #503 Silver Spring MD 20910 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Samuel C. Hamilton, Esq. & Carlos Lopez, Esq., whose addresses are 8601 Georgia Ave. Silver Spring MD 20910, was appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Helen Branada who died on 8/25/2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/24/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/24/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/24/2022 Samuel C. Hamilton, Esq. Carlos Lopez, Esq. Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Washington Informer
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2021 ADM 001446
2022 ADM 000045
2022 ADM 000034
Dorothy Hooper Decedent
William Ellsworth Reid, Jr. Decedent
Esther Swinson Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 1825 K Street NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney
Matthew F. Shannon, Esq. 1420 N Street, NW #203 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Rohulamin Quander and Amos Stanford, whose addresses are 1703 Lawrence St., NE, Washington, DC 20018 and 6341 Golden Star Pl., Columbia, Md 21044, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of William Ellsworth Reid, Jr. who died on 11/23/2021 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/24/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/24/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Valerie Swinson-Condell, whose address is 9918 Indian Queen Point Rd., Fort Washington, MD 20744, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Esther Swinson who died on November 1, 2021 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/24/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 2/24/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Cathey Chamber, whose address is 125 Gerard Drive, Glen Burnie MD 21060, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Dorothy Hooper who died on August 15, 2021 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/24/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/24/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/24/2022 Cathey Chamber Personal Representative
Date of first publication: 2/24/2022
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Rohulamin Quander Amos Stanford Personal Representative
Washington Informer
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Date of first publication: 2/24/2022 Valerie Swinson-Condell Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “ Thurston Battles© ”, aka, “ Thurston Rafeeq Bilal© ”, “ Thurston Bilal© ”, and any and all derivatives, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ BATTLES, THURSTON© ”, corp.sole Dba.: “ THURSTON BATTLES©” , “ THURSTON RAFEEQ BILAL© ”, “ THURSTON BILAL© ”, “ THURSTON R BILAL© ”, “ THURSTON BILAL EL© ”, and any and all derivatives, having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, and the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Estados al-Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: “ Thurston Battles© ”, [ any and all derivatives ], from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " thurston rafeeq bilal el© ”. Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “ hors de combat ”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, “ Health, Ohio Department of ”, DBA: STATE OF OHIO : STATE FILE NUMBERS: 134, &, 53 182581, “ THURSTON BATTLES© ”, and all derivatives, is as a special deposit order conveyed to " Healing Love Trust© ”. All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " thurston rafeeq bilal el© ”, nom deguerre: “ Thurston Battles© ”, as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : “ Healing Love Trust© ”, an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee /debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo Volente. Notice of Reference: 0112358-13
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance: I am that I am: " Bernita Marie Jeanette Banks© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ ", corp.sole Dba.: "BERNITA M.J BANKS;BERNITA MJ BANKS; B.M.J. BANKS; BMJ BANKS;B. BANKS;BANKS, B;BERNITA BANKS;BANKS, BERNITA; BANKS, BERNITA MARIE JEANETTE; BANKS, BERNITA JEANETT MARIE;BERNITA MARIE BANKS;BERNITA M BANKS; BERNITA M. BANKS; BANKS, BERNITA M.J ;BANKS, JM BERNITA; BANKS, J.M BERNITA; BERNITA MJB; BERNITA M,J.B ;BMJB; BJMB;BERNITA JEANETTE BANKS;BERNITA J.M BANKS;BANKS, MARIE JEANETTE BERNITA;BANKS, MJ BERNITA; BANKS, JM BERNITA;BANKS, J.M BERNITA©", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Estados alMarikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the United States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Bernita Marie Jeanette Banks© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " zola el bey© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: Illinois Department of Public Health: 112-79-6030007, :BERNITA M.J BANKS;BERNITA MJ BANKS; B.M.J. BANKS; BMJ BANKS;B. BANKS;BANKS, B;BERNITA BANKS;BANKS, BERNITA; BANKS, BERNITA MARIE JEANETTE; BANKS, BERNITA JEANETT MARIE;BERNITA MARIE BANKS;BERNITA M BANKS; BERNITA M. BANKS; BANKS, BERNITA M.J ;BANKS, JM BERNITA; BANKS, J.M BERNITA; BERNITA MJB; BERNITA M,J.B ;BMJB; BJMB;BERNITA JEANETTE BANKS;BERNITA J.M BANKS;BANKS, MARIE JEANETTE BERNITA;BANKS, MJ BERNITA; BANKS, JM BERNITA;BANKS, J.M BERNITA©",, is as a special deposit order, conveyed to " Suna Star Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " zola el bey© ", nom deguerre: " Bernita Marie Jeanette Banks© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of: " Suna Star Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Any and All Attorneys with a License from the BAR Association are explicitly prohibited from administering " Suna Star Trust© ", property without handwritten consent from each and every trustee, after said Attorneys have furnished their nationality, and Principal for whom’s interest they are working, pursuant to [Public Law 75-583], to Trustees in plain writing. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance: I am that I am: "Devin Dante Adam Dillard© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue Devin Dante Adam Dillard, the beneficiary and heir of: “ ", corp.sole Dba.: "DEVIN DA DILLARD; DEVIN D ADAM DILLARD; DEVIN DANTE A DILLARD; DEVIN D. ADAM DILLARD; DEVIN DANTE A. DILLARD; DEVIN D.A. DILLARD; D.D.A. DILLARD; DDA DILLARD; D. DILLARD; D DILLARD; DEVIN DILLARD; DILLARD, DEVIN; DEVIN D. DILLARD; DEVIN D DILLARD; DILLARD, DEVIN DANTE ADAM; DILLARD, DEVIN DA; DILLARD, DEVIN D.A.; DDAD; D.D.A.D; DDD; DD; D.D.D; D.D © ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Estados alMarikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Devin Dante Adam Dillard© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " chief minister aahil star© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: Arkansas Department of Public Health: 2968701, : " DEVIN DA DILLARD; DEVIN D ADAM DILLARD; DEVIN DANTE A DILLARD; DEVIN D. ADAM DILLARD; DEVIN DANTE A. DILLARD; DEVIN D.A. DILLARD; D.D.A. DILLARD; DDA DILLARD; D. DILLARD; D DILLARD; DEVIN DILLARD; DILLARD, DEVIN; DEVIN D. DILLARD; DEVIN D DILLARD; DILLARD, DEVIN DANTE ADAM; DILLARD, DEVIN DA; DILLARD, DEVIN D.A.; DDAD; D.D.A.D; DDD; DD; D.D.D; D.D© ", is as a special deposit order, conveyed to " Jasir’s Crown Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " chief minister aahil star© ", nom deguerre: " Devin Dante Adam Dillard© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of: " Jasir’s Crown Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Any and All Attorneys with a License from the BAR Association are explicitly prohibited from administering " Jasir’s Crown Trust© ", property without handwritten consent from each and every trustee, after said Attorneys have furnished their nationality, and Principal for whom’s interest they are working, pursuant to [Public Law 75-583], to Trustees in plain writing. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
2022 ADM 000093 Elsie V. Spencer aka Elsie Vivian Spencer Decedent Law Office of Robert P. Newman Robert P. Newman, Esq. 801 Wayne Avenue, Suite 400 Silver Spring, Md 20910 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sheila Feaster, whose address is 526 21st Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Elsie V. Spencer aka Elsie Vivian Spencer who died on August 4, 2021 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 9/3/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 9/3/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 3/3/2022 Sheila Feaster Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 22022 ADM 119 LaVerne Martin Toler aka LaVerne Arnetta Toler Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Braxton Leon Toler Jr., whose address is 7489 7th St., NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of LaVerne Martin Toler aka LaVerne Arnetta Toler who died on November 15, 2021 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 9/3/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 9/3/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 3/3/2022 Braxton Leon Toler Jr. Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “Aviyah Baht Israel© ", f.k.a. “ Angie Lashanda Tatum© ”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ TATUM, ANGIE LASHANDA© ”, corp.sole Dba.: “ ANGIE LASHANDA TATUM© ”, Dba.: “ ANGIE L TATUM© ”, and “ ISRAEL, AVIYAH BAHT© ”, corp.sole Dba.: “ AVIYAH BAHT ISRAEL© ”, Dba.: “ AVIYAH B ISRAEL© ”. I am that I am, appearing specially as the natural clan mother of, “ Hannah Marie Israel©,” and the Entitlement Holder, and Guardian of: “ ISRAEL, HANNAH MARIE© ”, corp sole. Dba: “ HANNAH MARIE ISRAEL© ”, Dba.: “ HANNAH M ISREAL© ”, as well as the natural clan mother of , “Lorie’L Israel©”, and the Entitlement Holder, and Guardian of: “ ISRAEL, LORIE’L© ”, corp sole. Dba: “ LORIE’L ISRAEL© ”. Having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare our tribal intention to be as our pedigree subscribes, as: Moorish Americans, but not citizens of the United States. We declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Estados alMarikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim our nationality in good faith as: Moorish Americans. I am that I am: “Aviyah Baht Israel© ”, from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “ zahra el bey© ”. “ Hannah Marie Israel©”, from this day forward, in harmony with our Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “ yasmina el bey© ”. “Lorie’L Israel© ”, from this day forward, in harmony with our Nationality /Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “ safina el bey© ”. Any and all facts contained in this publication, are fully applicable to any and all private tribal issue offspring of the affirmant, nunc pro tunc, not limited to but including: 1.“yasmina el bey©”, formerly known as: “Hannah Marie Israel©”, the beneficiary and heir of: ISRAEL, HANNAH MARIE©, corp sole. Dba: HANNAH MARIE ISRAEL©, and 2. “safina el bey©, formerly known as: Lorie’L Israel©” the beneficiary and heir of: “ ISRAEL, LOREI’L© ”, corp sole. Dba: “ LORIE’L ISRAEL© ”, ect.. Notice of Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re:[1] “ TATUM, ANGIE LASHANDA© ”, [2] “ ANGIE LASHANDA TATUM© ”, [3] “ ANGIE L TATUM© ”, [4] “ ISRAEL, AVIYAH BAHT© ”, [5] “ AVIYAH BAHT ISRAEL© ”, [6] “ AVIYAH B ISRAEL© ”, [7] “ ISRAEL, HANNAH MARIE© ”, [8] “ HANNAH MARIE ISRAEL© ”, [9] HANNAH M ISRAEL©”, [10] “ ISRAEL, LORIE’L© ”, [11] “ LORIE’L ISRAEL© ”. Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH- The State Office Of Vital Records- THE STATE FILE NUMBER(S): [1] 2019GA000091579, “HANNAH MARIE ISRAEL©”, [2] 2021GA000045597, “LORIE’L ISRAEL©”, &, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF ALAMEDA- The State Office Of Vital Records- STATE FILE NUMBER: [3] 81E074665, LOCAL REGISTRATION DISTRICT AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER: 601504023, “ANGIE LASHANDA TATUM© ”, is as a special deposit order, conveyed to “ Obaavihanlor Trust© ”. All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Guardian / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " zahra el bey© ", nom deguerre: “ Aviyah Baht Israel© ”, formerly, “ Angie Lashanda Tatum© ”, as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : “ Obaavihanlor Trust© ”, an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
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RACIST from Page 17 tice routinely weigh unfavorably heavy against African Americans. “This is how white supremacy works,” said Dr. Breea C. Willingham, associate professor of Criminal Justice at the State University of New York Plattsburg. “White supremacy will make statements like this and backtrack and say they didn’t do anything wrong when history dictates that a white women often weaponize themselves or are weaponized against Black men,” Willingham said. She noted that Spitzer also recounted to his colleagues that he knew Black men in college who dated white women to gain advantages. “When he says he knows somebody who used white women to their advantage or dated white women to their advantage, what does he mean? How is it important to this case? When Todd Spitzer says this, it makes no sense – only in the context that this is how white supremacy works,” Willingham asserted. Attorney Robert Tarver of the Tarver Law Firm in New Jersey said he’d handled many death
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penalty cases before capital punishment would be outlawed in the Garden State. He said Spitzer’s comments, while disturbing on many levels, do not surprise him. Still, he said knowledge of those comments certainly should affect sentencing in the case Spitzer oversaw. “All of the actions of prosecutors are strictly scrutinized when it comes to taking someone’s life. These statements will become part of the official record and race and white women had nothing to do with the underlying case and determining whether this man should lose his life,” Tarver stated. “What you see here are outside influences coming into making decisions that should invalidate any determination as to whether the death penalty stands. This district attorney said what he thinks in the recesses of his mind and what many of them think in the recesses of their minds.” “This is what you hear on the record but you don’t hear the real mental process, the racist process, that goes on in the minds of people making those decisions. That’s what should trouble us,” Tarver said. WI
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MALVEAUX from Page 30 some urban areas are up by more than 20 percent. Meat prices have increased by a third in the past year. The average price of pumped gas is up by a third, and in California, it is common to see prices veering toward $6 a gallon. And please don't try to buy a car right now, as both new and used car prices are rising. It is part of the Fed's job to contain inflation and set interest rates. In weeks, they will likely increase interest rates. Will it make a difference if a Black woman is on the Fed? I think so. Even though Lisa Cook's work focuses on inter-
JEALOUS from Page 30 ty of all people who appear in her courtroom. In one notable instance, Judge Jackson heard the case of a deaf man who was incarcerated and denied even basic accommodations for his disability. Without an ASL interpreter, he could not understand directions. Another prisoner attacked him and he was put in “protective custody” that turned out to be solitary confinement -- a decision he was unable to understand. Judge Jackson ruled that the correctional facility had broken the law. Not only that, she wrote pointedly
MORIAL from Page 30 conducting a similar sham interview in 2019 – has brought to a head the League’s shameful history of racial discrimination and persistent indifference to diversity, equity and inclusion. Civil rights leaders, including myself, met Monday with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, challenging the league to establish specific recruiting and hiring procedures for executive and coaching positions, with meaningful consequences for teams that do not abide by the rules. We agreed to continue collaborating and advising the league to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion at every level of the NFL and its member teams. The lawsuit cites some appalling statistics. While 70% of NFL players are Black, not one of its 32 team owners is Black. The only team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, employs a Black head coach. Only four teams employ a Black offensive coordinator – a position generally regarded as a stepping stone to head coach. Only 11 teams
national banking, she is acutely aware of the uneven impacts of banking policy on the underserved, which includes Black folk. Inflation hits everyone, but those with little disposable income are hit hardest. If chicken breasts cost $3 a pound instead of $2.50, that's not a big deal to a six-figure earner. It hits hard, though, to someone scraping to make ends meet. Cook can bring some of that perspective to Fed deliberations. In addition to being a solid economist, Lisa Cook is also a champion for diversity and a role model for many young women. She has actively encouraged young Black women to consider
the economics profession, which is essential when we realize how scarce Black women are in that field. Lisa Cook would enrich the Fed. The Senate needs to confirm her. Lisa Cook stands on the shoulders of giants like Brimmer, Rice, and Ferguson. It is galling that an institution that is more than a century old is just getting around to including Black women. It is galling that "qualified" used to be a synonym for white and male. And yet, it is encouraging that the glass ceiling is cracking slowly and that Lisa Cook, whether confirmed or not, has made Black history. WI
and movingly about the significance of laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities. As she put it, “an entity that provides services to the public cannot stand idly by while people with disabilities attempt to utilize programs and services designed for the able-bodied.” That is a moral truth. And of course, Judge Jackson’s own lived experience as a Black woman enriches her perspective about so many aspects of day-today life in the United States. This is a perspective that has never, ever existed on the Court, in all its 233 years. This perspective is urgently need-
ed now for many reasons, not least of which is because we have reached a point in our history when racial equity and civil rights are facing more attacks than they have in decades. Just as Justice Thurgood Marshall was a justice for his time, joining the Supreme Court at the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, Judge Jackson is needed now. There could be no better time for the voice of a brilliant and insightful Black woman on the Court, holding the line for truth and accountability. That woman is future Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson. It’s time. WI
employ a Black defensive coordinator. As Flores' lawsuit alleges, this is not by chance. A 2016 study of the NFL found that white assistant coaches were 114% more likely to get promoted to the coordinator position than coaches of color with the same experience, education, and track record. The study found that it takes nine years before a white coach has a greater than 50 percent chance of becoming a coordinator, compared with 14 years for a nonwhite coach. The authors estimated that over a 20-year career, a white coach is likely to earn over $20 million more than his nonwhite counterpart. These challenges are not insurmountable. Consider the success of a memorandum of understanding that telecom giant Comcast signed with the National Urban League and other civil rights organizations in 2010. Among other provisions, the memorandum committed Comcast to establish specific, measurable goals for diversity and inclusion in corporate governance, workforce retention and recruitment, procurement, program-
ming, along with philanthropy and community investments. According to Comcast’s most recent report, people of color make up 44.3% of its workforce, 18.8% of whom are Black. As part of its effort to increase diversity among top executives, the company established a boot camp for mid-level vice president candidates, including no less than 80% diverse candidates. More than 22% of positions of vice president and above now are filled by people of color, and the company has committed to a goal of 33% people of color at every level of its workforce. There’s no reason the NFL can’t replicate this success. It simply requires a sincere commitment on the part of the owners and league executives. As Flores’ legal team has said, his lawsuit presents the NFL with an “opportunity to engage in substantive change.” The National Urban League and our sister civil rights groups will do everything in our power to make sure that opportunity is not squandered. WI
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As we seek solutions to the rise in crime and violence and a path toward healing and restorative justice, we cannot afford to repeat past mistakes. At a recent community event, I listened to young people–including Kendrick Richardson, who was interviewed by Sam Collins in a February 2 Informer article–speak on this. It is clear what youth want: safe spaces in their neighborhoods where they can go when they're not in school, jobs so they can be independent or help support their families, the chance to discover what they're interested in and good at so they can plan for adulthood, and for adults in power to listen to
WILLIAMS from Page 31 you offer any form of encouragement? Yes, we must pray for the people of Ukraine, but those who survive will need more than prayer. Sadly, if present behavior foreshadows future conduct, our treatment of Afghan refugees gives reason for serious introspection and reflection. Years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” If you are serious about combating the animosity and hatred engendered by Putin’s
BLAYTON from Page 31 fragments of charred bone. When Newsom’s family became aware of his disappearance, they instituted a search and discovered ashes that Celia had scattered along the path leading from her cabin to the stables. After intense questioning and threats by members of the family, Celia confessed to the killing and was arrested. The record of the trial in the Callaway County court is evidence of the inhumane way enslavers denied justice to the enslaved. Celia was not allowed to testify in court. Instead, the court appointed two investigators to take her statement and present it to the court through their testimony. At the time of Celia’s trial, Missouri law forbade anyone “to take any woman unlawfully against her will and by force, menace or duress, compel her to be defiled.” However, the presiding judge, William Augustus Hall, refused to instruct the jury that the enslaved Celia fell within
them. Children and youth need us to help them access these resources, and we must step up. When programs that offer jobs, out-of-school time activities, and mental health services are offered in communities, crime goes down. Investing in youth throughout their lives is far better for a community than locking them up longer. It's also important to remember the disproportionate effects of incarceration on the Black community. As of 2019, Black District youth under age 21 were more than 10 times as likely as their white counterparts to be in juvenile detention, correctional, or residential facilities. What's the point of proclaiming that Black Lives Matter in the District with a permanent installation
on a plaza if we promote policies that devalue and discard Black lives instead of strengthening them, supporting them, and lifting them up. Advancing an anti-racist agenda requires more than words. It takes action–ensuring school re-engagement, safe and engaging out-ofschool time opportunities, mental health services, jobs, diversion, and restorative justice programs to our youth. A strong, just, and equitable District of Columbia depends on lawmakers who will take responsibility for the policies and actions that have disinvested in and overlooked young people and instead work with them to create a system that cultivates positive growth and opportunity. WI
war, you must be equally committed to fighting the racial and cultural animus that lives in the DNA of our nation. If you love peace and justice and find this cruel Russian invasion antithetical to everything you believe, you must commit to fighting the injustice of Putin’s war AND the injustice that lives on the highways and byways of this nation. Putin's ruthlessness remains a threat to the peace and security of the world. If it happens in Ukraine, it can happen anywhere else that such ruthlessness is allowed to thrive. Trump, Pompeo, Bannon, and others of that ilk praise Putin’s
thuggery while criticizing the honest efforts of President Joe Biden to salvage Democracy from those who would cast it aside for personal gain and profit. Their threat to peace and security is as great as Putin’s. Given these facts, if we require guidance to plot a proper course of action, we are as lost as Putin. (H.E. Ambassador Rev. Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is Co-National President of the National Congress of Black Women; United Nations Peace Ambassador, President of the Dick Gregory Society and Host of “Wake Up Stay Woke” on WPFW-FM 89.3 radio.) WI
the meaning of “any woman,” which prevented the jury from considering Celia’s killing of Newsom as a justifiable act of self-defense. In most of the antebellum slave states, sexual assault of an enslaved woman was considered a trespass, and owners could not be accused of trespass on their own property. Celia was sentenced to death by hanging on Nov. 16, 1855. The execution date was set to allow for the birth of Celia’s third child by Newsom. Under Missouri law, a pregnant woman could not be executed until after the birth of the baby. Court records indicate she delivered a stillborn baby while in custody. While Celia was not afforded the protection of the law so she could defend herself from rape, she was considered a woman when she was carrying a valuable unborn baby to be enslaved. Celia managed to escape from jail before the November execution date but she was captured and she was hanged on Dec. 21.
We should remember Celia to honor her as someone who was denied justice in so many ways during her short life. But we should also remember her trial as representative of the American judicial system. Contrary to the mythical narrative, laws are not neutral. They are created by certain individuals within a community to establish and maintain a particular public order. And that public order is most often designed to serve those who make the laws and those voters who put the lawmakers in power. The enslaved like Celia had no vote in 1855 Missouri and what was considered justice was delivered to Celia at the end of a rope. Who knows what type of justice will be delivered to marginalized Americans if we allow the vote to be taken away from us? For this reason, we must struggle with all our might to protect the votes of people of color, poor people, members of the LGBTQ community and other marginalized peoples. WI
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