The Washington Informer - April 13, 2023

Celebrating

Educators Mull How to Convey Significance of D.C. Emancipation Day

By Sam P.K. Collins and Brenda Siler WI Staff Writer and WI Contributing Writer

April 16 marks 161 years since Congress passed the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed enslaved African Americans living in the District and compensated slave owners for each freeperson.

Those freed because of the legislation would later become known as the “First Freed,” a designation that not only hinted at the District’s political significance, but the prestige of Black people who lived and worked in the nation’s capital.

Jowers-Barber, are concerned about the cultural and historical importance of D.C. Emancipation Day being lost on District residents, particularly the youth and transients.

In the 2000s, Jowers-Barber attended Howard University (HU) with Dr. Elizabeth Clark-Lewis, her colleague and dissertation committee chair who wrote “First Freed,” a collection of essays highlighting the significance of D.C. Emancipation Day. She acknowledged Clark-Lewis, who’s currently a professor of history at HU and director of the school’s public history program, as one of the foremost scholars on D.C. Emancipation Day.

5 The Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy marches down Pennsylvania Avenue during the Emancipation Day Parade in D.C. on April 16, 2016. (WI File Photo/Patricia Little)

In the Face of U.S. Gun Crisis, Tennessee GOP Uses Race to Push Agenda

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The re-seating by the Nashville Metropolitan Council of Tennessee Democratic State Rep. Justin Jones revealed the political chasm between Republicans and Democrats and a widening rift over gun control in the United States.

5 After being expelled for their support of gun control, Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones (D) was reinstated and Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson (D) is expected to be reinstated later this week. Jones was reinstated in Tennessee, the same day a mass shooting occurred at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, claiming six lives. (Courtesy Photo)

That’s why, as District residents, old and new, gear up for another citywide celebration, some people, like Dr. Sandra

After Passage of Street

Vending Legislation, Veteran Street Vendors Look Forward

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

Local street vendors celebrated a victory last week with the passage of the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act, which decriminalizes street vending, sets up vending zones and spaces and streamlines a licensing process that had been criticized as expensive and complicated.

This milestone had been a major relief for many vendors, including Northwest resident and returning citizen Chuck Bradley who recounted often struggling to avoid police officers who’d shut down his operations and confiscate his wares.

For more than 20 years, Bradley has posted up along 14th Street in Columbia Heights to sell artwork, clothes,

Jowers-Barber also credited Loretta Car-

EMANCIPATION Page 48

5 District couple Shaun Stepney and Sunni Stuart, owners of Sunni Teez Kitchen, counted among those who celebrated the passage of the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act on April 4, 2023 at the John A. Wilson Building in Northwest. (Courtesy Photo)

Celebrating 58 years. Your credible and trusted source for Black news and information.

VENDORS Page 48

EMANCIPATION DAY 2023

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2023 RAMMY’s Nominees Announced at Food, Spirits, Fun-Filled Event

The 2023 RAMMY’s Nominations event at Hamilton Live DC on 14th Street NW, had an abundance of craft cocktails, exquisite nibbles to taste, wine, spirits and beverages to sip, and bites such as spicy tuna on cucumber and crab cakes— a show-stopping crowd favorite— circulating the room. With the sounds of DJ 100 pinning hot dance tracks and the celebratory vibe as nominees were announced by NBC Washington anchor Jummy Olabanji, the nominations event was a perfect preview to what’s in store for the 41st RAMMY Awards Gala.

“Mark your calendars for the RAMMY Awards Gala, which returns on Sunday, July 9,” said Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW). “We’ll recognize all of you, our region’s incredible restaurant and food service industry at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center with our partners at Events DC.”

Voting for public categories opened today and can be submitted on the NBC Washington website until May 31.

With many of their food and drinks offered around the room, nominees for New Restaurant of the Year include: Barry Ivy,

Causa | Amazonia, Nama Ko, Opal and Rania and Cocktail Program of the year nominees are: Jane Jane, Salt, Service Bar, Silver Lyan, and The Green Zone.

“I want to thank some of the 2023 finalists for New Restaurant of the Year and Cocktail Program of the Year, who are sampling bites, spirits and cocktails and other delicious things here tonight,” Townsend said. For the full list of nominees visit: www.ramw.org. Read the full story on www.washingtoninformer.com. WI

Despite Controversy LSU Will Accept White House Invitation

Louisiana State University’s (LSU) Angel Reese’s celebratory NCAA tournament post-game gesture and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s invitation to both the winning team and runners up has sparked a conversation about double standards. \

As the final seconds ticked off the clock in LSU’s dominating 102-85 victory over Iowa, Reese waved her hand in front of her face, stared at Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, and pointed towards her ring finger.

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PUBLISHER

Denise Rolark Barnes

STAFF

Micha Green, Managing Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/Marketing Director

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Lafayette Barnes, IV, Editor, WI Bridge DC

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Angie Johnson, Office Mgr./Circulation

REPORTERS

Kayla Benjamin, (Environmental Justice Reporter) Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Curtis Knowles, Brenda Siler, Lindiwe Vilakazi, Sarafina Wright, James Wright

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor, Roy Lewis, Jr., Robert R. Roberts, Anthony Tilghman, Abdula Konte, Ja'Mon Jackson

Reese made it clear; she was the one going home with the championship ring.

For all the trash-talking and lack of sportsmanship on Clark’s part, Reese received the backlash from commentators including longtime sportscaster and former MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann.

Olbermann called Reese a “f-ing idiot,” while others called her a hoodrat.

The response was telling.

Then, after the win and Reese’s highly debated gesture, the first lady alluded that both LSU and Iowa should get an invite to the White House– an invitation generally limited to the winning team.

“I know we'll have the champions come to the White House; we always do. So, we hope LSU will come,’" the First lady said, according to NPR. "But, you know, I'm going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come too, because they played such a good game."

In this case, the focus was on double standards, as historically solely winners come, but when the victorious team was predominantly Black, the First Lady extended an invitation to both.

While Reese first claimed she and the team would not accept Biden’s invitation, LSU and the basketball star have since said they would certainly accept an opportunity to attend the White House. WI

Families That File Taxes Can Earn a Basic Monthly Income

With the tax filing deadline soon approaching, D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) is reminding D.C. residents, especially those with children and an annual household income below $60,000, to file their taxes. Doing so automatically enrolls them in the District’s monthly basic income program, through which they can receive monthly checks between $50 and $250.

In 2021, the D.C. Council approved Allen, Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (D) and Ward 4 D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George’s (D) Homes and Hearts Amendment Act, which establishes the D.C.’s monthly basic income program. This year, the District dedicated $30 million toward this endeavor. That means that low-income families who file taxes and receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can earn between $50 and $250 extra in monthly payments.

In a few years, the District’s matching funds will grow to $50 million, or up to $500 per month for each qualifying household. Earlier this year, the D.C. Office of the Chief Financial Officer estimated that nearly 35,000 D.C. households that already benefit from the EITC stand to receive the monthly basic income program -- if they file taxes on or before April 18.

With the federal government having recently brought Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allocations back to pre-pandemic levels, this program starts just in time for some families

“This has the potential to be one of the most important policies to go into effect in years in the District,” Allen said. “This isn’t a pilot program or an experiment. We know providing extra funds to families who have desperately few resources can have enormous benefits for everyone.” WI

In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark

5 The Nama Ko table featuring the Sake Blossom cocktail and nibbles. (Micha Green/ The Washington Informer)

DMV’s Music Scene Gets Litty, Celebrating Legends, Rising Stars

By WI Bridge Staff

The 35th Annual Wammie Music Awards, presented by The MusicianShip, just wrapped up, and let us tell you, it was straight fire! “The Hitmakers Ball” went down on April 1st at Capital Turnaround, with WUSA 9’s Allison Seymour and Darren Haynes hosting the lit event. The 900-seat venue was completely sold out and buzzin’ with excitement as the DMV’s music scene came together to celebrate the Wammie Winners and flex their fits on the red carpet.

The @wammiesdc socials were poppin’ with tags and posts of everyone flexin’ their drip and showing love to the winners. The DMV music fam played a major role in deciding the Wammie winners, with over 1,000 public nominations and around 20,000 votes. The top 5 most nominated awards included Best Music Video, Best Hip-Hop Song, Best Pop Song, Best R&B/Soul Song, and Best Rap Song. In total, 51 Wammie Awards were announced.

The night also honored some serious game-changers in the DMV music scene with special community awards, including Lifetime Achievement Award, Hitmaker

Read the full story on www.wibridgedc.com or scan the QR Code. WI

THE DC EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (DC EITC) is a special tax break, based on the federal EIC, designed specifically for low- and moderate-income workers.

NEW THIS YEAR, the DC EITC has been increased to 70% of the federal EIC. Additionally, individuals with qualifying children receiving the DC EITC will be paid differently than in previous years.

● Taxpayers will receive a refund equal to 40% of their federal EIC as usual after their return is processed.

● The balance of the EITC will be paid in equal monthly installments over the next 11 months.

5 See more photos from the 35th Annual Wammie Awards on www.wibridgedc.com. (Photography by Erica Blake, Nate Payne, & Karina Torres)

35TH ANNUAL WAMMIE AWARDS

AROUND THE REGION

facts

APRIL 13-19, 2023

SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

cipation Act, or simply Compensated Emancipation Act, a law that ended slavery in D.C. by paying slave owners for releasing their slaves, is signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

1864 – Internationally known singer Flora Batson, known as "The Double-Voiced Queen of Song," is born in Washington, D.C.

1947 – Basketball Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is born in New York City.

1994 – Ralph Ellison, author of "Invisible Man," dies in New York City at 81 of pancreatic cancer.

APRIL 17

1983 – Alice Walker wins the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her novel "The Color Purple."

APRIL 18

1966 – Basketball great Bill Russell is named player-coach of the Boston Celtics, becoming the first African American head coach in NBA history.

1977 – Author Alex Haley is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in journalism for his novel "Roots: The Saga of an American Family."

APRIL 19

APRIL 13

1873 – The Colfax Riot, the largest racial massacre in U.S. history, takes place in Colfax, Louisiana, where approximately 150 Black men are killed by whites amid a highly contested gubernatorial election.

1964 – Sidney Poitier becomes the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a construction worker who helps build a chapel in "Lilies of the Field."

1997 – Golf great Tiger Woods wins the Masters, becoming the the youngest and the first non-white player to win the tournament.

APRIL 14

1775 – The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, the first American abolition society, is founded in Philadelphia.

APRIL 15

1889 – Social and civil activist A. Philip Randolph, who organized and led the first predominantly Black labor union, is born in Crescent City, Florida.

1896 – Booker T. Washington receives an honorary degree from Harvard University.

1915 – Walter Washington, the first mayor of Washington, D.C., is born in Dawson, Georgia.

1926 – Norma Sklarek, the first Black woman to be licensed as an architect in the United States, is born in Harlem, New York.

APRIL 16

1862 – The District of Columbia Compensated Eman-

1837 – Cheyney University, one of the nation's oldest Black colleges, is founded in Cheyney, Pennsylvania.

1971 – Walter Fauntroy is sworn in as the first elected Congressional representative from the District of Columbia since Reconstruction.

1978 – Journalist Max Robinson is named as an anchor for ABC's "World News Tonight," becoming the first Black to anchor a network news broadcast. WI

BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

Streaming service Hulu recently announced the upcoming release of “Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told,” a documentary from executive producers Jermaine Dupri and Uncle Luke. While some have expressed excitement, others have raised concerns regarding privacy, sexual assault, and other ramifications for those featured without consent. What are your thoughts?

V. HUNT / RICHARDSON, TEXAS

Why? We didn’t film these things ourselves for a reason.

MONTEZ MILLER / WASHINGTON, DC

It’s the culture. I’m here for all of it. Soo many memories. #TeamLuke #TeamJD

YOLANDA WASHINGTON / DETROIT, MICHIGAN

I was a 1994 attendee! Holiday Inn with six friends in a double-bed room. We shared the gas (Detroit to ATL) and hotel fee. We never paid for food because the Southern hospitality was real. We had a great time. ‘94 was amazing!

REYNOLD WILKINS / FLINT, MICHIGAN

Some people are worried about old footage of them in this documentary. No worries. Most of ya’ll have gained about 30 or 40 pounds since then. No one will recognize you.

CRYSTAL BOLDS / WAYCROSS, GEORGIA

I begged to go to Freaknik! My mom was not having it. Fast forward, it’s…safe to say I may have 99 problems, but being in this documentary ain’t one!

AROUND THE REGION

Four Events Celebrating Emancipation Day

By Kayla Benjamin WI Climate & Environment Reporter

In 1866, four years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the proclamation ending slavery in the District, leaders in D.C.’s Black community began an annual tradition of the Emancipation Day parade.

Black civic organizations and veterans’ groups marched past the White House and all over the District in defiance of the era’s “Black codes,” which restricted African American movement throughout the city. Children took the day off school to watch them go by. The marchers carried banners calling for true liberty and equality and protesting racist developments like Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896.

Those initial parades stopped in 1901, but a century later, the city brought the tradition back, hosting the first modern-day parade in 2002 and creating an official holiday in 2005.

The city’s celebrations continue today, and this year promises good music and good cheer—but it’s not the only place to be or the only way to mark the holiday. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate emancipation and support statehood this weekend, check out the details for the parade and a few other cool events going on around the city.

D.C. Emancipation Day: Parade and Party

April 15, 2 p.m. at Freedom Plaza

The Mayor’s office has big plans for the annual city-sponsored Emancipation Day event. The parade—a tradition with roots as far back as 1866—will kick off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. The route along Pennsylvania Avenue NW begins at 10th Street and ends at 14th.

The end of the parade, scheduled for 3 p.m., marks the start of a massive concert at Freedom Plaza, where a “DC Statehood Food Truck-palooza” will also be set up. Performers include Dru Hill, Rakim, Black Alley, JJ Hairston, Alex Vaughn, Sin Miedo, Kyaira Ware, DJ Diyanna Monet and Nation’s Capital Chapter of Jack & Jill, Inc.

“Emancipation Day Mini

Markt”: Beer Tasting and Artisan Market

April 15, 2 p.m. at the Heurich House Museum

For those inclined to sip a cold beer on a celebratory Saturday, Black Brew Movement and the Heurich Museum have planned just the event. At the “Emancipation Day Mini Markt,” folks can shop from five Black-owned small artisan businesses and taste brews from eight local Black-owned beer brands—all “in support of DC Statehood and a more emancipated District.” The Heurich House Museum (1307 New Hampshire Ave NW) will host the market in its biergarten.

Entry is free, though local beer fans can purchase a $20 beer flight, which includes six 5-ounce pours selected from the eight featured brands. To RSVP or buy a ticket, visit heurichhouse.org/pages/calendar.

“Aprilteenth” with the Black Georgetown Foundation: Learning and Honoring

April 16, 11:30 a.m. at Mt. Zion - Female Union Band Society Cemetery

The Black Georgetown Foundation offers the chance to learn and listen in a sacred space on Emancipation Day. The organization will host its event at the Mt. Zion-Female

Union Band Society cemetery (2501 Mill Rd NW), a space that includes two of the oldest Black cemeteries left in Washington, D.C., where enslaved, freed and free Blacks are interred. The day will include a libation ceremony; a presentation about Emancipation Day by renowned historian C.R. Gibbs; and a reading of names to honor the 3,100 enslaved persons freed on April 16, 1862 and all those who endured slavery in the District of Columbia.

“District

Day” at the NMAAHC: Live Performances and Special Food

April 17, 10 a.m. at the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Here’s a sampling of the specialty menu on offer from Sweet Home Café, the African American History Museum restaurant, on Monday, April 17: chili cheese half smokes; chicken wings with mumbo sauce; steak and cheese egg rolls. Visitors to the museum’s District Day festivities can top off their meals with warm cookies for dessert and an iced tea/ lemonade combo to drink.

In addition to the holiday menu, the NMAAHC, in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of African American Affairs, will host live performances and guided conversations throughout the day. The event is free, but registration is required. Some time slots have already sold out, so if you plan to go, get your passes soon at nmaahc.si.edu/districtday.

5 The Mayor’s office is throwing a D.C. Emancipation Day parade and concert featuring Dru Hill, Black Alley, JJ Hairston, Alex Vaughn and many more. (Courtesy Photo)

Real Estate Roundup

Cameron Webb and Thomas Bolen III

By Andrew S. Jacobson WI Contributing Writer

The Real Estate Roundup is back! It’s no secret that D.C.’s real estate industry is fueling growth in the private sector. This week’s column highlights real estate brokers making an impact in our community.

CAMERON WEBB

Cameron “Cam” Webb is a senior director with Berkadia, a commercial real estate brokerage. Webb built his career on cold calls, beginning his career with competitor Marcus and Millichap. Thousands of dials and numerous meetings later, he was enlisted to exclusively list for a client disposing of their multifamily portfolio.

The client selected Webb due to his track record of obtaining high property values during the sales process and streamlining the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act process. This success led to Webb earning Marcus and Millichap’s National Achievement Award in three consecutive years (2016-18).

A Maryland native, Webb earned his degree at the University of Virginia and came to a realization surrounding Black homeownership disparities early. “There is a massive divide between Blacks and whites, mainly due to years of marginalization and exclusion for Black property ownership,” Webb explained. Barely scratching 30, and showing no signs of slowing down, Webb is certainly doing his part to diminish the gaps in multifamily homeownership.

THOMAS BOLEN III

Thomas Bolen III is the director of Leasing & Brokerage with Rappaport. After earning his MBA from Florida A&M University, Bolen spent time working in Orlando with Crossman and Company. After moving to the District, Bolen landed with Rappaport and helped grow their commercial leasing division. There, he was responsible for bringing LIDL and Starbucks to communities, which

AROUND THE REGION

From where we live and work, to where we dine and unwind, the stewardship of these remarkable young people impacts us all. This column seeks to serve as a resource, to better learn our local service providers and how we stand to benefit from their contributions.

were historically excluded east of the River.

In addition to his transformative tenant work, Bolen is also a serious concert goer. Notably, he went viral at a Kendrick Lamar concert in 2022. The rapper shared his spotlight for a verse, with the Rappaport Director singing along.

Bolen is part of the next generation of real estate leaders. In 2016, he earned the ICSC Foundation Fiala Fellow Award for increasing diversity in ICSC membership.

Then, in 2022, Bolen was recognized again by the ICSC with an Under 40 award. This young man

HOW CAN LIFE INSURANCE PROTECT YOUR

FAMILY’S FUTURE?

is as determined to break barriers as he is helpful.

A LOCAL RESOURCE

Whether you’re a developer, broker, or just an interested resident, the real estate industry touches all of our lives. From where we live and work, to where we dine and unwind, the stewardship of these remarkable young people impacts us all. This column seeks to serve as a resource, to better learn our local service providers and how we stand to benefit from their contributions. WI

EVENT DETAILS

WHEN:

Saturday, April 22 10:30 am–12:00 pm

WHERE: Shiloh Baptist Church 1500 9th Street NW

TO REGISTER & GET MORE INFO: DISB.dc.gov/lifeinsuranceinfo

5 Cameron Webb a senior director with Berkadia. (Courtesy Photo)

5 Thomas Bolen III is the director of Leasing & Brokerage with the Rappaport Companies. (Courtesy Photo)

AROUND THE REGION

The Newsletter

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

Who’s Reading the Informer?

Make-up artist Chris Lewis reads the Washington Informer. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

National Capital Children's Center President and CEO Patricia Brown stands with DC artist Sonia Jones at the unveiling of the new exhibit, Hands in Bloom, at the Urban Farm in Southeast that teaches young children to be self-sufficient using art with ASL (American sign language). (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

Metropolitan AME Files Suit Against the Proud Boys

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church has filed a $22 million lawsuit against the Proud Boys and its leaders for vandalizing the church amid violent protests after former President Donald Trump lost reelection.

Chanting “Stop the Steal,” Washington, D.C. was mired in protest between December 2020 to January 2021, and several downtown congregations and their “Black Lives Matter” signs were burned and destroyed.

“Our message to the Proud Boys is that you will not destroy our house of worship, you will not destroy the legacy of our ancestors, and you will not destroy our property,” said Rev. William Lamar, pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in an interview with the Informer.

In court papers filed by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law on Dec. 12, 2020, the Proud Boys were identified as “a violent all-male extremist group with ties to white nationalism,” who attacked and vandalized the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, a historically Black church.

“Proud Boys members climbed over a fence to reach the Churches property and destroyed a large Black Lives Matter sign.”

During this same period, the Proud Boys also destroyed the “Black Live Matters” sign in front of Asbury United Methodist

Church, then a crowd carried it down 11th Street and set it on fire.

“It's not about the money, it is bringing them to a point to stamp out evil,” said Rev. Ianther Mills, pastor of the Asbury United Methodist Church, who emphasized her church is focused on ministry.

“Last Sunday we had a Palm Sunday procession with a Live Donkey,” Mills said.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and co-counsel filed a lawsuit against the Proud Boys and their leader Enrique Tarrio for vandalizing Metropolitan.

The lawsuit alleges violation of D.C.’s hate crimes law, violation of federal law protecting religious property, conspiracy, trespass, and property destruction. The case was filed in Superior Court for the District of Columbia.

The Proud Boys and Enrique Tarrio failed to show up and defend themselves in court, and a motion for default was filed on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Lamar said the church’s lawyers would be back in court beginning April 11, emphasizing that the legal fight will continue until justice is achieved. WI

5 The Rev. William Lamar, pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church spoke about the church’s $22 million lawsuit against the Proud Boys.

(Courtesy Photo)

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Cannabis Legalization Bill Irons Out Details to Complicated Issues

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

In 2022, Maryland voters overwhelmingly approved the recreational legalization of cannabis in Maryland. Now, the General Assembly is debating and refining legislation to create this new market, while trying to provide equity and fairness by passing a cannabis bill to legalize adult use, establish

the sales tax rate, and set the standards for a new market in the state.

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D) believes that Maryland’s legalization effort can be a national model and Democratic leaders, including Charles County Democrat C.T. Wilson, who heads the Economic Matters Committee, seek to undermine the black market.

“We’re not here to get Marylanders high, we’re not here to

make money,” said Wilson in early February when the first details of the legislation dropped. “We’re here to make it safer in the streets so people aren’t dying and getting arrested.”

On July 1, recreational cannabis

Former Black Caucus Chair Darryl Barnes to Retire, Become Partner at Lobbying Firm

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

DISTRICT24

District 25 Delegate and longtime Black Caucus Chair Darryl Barnes (D) announced that he will be retiring following this legislative session. He will become

a partner with Gerry Evans, one of Annapolis’ highest-earning and most visible lobbyists. One of his first goals in that role is to create a Black lobbying association in Maryland.

“This was a difficult decision for me. I’m going to miss the people that I built long lasting relationships

with,” he said in an interview. “But this is a golden opportunity to continue to do all the things I want to do. I still get to be an entrepreneur, but I’ll still be able to have influence on policy that affects our community.”

Barnes became Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus in 2018 following the resignation of Delegate Cheryl Glenn (D). Currently, Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins (D- District 20) is serving as Black Caucus Chair.

In his role, he promoted a policy agenda for Black Marylanders and has been particularly noted for his efforts in promoting minority businesses. One of his signature moments was a policy discussion among gubernatorial candidates in 2021 to promote their individual agendas for Black Marylanders.

Barnes routinely sponsored legislation to improve Maryland’s minority business procurement. This

BARNES Page 52

in installments over 18 months.

“Typically when talking cannabis and equity, the conversation is mostly centered around one key point: lack of participation of people of color in the industry," said At-Large Laurel Councilmember Martin Mitchell (D) during a hearing.

Mitchell has been publicly vocal for cannabis legalization and business opportunities for returning citizens and young African-Americans in the growing market.

“Though important, participation does not make up the summation of true equity. A truly equitable cannabis bill would mandate equity in policy making, equity in administration, equity in enforcement, and equity in the cannabis industry. I’m truly concerned that criminal justice reform and reparative justice has been put on the back burner as we continue to push towards opening up the adult-use market.”

will be legal in Maryland. Marylanders will be able to carry up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis while facing a fine of $250, rather than a jail sentence.

Marylanders will consume 1.8 million pounds of marijuana a year, according to a recent study from Cannabis Public Policy Consulting, and the business opportunities, tax revenues, and health impacts of cannabis are all being considered.

The proposed sales tax will be 9% following Senate amendments, and affords recreational marijuana licenses for 75 growers, 100 processors and 300 dispensaries. The bill will also create more micro-licenses for small, boutique enterprises that operate under different rules and allow for 15 on-site consumption licenses and 10 incubator space licenses.

When medical cannabis was legalized in Maryland, all of the licenses went to white-owned companies. Attempts to improve business equity largely repeated past mistakes and resulted in Delegate Cheryl Glenn (D) resigning from the House of Delegates.

Legislative leaders like Wilson and Atterbeary, along with cannabis advocates, have emphasized that the equity stake is a key part of this legislation. A provision of this bill is requiring medical cannabis licenses to pay between $100,000 to $2 million to convert to recreational licenses, which they can pay

Kevin Ford of Uplift Action Fund (UAF), said UAF rejected the proposed enmeshment of cannabis with alcohol and tobacco, saying it perpetuated “enforcement culture that’s produced racial disparities in the past.”

“We cannot ignore that across the country there is a power grab by big tobacco and alcohol for the cannabis market share and their strategy to utilize increased enforcement to protect their interests. We ask for separate oversight of medical, hemp and adult-use cannabis,” said.

Both Councilmember Mitchell and UAF support an independent cannabis commision.

To prevent market consolidation and inequity, a new Office of Social Equity is planned to promote participation by people impacted by the War on Drugs. That effort would include creation of both a Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, to allocate money to the traditionally affected communities, and a Cannabis Business Assistance Fund, to increase minority participation in the program. As written, these are likely to provide additional government financing into zip codes that faced the most arrests during the War on Drugs.

Baltimore Senator Jill P. Carter (D) offered an amendment to grant anyone arrested for marijuana possession a social equity license, an amendment that did not pass the Senate. WI

5 District 25 Delegate Darryl Barnes at his final Black Caucus pre-session conference. Barnes served as chair of the Legislative Black Caucus from 2018 to this year. (Anthony Tilghman/ The Washington Informer)

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Hospital President Deneen Richmond Offers Insights on Healthcar

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center President Deneen Richmond is leading “Vision 2030,” a strategic plan to reduce infant and maternal mortality. The Prince George’s County native has experience as a registered nurse and is proud to offer health services directly to fellow Prince Georgians everyday at the Lanham hospital.

Richmond has prioritized recruitment from HBCUs and 70% of her staff are County residents. She has even revamped procurement policies to favor local businesses.

“My motivation to work in healthcare comes from that deep personal sense that I am making an impactful difference in people’s lives every single day – this is what makes it a passion, not a job for me,” she said. “I am honored

that my personal motivation and passion directly aligns with our mission at Luminis Health – to enhance the health of the people and communities we serve.”

Luminis is currently raising $300 million from government and private sources to renovate and upgrade their nearly 50-year-old Lanham health center, including the addition of a Women’s Health Center. This new center would provide inpatient obstetrics services, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. This expansion is expected to be completed within five years.

According to Richmond, the maternal mortality rate for Black women in Prince George’s is 50% higher than the national average and eight out of ten women residents give birth outside the county.

“Expanding women’s and children’s healthcare services with the construction of a new Women’s Health Center will help eliminate health disparities by providing care

closer to home,” Richmond said. “Right now, LHDCMC is the only acute care hospital in northern Prince George’s County leaving nearly 500,000 residents without any obstetric beds.”

Some of the measures her team has already undertaken to reduce health disparities and improve health services have been reducing cesarean sections, free mammograms, mobile health screenings for patients with diabetes and high blood pressure, and operating multiple state-run and community organized COVID testing and vaccine sites. They have also expanded mental health services and provided glucose monitors for diabetics.

Last week, the Lanham campus opened an inpatient psychiatric unit at its new Behavioral Health Pavilion, adding 16 inpatient psychiatric adult beds. Additional services will include an outpatient mental health center, behavioral health walk-in urgent care and psy-

chiatric day treatment programs.

“Since opening the first floor of the new Behavioral Health Pavil ion, we’ve treated more than 300 patients in our outpatient pro grams,” said Dr. Aliya Jones, executive medical director of Behavioral Health at Lu minis Health.

“Our new inpatient psychiatric unit on the second floor will provide specialized treatment around the clock for adults who need intense mental health and critical psychiatric care.” WI

4 Deneen Richmond serves as President at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center, and is planning to grow her campus to better serve Prince Georgians. (Courtesy Photo, Luminis Health)

APRIL IS FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH BOOST YOUR FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE WITH RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS FROM DISB

BUSINESS briefs

James Wright / WI Staff Writer

D.C. MEDICAL CANNABIS SALES TAX HOLIDAY

The annual medical cannabis sales tax holiday in the District will occur between April 15 and April 24.

During the holiday, the 6% sales tax on all medical cannabis products, excluding paraphernalia, purchased from the District’s seven licensed retailers will not be assessed. The sales tax holiday was introduced in 2022 and made an annual event by the Medical Cannabis Amendment Act of 2022 signed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, which became effective on March 22.

The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board also announced:

• Extending the patient and caregiver registration fee waiver for District residents through Aug. 10. The District’s waiver of the $100 fee for new and renewal patient and caregiver registrations was set to expire on April 13.

• Approving handwritten healthcare practitioner recommendation by Virginia patients to purchase medical cannabis and medical cannabis products from licensed D.C. retailers starting on April 15. Recommendations must be unexpired and on Virginia-issued form for medical cannabis healthcare practitioner recommendations and accompanied by a Virginia-issued photo identification card with a matching name only.

• Alternatively, Virginia patients that are at least 21 years of age can continue to register for a temporary patient registration that is valid for 30 days. This option is available to all non-D.C. residents, including international visitors.

Lastly, patients and caregivers are reminded that valid registrations for District residents resumed being required on April 1. Additional program information is available at abca.dc.gov.

WI

BREAKING BARRIERS TO PROCUREMENT

The People for Change Coalition and People for Change Black Chamber of Commerce are partnering with the Prince George’s County Office of Central Services Supplier Development and Diversity Division to host a one-day Summit on Breaking Barriers to Procurement on April 27.

The event will take place at the College Park Marriott and Conference Center and run from 9 a.m.4 p.m. There will be a networking reception from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Over 200 businesses are expected to attend, and the day will feature guest speakers, panel discussions, concurrent workshops as well as exhibitors.

For more information call 301772-1552. WI

FINANCIAL FLUENCY

The CFO Services Group announced their upcoming educational accelerator program designed to help entrepreneurs improve financial knowledge and skills. The program includes webinars, one-to-one consultations, and eLearning courses that cover topics such as bookkeeping, fore-

casting, financial strategies, and much more. This is free to all minority-owned businesses provided and hosted by CFO Services Group in partnership with SBDC Washington DC, Howard University and CITI Bank.

The program is ongoing and ends on April 28. Registration is on Eventbrite. WI

GREATER WASHINGTON HISPANIC CHAMBER EXPO

The Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will hold its business expo on April 24 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest.

The Expo serves as an opportunity to meet leaders of the Hispanic business community faceto-face and establish relationships with that market and demographic. There will be over 100 exhibitors showing their wares and services. Plus, there will be business workshops ranging from how to market to Hispanics to federal procurement opportunities.

For more information, contact the chamber at info@gwhcc.org or call 202-728-0352. WI

5 The District will hold its annual medical cannabis sales tax holiday in April.

(Courtesy Photo)

Bowser Admin. Sets Up Disparity Study Group

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Officials with the Bowser administration announced on April 7 the creation of an interagency working group that will create a District procurement action plan to lead the way the government can increase contracting opportunities for people of color.

The group’s work will be based on the findings of a disparity study released on April 7 of city contracting that spanned fiscal years 2016 through 2020. Agencies such as the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the Department of Small and Local Business Development and the Office of the City Administrator are expected to play a role in the implementation of the study’s recommendations.

“The disparity study team has worked diligently with partner agencies to assess procurement data as well as engage our business stakeholders over many months so we can best understand the barriers people of color and women-owned businesses face in assessing the District’s contracting opportunities,” said Interim Deputy Mayor

for Planning and Economic Development Keith Anderson. “Using the results from the disparity study, we are excited to transition into the implementation phase of this work to increase contracting opportunities for people of color and women-owned businesses.”

In summary, the results of the disparity study reveal the overall availability and utilization of people of color and women-owned businesses in the District is high in comparison to other cities and states. However, despite the District having higher than average contracting with people of color and women-owned businesses, disparities still exist.

D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (I-At Large), who chairs the Committee on Business and Economic Development, explained the study provides the legal framework to create a new minority and women business program.

District officials will host virtual public presentations to share the results of the study on April 18 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and April 20 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. WI @JamesWrightJr10

5 D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie made positive comments on the newly released disparity study.

Black Women Feel the Brunt of America’s Mass Incarceration

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

America imprisons many more of its citizens than any other developed nation, with men comprising most of the incarcerated.

But the rate of growth for women imprisonment has been twice as high as that of men since 1980, according to The Sentencing Project, which estimates that 976,000 women are currently under the supervision of the criminal justice system.

The nonprofit documented a 525% increase in women’s imprisonment in America between 1980 and 2021; the vast majority are Black females.

“As this year marks 50 years since the United States began its dramat-

ic increase in imprisonment, it is clearer than ever that our criminal legal system is not working,” Amy Fettig, executive director of The Sentencing Project, said in a statement.

“The continued overcriminalization of women and girls does nothing to improve public safety but needlessly destroys lives, families, and communities.”

In 2021, the Sentencing Project reported that the imprisonment rate for Black women – at 62 per 100,000 – was 1.6 times the rate of imprisonment for white women – 38 per 100,000.

Latinx women were imprisoned 49 per 100,000 or 1.3 times the rate of white women.

Additionally, 58% of women in state prisons have a child under 18.

The statistics compiled by The Sentencing Project arrive after several reports revealed mass incarceration’s heavy burden on Black women in general.

“The war on drugs treated Black women as if they were just collateral consequences,” Ashley McSwain, executive director of Community Family Life Services, which serves formerly incarcerated women, said during a panel dis-

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cussion on mass incarceration.

“We were well into this war and this crisis before we realized that women were being affected at alarming rates,” McSwain asserted.

She continued: “When you arrest a woman, ... you got her, her three kids, her grandma, an aunt — everybody’s incarcerated when a woman goes to prison… So, the impact is huge, and we never seem to talk about that.”

Three years ago, the National Black Women’s Justice Institute partnered with the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide and The Sentencing Project to colead the Alice Project, an initiative to end the extreme punishment of women in America and globally.

The group wanted to get advocates, researchers, activists, and academics to work together to get rid of gender bias in extreme sentences.

CARRYING THE FAMILY AFTER A LOVED ONE IS INCARCERATED

In an earlier interview, Shamika Wilson explained that her husband is serving a life sentence in a San Diego prison after recently being transferred from a prison much closer to home.

She said the facility didn’t allow for overnight family visits.

“Financially, it’s hard all around. Before, he was no more than an hour or two away from home, but now

it can be close to a ten-hour drive at times,” Wilson responded. “It can cost over $1,000 to go see him. This is about cycles, and these cycles are going to continue. They don’t think he needs time with his kids to teach them not to go down the same path he did. Their regulations keep families apart.”

Wilson told NBC News that she suffers from diagnosed depression due to stress. She said the situation is taking a toll on the entire family.

“It affects my kids because they wake up crying, asking for their dad. Fifteen minutes [on the phone] is not enough time to read them a bedtime story or see how their school day went,” she said. “We have to decide between things like using $50 dollars for a [prepaid phone card] or saving it so that we can eventually go visit him.”

Black women – mothers, grandmothers, daughters, wives — often must choose between posting bail for their loved ones and missing important bills or allowing a loved one to languish in jail, Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayana Pressley stated.

“Sometimes, when their romantic partner or co-parent is behind bars, Black women are forced to provide for their families alone,” the Congresswoman remarked after reading a study by the bipartisan criminal justice reform organization FWD.us and Cornell University.

WI @StacyBrownMedia

5 The Sentencing Project documented a 525% increase in women’s imprisonment in America between 1980 and 2021. (Courtesy Photo, Officer Bimblebury, Wikimedia commons)

Black Brokers Want Special Special Programs to Bridge Black-White Homeownership Gap

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The median net worth for Black households is a low $24,000 compared to $188,000 for white families.

And that’s one reason only 45.3% of Black Americans owned their homes in 2022, compared to 74.6% of white people, according to the National Association of Real Estate Brokers ( NAREB).

The organization, which counts as America’s oldest trade association for Black real estate professionals, demands that mortgage lenders utilize Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCPs) to increase mortgage originations from Black buyers.

The group believes this would help close the homeownership gap between races.

“It’s disappointing that more mortgage lenders are not using these programs to increase homeownership, especially for those living in under-resourced communities,” NAREB President Lydia Pope said.

“America has a low homeownership rate among Black families because of the overt racism in government and private sector practices and policies that limited the building of intergenerational wealth. SPCPs provide opportunities to balance the scale and put more Blacks on a path towards building wealth through homeownership.”

SPCPs are credit assistance programs for economically or socially disadvantaged consumers and commercial enterprises.

The programs, which have been available for nearly 50 years but are rarely used, allow banks and creditors to consider prohibited-basis information in credit transactions to meet special social needs or to help a buyer of lesser means.

5 NAREB President Lydia Pope (Courtesy photo)

now

COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Africanews Journalist Honored by Forty Under 40 Africa Awards

Jerry Fisayo-Bambi, a Nigerian news anchor and journalist with Africanews, has been awarded a medal at the “Forty Under 40 Africa Awards,” which recognises influential young leaders in various fields from 24 countries.

5 Jerry Fisayo Bambi joined the editorial staff of Africanews in 2017. (Courtesy Photo)

He was nominated in the journalism category along with three other candidates, from a total of 3000 entries received for 40 categories in the awards.

According to the organizers, Xodus Communications, the Forty Under 40 Africa Awards recently included a journalism category and Fisayo-Bambi is among the first nominees recognized for impactful work that presents a positive narrative about Africa. The awards assess career, innovation, creativity and community inclusion amongst industry leaders in Africa.

The aim is to recognize 40 emerging leaders under 40 who demonstrate exceptional leadership, says Richard Jnr Abbey, convener of the awards.

Fisayo-Bambi, a recognized journalist who anchors news in a voice-over on image format and presents TV shows, is part of an award-winning team of journalists at Africanews, whose work is being quoted in research papers and setting best practices on developing and presenting short feature stories on innovation.

The Africanews journalist started in radio in Nigeria before moving on to television news anchoring and production. He currently produces and hosts 'Inspire Africa', a programme showcasing impactful stories of innovation and change in Africa.

He finished with the popular vote in his category "Journalism" at the Forty Under 40 Africa and was decorated with a medal by the South African Minister of Women, Youth and Disability, Dr. Nkosasana Dlamini-Zuma, who presided over the award ceremony in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Fisayo-Bambi has since dedicated his nomination and recognition to his beloved parents and credited the 'Inspire Africa' team at Africanews TV for enabling him to fulfill part one of his childhood dreams of showcasing a more nuanced perception of Africa through ethical journalism.

Fisayo-Bambi joined the editorial staff of Africanews in 2017. Wi

5 A doll depicting the Yoruba deity Yemayá is propped up on a chair before the start of a Santería ceremony in the home of Mandy Arrazcaeta, in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, November 13, 2022 (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Cubans

and Solace in Santería Amid Crises

While nearly 70% of Latin America’s 670 million people consider themselves Catholic, in Cuba, Santería is the name of the game.

From a two-room concrete home on the fringes of Cuba’s capital, the rumble of wooden drums spills out onto the streets, The Jamaica Observer reported on Sunday, April 9. Neighbors gather at the door and kids climb a fence to peer inside. They watch as dozens of Cubans wearing white and African beads make offerings at a bright blue altar consuming half a room, asking for luck, protection and good health.

A fusion of African religions and Catholicism, Santería was one of the few religious practices to quietly endure through decades of prohibitions and stigma by the communist government.

Now, as that stigma gradually fades and the country enters a moment of compounding economic, political and migratory crises, the religion is growing in popularity and expanding to new demographics.

“Every day the religion grows a little more,” Mandy Arrazcaeta, 30, said among the throngs of people in his home dancing and making offerings at the altar to a plastic doll depicting the Yoruba deity Yemayá. “Right now, Santería in the country is a sort of bastion.”

Santería was born as a form of quiet resistance among the island's black communities. The religion dates back centuries to when Spanish colonists brought in hundreds of thousands of African slaves.

While the Spanish tried to force Catholicism on the slaves, the Africans brought their own religions, mostly from West Africa, which they would camouflage by attaching their deities — orishas — to Catholic saints. Wi

DIRECTOR CHARON P.W. HINES

April 2023 Message from Department of Aging and Community Living

dents, including seniors like you, have a fair shot. And despite the economic challenges faced, the proposed budget remains focused on the necessary investments that will energize DC’s comeback, unlocking the full potential of our older residents and our communities.

As we welcome the arrival of spring and look forward to warmer weather and flowers in bloom, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the challenging times we have been through and the resilience we have demonstrated as a city. Despite the difficulties, I am heartened by the progress our city has made towards recovery, and I am excited about the opportunities ahead.

Recently, Mayor Muriel Bowser released her Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Fair Shot Budget and Financial Plan to the DC Council, and I wanted to share some highlights with you. This budget builds upon the District's road to recovery and the Mayor's commitment to ensuring all resi-

For us at DACL, we have been hyper-focused on helping more older Washingtonians truly live and thrive in the communities you have all come to know and love. Whether it is creating innovative programs to decrease senior food insecurity and increase nutrition equity through the Food4Choice Pilot Program, or ensuring we further alleviate the risk of falls by expanding the Mayor’s signature program, Safe at Home, our agency remains committed to using every tool in our toolbox to meet and exceed your needs.

In FY24, the Mayor is continuing to make investments in Safe at Home. She is investing an additional $1 million to increase the eligibility for the program. We know how critical is to support you in making sure your homes are a place where you can age safely. With additional funds, we can ensure more seniors benefit from this longstanding program, creating greater independence and giving more older residents like you the autonomy to age how you want and how you choose.

Additionally, many of you have shared with us that transportation is the lifeline connecting you to medical care, food, the community, and social events that help you thrive. In FY24, the

Mayor is making a $1.5 million investment in transportation access for seniors, giving DACL the opportunity to expand the ConnectorCard program. Through ConnectorCard, qualifying seniors can receive up to $100 a month in travel transit funds. These funds can be used towards transportation of your choice to get to and from any destination in the city, whether through Metro, including MetroAccess, cabs, or rideshare services. With this investment, we can continue to prioritize helping you get around our great city.

The Mayor is also making significant investments to ensure housing in our city is more affordable for all residents, further closing the racial wealth gap and keeping longtime Washingtonians in DC. These investments include:

• $31 million investment to fund the Housing Production Trust Fund at $100 million,

• $1.5 million enhancement for Heirs Property Services,

Recently, Mayor Muriel Bowser released her Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Fair Shot Budget and Financial Plan to the DC Council, and I wanted to share some highlights with you. This budget builds upon the District's road to recovery and the Mayor's commitment to ensuring all residents, including seniors like you, have a fair shot.

• $2 million investment to increase available funds for Single Family Residential Rehab, • and, $115 million investment to rehabilitate and modernize public housing units managed by the DC Housing Authority.

The investments, and others like them, prioritize seniors who are both homeowners and renters, creating more access to dignified, affordable housing.

In closing, I want to reaffirm that our government and Mayor are dedicated to investing in

our city's recovery, and I am so proud of the progress we have made so far. You can trust us to prioritize your needs and the needs of our communities, and we are confident that the FY24 Budget will energize our city's comeback. For more information about the budget, please visit budget.dc.gov. Thank you for your ongoing trust and support.

Sincerely,

Charon P.W. Hines

Mayor Bowser Releases her FY24 Fair Shot Budget

On March 22, Mayor Muriel Bowser presented her proposed Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Budget and Financial Plan to the Council of the District of Columbia as part of the District’s annual budget process. The $19.5 billion FY23 Budget makes significant increased investments in public safety, housing and ending homelessness, affordability programs, and city services. To learn more about the budget, visit budget.dc.gov.

HEALTH

Developing Families Center Awards Funding to Improve Maternal Health

By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Staff Writer

Developing Families Center (DFC) has expanded efforts to improve health outcomes for District mothers through its latest investment, dedicating $1.5 million between the seven selected 2023 Catalytic Fund Awardees. Each award recipient is a nonprofit organization fighting for greater maternal health outcomes across the city.

“For Developing Families Center, one of the reasons why we invest, and will continue to invest and have a priority area through our major fund in child development, [is to] focus on trauma-informed training for employees so that mothers can feel comfortable when they do get home, and have to go back to work,” said DFC Executive Director, Ruth Pollard, MS, MBA. “That they can go to a child care education center that they know they can trust in their community, with persons that are trained to understand any particular, unique needs of a new mom, or a mom that is still struggling with some of the support systems.”

DFC, a longstanding stalwart organization based out of the Ward 5 community, in partnership with the GW Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, conducted a community health needs assessment focused on maternal

health in Wards 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

The team reached within the trusted network of organizations who have shown and proven their efforts to boost health outcomes for Black mothers in the community, eventually selecting: Community Hope Center, Edward C. Mazique Parent and Child Center, Mamatoto Village, National Association to Advance Black Birth, The GWU Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, District of Columbia Hospital Association Program Services Company, and the Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas.

Mamatoto Village, a maternal health organization providing care to Black women and families is a

proud recipient of the DFC funding and shared that the financial award will be used to expand training opportunities for Black women to develop careers as community health workers, birth workers, lactation consultants, and care specialists.

“A $25,000 grant from the Developing Families Center will support our work by underwriting scholarships for our trainees. This generous and meaningful funding will make our training more financially accessible for the women we train throughout the year,” the organization told the Informer. WI

Read the full story on www. washingtoninformer.com.

Biden Issues Proclamation for Black Maternal Health Week

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

In 2022, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra implemented actions to improve maternal health and reduce health disparities, and this year, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to champion policies to improve maternal health and equity.

Vice President Kamala Harris convened a meeting with Becerra and other Cabinet leaders amplifying a whole-of-government approach to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity.

On Monday, April 10, President Biden issued another proclamation to begin Black Maternal Health Week.

The president called the week a reminder that so many families experience pain, neglect, and loss during what should be a joyous occasion.

Biden called it urgent that all act.

“Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women,” the president remarked. “This is on top of the fact that women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than in any other developed nation.”

He insisted that tackling the crisis begins with understanding how institutional racism drives these high maternal mortality rates.

Studies show that Black women are often dismissed or ignored in hospitals and other health care settings, even as they suffer from severe injuries and pregnancy complications and ask for help, the president reminded.

He said systemic inequities are also to blame.

“When mothers do not have access to safe and stable housing before and after childbirth, they are at great-

5 Developing Families Centers award seven nonprofit organizations fighting for greater maternal health outcomes in the District. (Courtesy Photo)

4 In continuing his Administration’s efforts to support maternal health and equity, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation to begin Black Maternal Health Week. (Courtesy Photo)

Health Alliance Network Calls For Public Health Emergency On Opioid Crisis

By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Staff Writer

The Health Alliance Network, a District Partnership-based organization, held a news conference outside of the John A. Wilson Building to update individuals on the state of the opioid crisis in D.C., before sitting with District Council members to call for a Public Health Emergency.

“The opioid epidemic is almost as bad as the COVID epidemic. From March 2020 when COVID began, to December 31, 2022, there have been 1,411 COVID deaths, and 1, 219 opioid deaths during the same period. It is an epidemic. We are calling on the mayor to issue a public health emergency on opioids,” exclaimed Ambrose Lane, Jr., chair of the Health Alliance Network.

The Health Alliance Network is an organization of stakeholders, community-based organizations and community leaders addressing health disparities within the city’s poor and low-income communities,

While residents are left to grapple with the menacing crime issues plaguing the city, Lane asserts that the opioid crisis is indeed a leading issue rocking the city by day, as found to date, D.C. averages roughly 28.6 deaths a month in drug overdoses, as opioid deaths outnumber homicide rates by more than 2 to 1. The opioid epidemic has become a seemingly overlooked crisis although its surviving victims and community members are in dire need of saving.

Coming up, the Washington Informer will further examine the various fragments of the opioid crisis across the District, highlighting the dangerous onset of xylazine, an animal tranquilizer now seen penetrating the fentanyl supply and overdoses across the east coast. WI

EARTH OUR

Mayor’s Budget Proposal Would Zero Out DOEE Funding for Key Challenges

By Kayla Benjamin WI Climate & Environment Reporter

The fight between Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Council over the Fiscal Year 2024 budget promises discord on all fronts. A steep slowdown in revenue growth, combined with the end of pandemic-era federal funding, has meant that some major cuts seem all but inevitable; but the mayor’s office, the D.C. Council and community advocates don’t agree on where the cuts should come from.

Bowser’s proposal included a 14% reduction to the Department of Energy and Environment’s (DOEE) operating budget. Environmental and public health advocates, along with Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who chairs the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, say the proposed cuts

would harm D.C.’s most vulnerable residents and throw the city offtrack to meet its climate goals.

“I do not believe that this budget as it is right now is saying yes to the right priorities,” Allen said at a budget action event hosted by the Washington Interfaith Network March 25. “We're seeing deep cuts on climate. We're seeing transit shut down and cut off. We're seeing school crossing guards eliminated. We are seeing millions taken out of DOEE, of where it needs to go.”

DOEE’s budget reductions include the loss of $33 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. At the DOEE Budget Hearing on April 6, the agency’s interim director, Richard Jackson, said that the agency had spent less than half of its ARPA money so far in fiscal year 2023, and unspent money would roll over to FY 2024 when it begins in October.

“We keep talking about a cut, but it's more of a reallocation,” Jackson said.

Yet the proposed changes in DOEE’s budget would cause significant program reductions and cuts in fiscal year 2024. A few significant cuts include funding for lead pipe replacements, electric appliance installation for low- and moderate-income households, home improvements for houses in floodplains and implementation of energy efficient building standards.

“The issues of climate, health and housing are all connected,” Washington Interfaith Network organizer Richard Vilmenay said at the hearing. “One line in the budget can

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ing for lead pipe removal every year for the next five years, according to Pinto. But the lead-free by 2030 goal would require additional local funds: overall cost estimates for the program range from $480 million to $1 billion.

NO LOCAL MONEY FOR LOW-INCOME HOME ELECTRIFICATION

have massive implications in all of those areas.”

ZEROING OUT FUNDS FOR LEAD PIPE REPLACEMENTS

Last in fiscal year 2023, DOEE received a $10 million allotment to support the replacement of lead pipes. While DC Water holds most of the responsibility for the city’s plans to eliminate lead service lines—the pipes that connect water mains to individual buildings— DOEE did spend more than $12 million in fiscal year 2022 to support those efforts.

The mayor’s proposed budget would allocate $0 to DOEE for that program.

“It says to me that the city is not prioritizing the health of its citizens,” Paul Schwartz, a longtime community organizer with the Campaign for Lead Free Water, said in an interview. “It’s reprehensible.”

While DC Water has pledged to remove all lead service lines in the District by 2030, a report commissioned last year by the D.C. Council found that the utility is not on track to meet that goal. Councilmembers Janeese Lewis George (D- Ward 4) and Brooke Pinto (D- Ward 2) have both recently introduced bills aimed at speeding up the process, but the mayor’s budget proposal indicates that finding the necessary funding will likely prove an uphill battle.

The District expects to receive about $28 million in federal fund-

The lead pipes legislation is not the only bill on the Council’s agenda that would face money troubles, despite major federal funding, if the mayor’s budget proposal passed asis. Councilmember Allen’s “Healthy Homes and Residential Electrification Amendment Act” would create a program to fully fund thousands of low- and moderate-income residents’ switch from gas appliances to electric ones. Supporters of the bill say it could have a tri-fold impact: reducing childhood asthma and other health risks of indoor air pollution, lowering energy bills and moving the city away from fossil fuels.

“We need to get off of unhealthy gas, which increases childhood asthma and affects our health—as the parent of a toddler, this is very concerning,” Vilmenay, the Washington Interfaith Network organizer, said during the hearing. “We want a pilot program to show the District that our vision of a safe, healthy and green future is possible. We can have homes completely off of gas, decommission leaky gas pipes block by block, and not just stabilize but strengthen our communities.”

A smaller-scale DOEE program with similar goals, the Affordable Housing Retrofit Accelerator, would lose funding under the mayor’s proposed budget because of the federal dollars allocated away from DOEE.

Since federal funding from specific legislation expires if it’s not used, advocates say it’s particularly urgent to act on opportunities sooner rather than later.

“The Inflation Reduction Act has millions of dollars for D.C. for things like heat pumps and high-efficiency HVAC systems, but it won't cover 100% of the cost for low- and moderate-income households,” Vilmenay said in an interview. “So we need some local dollars to match it. And if we don't do that, we're basically leaving money on the table.” WI

To read the rest of the story, head to www.washingtoninformer.com.

5 Councilmember Charles Allen spoke to a crowd of nearly 100 people at a budget action event hosted by the Washington Interfaith Network March 25. (Rob Roberts / The Washington Informer)

Howard Launches Department of Earth, Environment and Equity

By Kayla Benjamin WI Climate & Environment Reporter

Howard University officially launched its interdisciplinary Department of Earth, Environment and Equity, or E3, at a small kickoff ceremony held at the Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library on Monday, April 10. The new department will welcome its first students in the fall.

“Honestly, I have received more inquiries regarding getting this department started, from students and from faculty, than [for] any other program that we have moved on in my eight years in this role as provost,” Howard University Provost Anthony K. Wutoh said in remarks at the event. “I don't say that because it troubled me—I say that because they really underscored how important this was to our students, how important this was to our faculty.”

The department will offer undergraduate degrees in Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Atmospheric Science and Earth System Science. Wutoh described the interdisciplinary approach as one that would “synergize” research across fields, enabling student and faculty researchers to “make an impact in the way that Howard needs to make an impact.”

Howard’s College of Arts and Sciences will house the E3 Department. While the university already offers an interdisciplinary environmental studies major, the new department aims to expand opportunities for collaboration and connections between the academic disciplines.

“Around the country, there are a lot of environmental science departments that focus on the biology, chemistry and the physics of the problems. And then there are some other departments that focus on environmental studies—public policy and social science,” explained Dr. Rubin Patterson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, in an interview. “And then there are a few that actually will focus on

environmental humanities, thinking about environmental ethics and environmental history and environmental literature—cli-fi, as they call it now, climate fiction. But given that we are the College of Arts and Sciences, we embody all three of them: natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.”

Patterson has pushed for the creation of a department focused on climate and the environment since 2014, when he joined Howard’s faculty as chair of the sociology department. He said Howard’s selective admissions and academically competitive student body makes it important to create compelling opportunities for students to encounter environmental coursework, because graduates go on to become “transformational” in leadership roles across all sectors.

“We don't want to create a new department, just to be an average department—this has to be a standout,” Patterson said. “And this department is going to be that

way. It's going to produce the next generation of African American leaders in environmental justice and environmental science and climate science.”

One current student spoke at the launch event—Kennedy Williams, a junior majoring in Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies with a minor in political science. Currently, Williams serves as an intern for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

“The creation of the Department of Earth, Environment and Equity is a monumental step towards paving the way for Black students to have a voice in the fight against climate change,” Williams said in

brief remarks at the event.

Dr. Janelle Burke, the director of the current interdisciplinary environmental studies program, said Williams is among 65 students majoring or minoring in the subject.

“We're hoping to welcome even

more students who will be cutting edge scientists, social scientists, lawyers, sustainable fashion designers—who could be future leaders for sustainable, equitable and environmentally conscious change,” Burke said.

5 Howard Provost Anthony K. Wutoh joins other university leaders to announce the launch of an interdisciplinary Department of Earth, Environment and Equity on April 6 at the Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library. (Kayla Benjamin / The Washington Informer)

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TENNESSEE from Page 1

mass shooting rocked the country –this time at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, which claimed the lives of six people.

Connor Sturgeon, a disgruntled former employee at the Old National Bank in Louisville purchased an AR15-style weapon at a local gun store just a week before his deadly rampage that left him and five others dead.

Sturgeon, 25, who live-streamed his murderous attack, is seen on the video telling a woman who greeted him, “You need to get out of here.”

After his gun jammed, Sturgeon shot the woman in the back and continued his rampage.

DISCRIMINATING AGAINST THE JUSTINS: JUSTIN JONES AND JUSTIN PEARSON

Jones and fellow Democrat Justin Pearson were expelled by the GOP supermajority after the two, along with white Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson, protested the lack of action on gun control and the mass shootings that seem to occur daily in the United States.

Johnson, who wasn’t expelled, said she survived only because she’s white while Jones and Pearson were kicked out because they’re Black.

But the larger gun control issue and the GOP’s merciless power grab even have some in the rank-and-file hesitating and offering caution.

“If my job, along with other members of the RNC, is to protect the brand of the Republican Party, this didn’t help,” Oscar Brock, a Republican National Committeeman from Tennessee, told the New York Times. “You’ve energized young voters against us. Worse than squandering support, you’ve made enemies where we didn’t need them.”

He continued: “Even in Tennessee, we have swing districts in the State House and Senate, and if you’ve angered tens of thousands of students and presumably their parents, you could theoretically expose yourself to a united front.”

Black residents have rallied throughout Tennessee to call attention to the discriminatory politics occurring in the state.

Angelo Tate told television reporters that the GOP’s removal of Jones revealed what he believed was a hidden truth.

“He’s Black, he has our interests at heart, and he gets removed for protesting. That is racial,” Tate, 31, said. “It makes us feel like our choice and our voice is not valued and we seem to be moving backward politically.”

Rachel Tate, 30, told NBC News that “It’s messed up. All [Jones] wanted to do was represent us, and he got penalized for it.”

“White men don’t care what we think,” Tate added. They took our representative away from us. It’s like our vote doesn’t matter.”

In a unanimous vote and a rebuke of Tennessee Republicans, the Nashville Metropolitan Council voted to reappoint Jones to the state House of Representatives.

A spokesperson for GOP House Speaker Cameron Sexton said he’d go along with the council if they chose to send Jones back. He also indicated that he’d also welcome back Pearson if Memphis officials voted later this week to return him to the House.

The Shelby County commission expects to take up a motion to return Pearson this week.

SPEAKING OUT ON GUN CONTROL IN AMERICA

Jones and Pearson have vowed to continue calling on their Republican colleagues to act on gun control after the latest school shooting in Nashville that claimed the lives of three elementary school students and three adults.

The Louisville bank shooting has further underscored the need for legislative action.

Phyllis Qualls, who’s covering the proceedings for the African American-owned Tennessee Tribune, said the G.O.P. leadership miscalculated in expelling Jones and Pearson.

“Republicans had no vision as to the aftermath of what they can do,” Qualls said.

“Mom has always said, ‘What’s done in the dark will come out in the light.’ The Republicans took a major issue like gun control and reduced it to decorum. It’s almost like children in the car complaining that ‘Mom, he’s looking at me.’”

Qualls continued: “The crimes don’t equate, and to do this during holy week, you crucified these men, and they are rising to a level that nobody expected. They have become leaders of the gun control issue, and it was the Republicans who caused that.” WI

@StacyBrownMedia

5 Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were expelled from the Tennessee House. The Metro Council in Nashville reinstated Rep. Justin Jones, while the Shelby County Board of Commissioners is set to hold a vote on reinstating Pearson. (Courtesy photo)

EDUCATION

Washington Teachers’ Union Rededicates Free Library to Elizabeth Davis

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

In the years before her tragic passing, Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) President Elizabeth Davis championed childhood literacy and educational equity, especially in her advocacy for funding that places at least one librarian in every District public school.

That’s why, in their unveiling of the WTU’s recently refurbished free library, teachers’ union members, District public school librarians and We Act Radio staff members celebrated the life and legacy of Davis, for whom they renamed the free library.

For years, the free library became a source of literature for passersby in Eastern Market, where WTU headquarters is located. Davis, who served as the WTU president between 2013 and 2021, had the free library installed in 2017.

While speaking about Davis, WTU president Jacqueline Pogue-Lyons said the rededication ceremony not only recognized Davis’ role in bringing the free library to the WTU office, but reaffirmed WTU’s mission of tackling illiteracy and better equipping teachers in their mastery of the Science of Reading.

“President Davis understood and strongly supported [childhood literacy]. When she got the free library, we put books in it and some of our community members would leave books,” Pogue-Lyons said.

Pogue-Lyons, an early childhood educator and former WTU vice president, succeeded Davis in 2021. Regina Bell, a former legislative committee chair with experience as a school librarian/media specialist, currently serves as WTU’s general vice president.

In taking the helm, Pogue-Lyons said she would carry on Davis’ work

and legacy to ensure that District public school students receive a quality education. Since then, the WTU has been focused on childhood literacy.

“We’re really disturbed that some of our students aren’t faring well,” Pogue-Lyons said. “If they aren’t given the foundation in reading by the end of second grade, they’ll never get the support they need to become literate. [That’s why] I’m glad that We Act Radio agreed to fix the library.”

A CEREMONY IN HONOR OF A LEGEND

On Monday, WTU and We Act Radio co-hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the steps of the WTU headquarters for the newly refurbished free library. At the event, which commemorated School Library Month, Pogue-Lyons provided remarks, as did We Act Radio co-founder Kymone Freeman and Virginia A. Spatz, co-host of a We Act Radio’s Education Town Hall and project manager of the Charnice Milton Community Bookstore.

The free library, painted red, looks like a schoolhouse. A wooden latch has a transparent center with a clear view of several books and a quote by Davis that says “Education is liberating!” On the top is a red, white, and blue sticker designating the free library as part of the Charnice Milton Community Bookstore, which We Act Radio launched in 2019 in memory of the slain Capital Community News and East of the River Magazine reporter.

In 2017, Davis and Spatz collaborated on the installment of the free library, which Spatz’s sister initially purchased for her as a gift. In speaking about the project, Spatz said that the free library would serve commuters standing at a bus stop near WTU

headquarters and residents in the surrounding community, including Potomac Gardens Apartments.

Years later, Davis appeared on an episode of Spatz’s “Community thru Covid” program. As Spatz recounted to the Informer, Davis engaged in conversation with then-American Association of School Librarians president Kathy Carroll about the ever-pressing need for librarians to connect students relegated to their homes with supplemental reading material.

That would not only be the last time Spatz and Davis spoke, but, in part, the impetus for the free library’s repair and rededication.

“The event brought together the resources of the teachers’ union, the Charnice Milton Community Bookstore and We Act Radio,” Spatz said. “We said that we would work together and keep plugging away for students to get what they needed. That suits Liz’s legacy because it brings together people in the community, which is what she was doing up until the day she died.”

THE MISSION CONTINUES

Davis died in a car accident in 2021 on Easter Sunday.

In 2013, Davis entered her role as WTU president with the goal of challenging school closings and the design of the IMPACT teacher evaluation system. She carried out that mission by balancing politics and activism, along with often establish-

ing grassroots rapport among teachers and students. In total, she served more than 40 years as an instructor, with stints at John Philip Sousa Middle School and what was then Jefferson Junior HIgh School.

At the time of her death, Davis had been in the throes of a battle with D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) about proposed budget cuts that would have significantly reduced the teaching staff at nearly 50 schools located east of the Anacostia River. She also led the WTU in challenging DCPS and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s insistence that schools reopen at the height of the pandemic.

Upon teachers and students’ full return to in-person learning, the WTU has solidified Davis’ legacy. With the financial support of the American Federation of Teachers, the local teachers’ union has given away free books of choice to students. It has also taken steps to secure professional development opportunities for teachers in the Science of Reading.

School librarians have also enjoyed much success, thanks in part to Davis’ tireless support and activism. Months after Davis’ death, the D.C. Council approved a budget that secured one librarian for each District public school and increased compensation for tens of thousands of early childhood educators.

However, efforts to make that funding permanent through the Students’ Right to Read Amendment Act fizzled.

K.C. Boyd, a school librarian who was on the front lines of those efforts, said Davis taught her to ask questions and hold school officials and politicians accountable to their word. She added that Davis’s dedication to the cause garnered her respect, and at times disdain, among city officials and DCPS central office figures alike.

In speaking about the Elizabeth Davis free library, Boyd commended WTU for furthering its commitment to childhood literacy. At Jefferson Middle School Academy in Southwest, Boyd has seen young people check out physical copies of books by the numbers, and reading assessment scores increase as a result.

For Boyd, closing the literacy gap means going back to the basics, including infusing a love for independent reading in children. She told The Informer that the late Davis would be in agreement about such a concept.

“Liz fought extremely hard for all children, and she was laser focused on children across the Anacostia River because she didn’t want them left behind,” Boyd said. “With all the craziness in the District, you wondered if children were being put first and you had someone who did it. To be an independent reader, you have to pick up a book and read. Liz embedded in the Washington Teachers’ Union how important it was for children to do that.”

WI @SamPKCollins

5 On Monday, April 10, the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) and We Act Radio co-hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the steps of the WTU headquarters for the newly refurbished free library named in honor of the late WTU President Elizabeth Davis. (Ja’Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)

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Congressman Hoyer Announces $5 Million For School Counseling Programs

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Last week, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D) hosted a roundtable with students and faculty at Bowie State University (BSU) and announced that the institution was recently awarded a $5 million grant to create a pipeline of diverse mental health counselors. Approximately 7,000 students across the nation are expected to be served by this grant program each year.

“Our public schools are in the midst of a mental health emergency,” said Congressman Hoyer. “This grant will enable Bowie State to partner with local school districts to help increase the number of highly qualified school counselors who can provide mental health services in high-need schools while increasing the number of underrepresented counselors.”

This grant, funded by the Deparmtnet of Education’s Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Program, will allow the BSU Department of Counseling to partner with the school districts in neighboring counties to train graduate students and current school counelsors and make them state-certified to teach diverse audiences.

While exact numbers are hard to quantify, research shows that African Americans are underrepresented in mental health professions. In 2019, The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that nearly 70% of social workers and 88% of mental health counselors were white.

“Fourteen of our graduate students will be placed at 14 high-need schools that have been identified by our partners,” said Dr. Nikki Ham, assistant professor of counseling and president of the Maryland School Counselor Association. “Our goal is to create a pipeline of culturally sensitive mental health professionals to serve emotionally distressed students who suffer from depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders and other mental health conditions.” WI

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5 Fifth District Congressman Hoyer (D) met with leaders at Bowie State, including President Aminta Breaux, to announce federal funding to improve diversity in school counselors. (Courtesy Photo/ Office of Congressman Steny Hoyer )

“Our public schools are in the midst of a mental health emergency,” said Congressman Hoyer.

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Emancipation Day Serves as A Charge

to Question Notion of Freedom Today

When the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act was enacted on April 16, 1862, freeing 3,000 enslaved Black Washingtonians, it was a barrier-breaking move and landmark victory in the nationwide fight for the abolition of slavery.

As the Emancipation Proclamation wasn’t issued until January 1, 1863, despite continued racism and segregation, Black Washingtonians felt semblances of freedom more than eight months before slavery became illegal throughout the United States and three years before the official end of the Civil War.

It is for that reason that the District celebrates emancipation to this day, including events citywide and a Mayor’s Office-sponsored parade and concert, this year held on Saturday, April 15.

In the wake of celebrating freedom, however, Washingtonians should question just how “free” they truly are.

Serving as far more than a license plate slogan, “Taxation without representation,” is a rallying cry for the more than 700,000 District residents who pay taxes without full representation in Congress and. Despite D.C.’s Home Rule, Congress has the ability to meddle in District affairs— as was recently seen in the case of the District’s Revised Criminal Code Act debates.

D.C. statehood advocates argue that making the nation's capital a state will offer Washingtonians the full rights of other U.S. citizens, something they currently don’t possess despite paying taxes as American citizens do.

Merriam Webster defines “emancipate,” as a transitive verb meaning “to free from restraint, control, or the power of another.” While the abolition of slavery is certainly worth commemorating, it’s also worth noting that District residents are still under the power of another in many ways— while lacking rights in other aspects.

As Washingtonians celebrate the freeing of enslaved African Americans in the District 161 years ago, Emancipation Day should also serve as a reminder that the District isn’t fully free.

In the famous 1971 words of Fannie Lou Hamer, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” WI

The Easter Egg Hunt: Keeping That Same Energy Year Round

Over the Easter weekend, social media was filled with children, both young and at heart, participating in Easter-egg hunts.

From plastic eggs, decorated boiled eggs, to eggs filled with treats, gifts and cash, Easter egg hunts have become part of not only the Easter holiday, but spring tradition.

If you haven’t participated in one, here’s the skinny: someone(s) hides eggs and a group of people are then charged with filling baskets or bags with the most eggs. The person who gets the most eggs is generally considered the winner, although some hunts include such surprises as golden eggs, which is perhaps special or filled with a more significant prize.

It’s a fun Easter tradition that goes back centuries.

Early Christians considered the egg itself a symbol of spring and new life, making the egg itself a symbol of resurrection and the empty shell a nod to the empty tomb. During the medieval period, eating Eggs during Lent was forbidden, and thus a treat at Easter. By 1290 Edward I had 450 eggs decorated with colors and gold leaf and distributed throughout his household, according to EnglishHeritage.org.

The actual Easter egg Hunt is often attributed to the 16th century when Martin Luther organized hunts for his congregation in which the men would hide them and the women and children would look for them. The tradition of women and children searching for the eggs served as a reference to the women finding Jesus’ empty tomb.

Today, Easter egg hunts are fun, but they’re more than that. Easter egg hunts are activities that allow people to go full throttle for what they want, searching high and low to achieve their goals.

The greedy people, pushing other folks out the way, are noted and seen as such. The tactful hunters who collect their eggs quietly are also apparent. That running and smiling ear-to-ear, eager egg hunter is also witnessed as well.

Full of high energy, joy and beautiful treats, Easter egg hunts can be a lesson in the beauty of searching for what you want full throttle, while also supporting and cheering on others.

No one, despite how many eggs collected or cash won, should be bitter after Easter egg Hunts.

As we begin the second quarter of the year, let’s maintain the same vigor in achieving our goals as Easter egg hunters. Let’s keep that same energy, not just in the Easter and spring season, but year round. WI

Justice Trumps All

If Donald Trump is guilty of his accused crimes, I hope justice is served swiftly. However, I know whether he’s guilty or not, this whole process will be a dog and pony show dragged out by the media. Hopefully, the lessons from this will be learned and applied going forward.

Reginald Grader Washington, D.C.

Readers' Mailbox

Hitting the Decks

I really enjoyed the story about Howard University student DJ Doobie. It’s awesome to see women behind the ones and twos and getting their flowers. DJing is still an art form, and I’m glad the next generation is keeping it alive.

Jamie Brice Washington, D.C.

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.

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

Charlene Crowell

$322B Bank Failures Become a Different 'March Madness'

In 2023, "March Madness" took on a new meaning. Traditionally known as the nation's premier college basketball competition, this year that moniker could also describe the madness that sprang from the closure of two banks with combined assets of $322 billion that affected consumers and small businesses in over 15 states.

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), established in 1983, grew its operations to

15 states by 1996 — from California to New York, north to Washington state to as far south as Texas and Florida. In December 2022, its assets totaled $212 billion and the bank employed over 8,500 people.

But on March 8 in an attempt to improve its own liquidity, SVB instead incurred a $1.8 billion loss. The next business day, a run of bank withdrawals totaled $40 billion. And on March 10, SVB was forced to close and became the second-largest bank failure since Washington Mutual in 2008.

Similarly, Signature Bank, founded

Guest Columnist

This special holy season this year, as many people are observing Ramadan, Passover and Easter during the same week, is also 55 years to the week after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. It is as useful as ever right now to return to his last Sunday sermon, delivered at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 1968. Dr. King said its title, "Remaining Awake Through a

Great Revolution," was based on the old story of Rip Van Winkle, who fell asleep for 20 years and slept right through the American Revolution — and he warned us that during upheaval in our own times we must not do the same.

As Dr. King spoke about the freedom revolution he saw happening around the world and the urgent need for America to finally end racial injustice, he addressed "the myth of time." This was the idea that only the passage of time would ultimately solve this, and Black people and their

in 2001 as a commercial bank headquartered in New York City, grappled with its own problems that also led to a March closure. Signature Bank had 40 branches and 1,800 employees throughout the New York metropolitan area, Connecticut, North Carolina, California and Nevada, in addition to its online banking services. In December 2022, the bank had assets of $110.4 billion and total deposits of $88.6 billion.

Only days after SVB's closure, Signature, with heavy concentrations of investments in private equity ($28

billion in loans) and commercial businesses like cryptocurrency, experienced its own $10 billion run on deposits. With an estimated 90% of its deposits uninsured, according to Barron's, Signature's stock dropped 50%. On March 12, it was forced to close, and became the third-largest bank failure in the nation since 2008.

Many might wonder how costly bank failures could occur when 2008's Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was created to prevent such financial calamities.

Congressional leaders want an-

Marian Wright Edelman

allies simply needed to be patient. Dr. King said there is an answer to this myth: "It is that time is neutral. It can be used whether constructively or destructively. And I am sorry to say this morning that I am absolutely convinced that the forces of ill will in our nation, the extreme rightists of our nation—the people on the wrong side — have used time much more effectively than the forces of goodwill."

He continued: "It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation, not merely for the vitri-

olic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, 'Wait on time.' Somewhere we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are willing to be co-workers with God. And without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. So we must help time and realize that the time is al-

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

Rolling Fork, Mississippi, has been virtually erased by a tornado hurling winds of up to 200 miles per hour. "It's bad out here," Jourdan Hartshorn told ABC News, "It's literally devastation, Ground Zero." Twenty-five people were killed in Mississippi and one in nearby Alabama. More storms are forecast for the coming days.

The scope and swiftness of the destruction was unprecedented. Residents only got a 20-minute warning, if that. The tornado was nearly a mile wide, and carved a path of nearly 60 miles on the ground. Houses and gas stations were swept away. Power lines down. People are wandering the streets in shock.

The population of Rolling Fork is virtually all Black. Mississippi is the poorest state in the union and Rolling Fork is one of the poorer

towns in Mississippi. Now, many small farmers and small business people, workers and retirees have lost virtually everything. Crisis triggers response. First-responders came to save those they could and care for the wounded. Police, fire, and rescue squads from the area rushed in immediately. Volunteers from churches and across the community helped those who were hit. Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency. President Biden mobilized the federal response. Once more the Federal

swers to that question.

"[T]hese events are a wakeup call," said Maxine Waters, a California congresswoman and ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee. "We must uncover how management, regulatory, and supervisory failures contributed to these events and explore solutions to strengthen the safety and soundness of our banks. Small business owners should not be expected to serve as a financial regulator when paying their employees, and commu-

CROWELL Page 52

ways ripe to do right."

A few minutes later Dr. King shared the parable of the rich man Dives, who went to hell, and the poor, sick man Lazarus, who laid outside Dives' gate hoping for crumbs from his table. Dr. King said Dives didn't go to hell because he was rich, but instead of realizing that his wealth was his opportunity to bridge the gulf between them, Dives walked by Lazarus every day and never really saw him: "He went to hell because he

Emergency Management Agency was deployed to supply water, food, medicine and emergency shelter.

The governor and mayor vowed to rebuild. But Rolling Fork needs to be built back better — not simply rebuilt. The trailers that many lived in were no match for the winds. The poverty that afflicted too many left them even more vulnerable in the wake of the storm.

One thing that we must know: more storms are coming, and they will be more destructive. No one storm can be attributed directly

to catastrophic climate change. But this storm was virtually unprecedented in its ferocity. And the southern states have experienced 236 tornadoes in March, a number not seen since the early 1950s. Extreme weather is not a future threat. It is a present danger, as Rolling Fork can testify. If we don't take immediate and radical action to address climate change, then Rolling Fork will be repeated — from fires or floods or droughts

E. Faye Williams

They Call It Basketball

I am a fervent sports fan and viewing sports brings great joy to my life. I enjoy a good NBA game or any game played by my New Orleans Saints. I even watch professional baseball – just with a little less enthusiasm.

My viewing is not limited to professional sports nor do I exclusively view "male" sporting contests. I have nieces who are

gymnasts and whose performance in the sport suggests future greatness and acclaim. I enjoy female sports and consider them among the vehicles which will lead to full gender equality.

On Sunday, April 2, true sports fans were glued to their televisions watching the final game of the NCAA women's basketball tournament between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers. When competitors were finally determined, it was hyped as a thriller. Most pundits

gave the advantage to Iowa. The Hawkeyes' strength on the court and their regular season record was no joke. Pundits declared the Hawkeyes' Caitlin Clark as a collegiate "best."

Jasmine Carson, a Lady Tiger never known by the title of "hero," became one by scoring 21 points in the first half with the final points in the half coming on a buzzer-beater. Although Jasmine only scored one point during the second half, her firsthalf performance put the game out of reach for Iowa.

Marc H. Morial

At halftime, the Lady Tigers had a big lead, and it seemed that they would maintain that lead, but the Iowa team came back with a long scoring run. Things got a bit tense for LSU fans before the Lady Tigers pulled away again – for good. At the final buzzer, the Lady Tigers were victorious by the lopsided score of 102-85, winning their first national title. For the first time, a women's team broke the 100-point mark in a championship game, surpassing the previous record of 97 points.

Despite being a Louisiana native, I saw this as a contest between the best women's teams in collegiate basketball. Both teams played great games. In my opinion, their performance exceeded that of the men in their final game the following night. However, with few exceptions, one could have viewed this game believing that Black women were playing white women. Sadly, whether implied or suggested some critics analyzed through

VP Harris' Historic Trip To Africa Promotes Global Peace, Economic Prosperity

up this diverse continent, but for the American people and people around the world." — Vice President Kamala Harris, address to Ghanian youth

serve among the delegation that traveled to Ghana as part of Vice President Harris' historic trip to promote democracy and economic prosperity.

beset by economic instabilities.

"It is your spark, your creativity, and your determination that will drive the future. And with that then, African ideas and innovations will shape the future of the world. And so we must invest in the African ingenuity and creativity, which will unlock incredible economic growth and opportunities, not only for the people of the 54 countries that make

Africa is home to more than 1.4 billion people, whose median age is 19.

By 2050, one in four people on Earth will be on the continent. Peace and stability in Africa are vital to peace and stability in the rest of the world.

That's why I was honored to

It was a far different Ghana than I experienced in 1980, when as a college student I accompanied my father, Ernest "Dutch" Morial — then-mayor of New Orleans — on a trade mission. Since the presidency of the great pan-African leader Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana had been ruled by series of alternating military and civilian governments,

Ghana now is one of the continent's most stable democracies, and the United States' most important partner on a range of issues in West Africa, including conflict prevention, inclusive economic growth, and climate resilience.

The trip was both a source of great pride and great opportunity for Vice President Harris and for the United States, as we engaged with young creatives, tech entrepreneurs, and other young people to highlight the dynamism on the

continent and how African innovations have benefitted the entire world.

As the first Black vice president, she represents an authentic cultural link with Africa. That link was reflected in the warm reception she received, with Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo welcoming her "home" and addressing her as "Abena, the Akan name for all Tuesday-born females."

The visit to Cape Coast Castle,

MORIAL Page 54

Authoritarians Want to Write Their Own Rules, But We Can't Let Them

So here we go again. Once more, the country is in the grip of a Donald Trump drama, when there are so many other important issues we need to address. As the world now knows, Trump has been indicted in New York on charges related to paying hush money to an adult film performer. The charges are felonies because prosecutors intend to

show that Trump hid the payouts in phony business records in order to commit yet another crime — possibly a violation of campaign finance law, or even a tax law violation.

It's all a sad and disgusting mess. And this, like the other charges that could soon be made against Trump, reflect a fundamental truth about him: a belief that rules can be bent, broken or rewritten to accommodate his personal agenda. But Trump is not alone in this; it's common to authoritarian types.

Take another Florida man — Gov. Ron DeSantis.

While the focus has been on Trump, machinations have been under way in Florida to change the state's resign-to-run law. That law says an elected official cannot run for another elected position if its term overlaps with the term they're currently serving. Republican legislators have come out in favor of repealing this law — which appears to be the one thing delaying DeSantis' plunge into the presidential race.

DeSantis is certainly not in a hurry to resign as governor. The job gives him way too many opportunities for his culture-war theatrics. Rewriting the law would suit him just fine, though, and I am sure he has made that clear to the GOP leaders advocating for this in the state House and Senate.

While DeSantis appears likely to get election laws tailored for his benefit, a Florida elections bill just introduced in the state Senate does plenty to make it harder for people in his state to vote.

One especially disturbing provision is an obvious response to the embarrassing fallout for DeSantis after he trumpeted a crackdown on returning citizens who tried to vote. DeSantis had egg on his face when these folks were arrested even though they had been issued state voter IDs. The new Senate bill says voter ID cards should have a disclaimer printed on them saying they are "not legal verification of the eligibility to vote." That's just

MYRICK Page 54

WILLIAMS Page 54

Guest Columnist

Svante Myrick

Guest Columnist

LIFESTYLE

‘The Giz,’ Celebrates District Culture and Features Local Legends

By Micha Green WI Managing Editor

With a cast filled with the DMV’s own and local legends, and a show built on the premise of “The Wiz” but with a “GoGo swing,” DC Black Broadway’s production of “The Giz,” April 28-30, highlights District talent, reveals the challenges the nation’s capital faces and celebrates the

beauty of D.C. culture.

“You’ve got Dorothy, aka ‘Dottie,’ from Hillsborough, North Carolina, who gets swept up and is coming through Washington,” said Dr. Lovail Long, founding president and CEO of DC Black Broadway, who also birthed “The Giz.” “She starts her journey in Prince George’s County, Landover, or Landova,” he joked, “and she goes through

Uptown, through Northeast, to Southwest, through Chocolate City, to Southeast. Throughout her travels she meets a lot of characters, and she gets to learn the lingo, the music, and she gets to learn the culture of Washington, D.C. So we touch on a lot of things: gentrification, we touch on drug use, we touch on so many things in this play.”

Rayshun LaMarr, who appeared on season 14 of NBC’s “The Voice,” and is playing The Scarecrow, in “The Giz,” said he has a similar trajectory to the character of Dottie. He moved to D.C. from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, before attending the District’s celebrated Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Having previously performed as The Wiz in another production (among a host of artistic credits across mediums), the multifaceted artist said this production has been didactic in learning more about the nation’s capital.

“If you’re not from D.C., and if you’re not from a certain era, and you don’t really know about the D.C. culture, you’re going to learn. That is one of the things that I have learned and am still learning throughout this show,” he said. “Come to the show, you’re definitely going to get a culture lesson.”

From sparkly red New Balances to the GoGo sound, “The Giz,” showcases some of the celebrated aspects of Washington, D.C.

LIVING THE DREAM, MAKING HISTORY, SHARING GOGO WITH THE WORLD

Classically trained vocalist and Duke Ellington alumna Hilary Daniel said bringing the role of Dorothy or “Dottie,” to life is a dream come true.

“I had the opportunity to be an understudy for [Dorothy in another production] so being able to bring it to life, now, as the lead, and being able to incorporate the D.C. culture, it’s honestly been a dream. It’s been very fun getting to know my D.C. legends and these amazing talents that we

have here in the city,” Daniel told the Informer.

Local GoGo talents include Prema Smith, creator of Prema’s Voice and formerly of Pure Elegance Band and Dysfunctional Band, and Frank “Scooby,” Marshall of Sirius and Company Band and The Chuck Brown Band, playing the characters of Tin Ma and The Lion, respectively.

“Being a part of Dr. Lovail’s production is such an honor. I walked up to him and [said], ‘Thank you,’ and he [said], ‘You earned this,” explained Smith, who also noted the historicity of the moment, as it coincides with the centennial celebration of the Lincoln Theatre.

“The Lincoln Theatre is our history. I was just talking to my mom and she just [said], ‘That was just one of the [few] theaters us Black people were allowed to go to— that and the Republic. So this is an opportunity where we are making history all over again to be able to bring this to the Lincoln Theatre,” Smith told the Informer.

Marshall emphasized the importance of this production sharing GoGo with the masses.

“Being an ambassador to the rest of the world and showing people that GoGo can translate to theatre, film and not just the [concert] stage— and helping the music be heard… is really important to me,” Marshall said on WIN-TV. “I always take that seriously, in making sure the music is heard and felt by not just people in D.C., but also represented in a way that we can stand alone amongst our peers in other genres of music.”

WI

Read the full story on www. washingtoninformer.com.

5 Some of the cast and creative team of ‘The Giz,’ chats with WI Managing Editor Micha Green. (Screenshot)

D.C. Native Chita Rivera Honored at Stephen Sondheim Gala

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

Chita Rivera is legendary for her dancing, acting, and generosity. She was recently honored at the Stephen Sondheim Gala, an annual event from Signature Theatre, based in Shirlington, Virginia, held at the Italian Embassy.

In her remarks, Rivera acknowledged the role that local theaters play in developing up-and-coming actors, choreographers, composers, and production staff.

“It is so important to support theaters like Signature, especially during these past difficult years,” said the three-time Tony award winner.

Rivera, a District native, grew up on Flagler Place, NW, near LeDroit Park. Her early dance training was through the historic Jones-Haywood Dance Studio, which still operates today. Rivera

was Anita in the original 1957 cast of Broadway’s “West Side Story.”

The lyrics for the award-winning musical were written by Sondheim, and the music was composed by Leonard Bernstein.

The audience at the embassy heard songs associated with Rivera’s theater career. She was serenaded by Broadway’s and D.C.’s musical theatre community. Tony award winner Jessie Mueller, who recently starred in “Guys and Dolls” at the Kennedy Center, sang “Somewhere” from “West Side Story.” Local artist and multiple award winner Nova Y. Payton, who appeared in Ford’s Theatre’s “Grace” and Signature’s “The Color Purple,” sang “A Lot of Livin’ to Do” from “Bye Bye Birdie.”

It was an exciting evening honoring a successful and legendary D.C. artist.

5 (L-R) During the Stephen Sondheim Gala, Michelle S. Lee, founder, president, and CEO of STG International, Inc., received The J. Watkins Distinguished Service Award. Three-time Tony award winner Chita Rivera was honored with the top Sondheim Gala award for her contributions to American Musical Theater. The event was produced by Signature Theatre. (Courtesy Photo/Margo Shulman)

LIFESTYLE

Tickets On Sale Now!

Monterey Jazz Festival Comes to Strathmore

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

Jazz Appreciation Month continues with the Monterey Jazz Festival Tour (MJFT) on April 20 at Strathmore Music Center in North Bethesda, Maryland. Featured performers are 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater, vocalist Kurt Elling, saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, pianist Christian Sands, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Clarence Penn. This is the 65th year for the tour, and the D.C. area performance is the next to last stop for 2023.

“It’s a wonderful band,” said Dee Dee Bridgewater. “Christian Sands is one of our young stars, and I love that he could lead this whole thing. Kurt [Elling] is a dear, dear friend. And Lakecia is someone that I’ve mentored a little bit. I have a mentoring program for women called the Woodshed Network, and she was in the first edition. We’ve just stayed close ever since then, and her star is rising.”

Benjamin, who has performed with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Gregory Porter. Rashied Ali, Christian McBride and others, has received rave reviews for her latest album “Phoenix.” The album was produced by drummer/composer/ producer/educator and 2021 NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington. Benjamin will perform a selection from the album at Strathmore.

“Phoenix” honors traditions with

special guests 2018 NEA Jazz Master Dianne Reeves, vocalist Georgia Anne Muldrow, pianist/vocalist/composer/bandleader Patrice Rushen, poet Sonia Sanchez, activist Angela Davis and saxophonist the late Wayne Shorter.

Available for preview is a video for the upcoming MJFT concert.

https://youtu.be/hJrn7-8lOfA WI @bcscomm

5 Monterey Jazz Festival Tour comes to Strathmore Music Center on April 20. Pictured (L-R) are pianist Christian Sands, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, singer Kurt Elling, and drummer Clarence Penn. (Courtesy photo/Jim Stone)

5 Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, a member of the Monterey Jazz Festival Tour, will perform with the group at Strathmore Music Center on April 20. Featured during the concert will be a selection from her latest album “Phoenix.” (Courtesy photo/Elizabeth Leitzell)

How to Exercise Good Financial Health

Sponsored content from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

April is Financial Literacy Month – a perfect time to start building a foundation for a healthy financial future. Good financial health is the foundation on which strong and resilient households, communities and economies are built, but the reality is, many struggle to manage their financial daily lives.

In recognition of Financial Literacy Month, Brian Atkins, Chase Skyland community Manager in Washington, D.C. offered top financial tips to help achieve financial freedom and build generational wealth.

1. Small steps lead to bigger opportunities:  No matter what amount of money you have, taking small steps towards building a solid financial foundation is key. Whether it’s saving a little more each month, starting to save for the first time or monitoring your credit score, these steps can help you prepare for the unexpected while setting you up for long-term success.

2. Establish good credit: The main elements of securing a good credit score include paying your bills on time, the length of time you’ve had a credit history, and the amount and type of accounts you have. Potential lenders will use this information to determine your credit risk. Managing your finances wisely will help you establish strong credit, a practice that will pay off when you want to make larger purchases like a car or a home.

3. Embrace digital tools: Apps,

online goal sheets and budget builders are a great way to manage your finances. Look into what digital tools your financial partner offers. Whether it’s credit and identify monitoring, or setting up repeating automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings account, these tools will help keep you on track with your payments and savings goals.

4. Include the whole family in the process: It’s never too early to get kids started on their financial journey. Ask your bank about opening up a joint checking account geared towards children to help them establish good financial habits. A joint account can offer features designed to help kids learn the importance of saving and meeting their financial goals, whether it’s tracking their spending, creating recurring payments and setting spending limits, or being rewarded when completing chores and earning an allowance to deposit. Once your child understands the importance of saving the money they earn, they can begin to build savings habits that will last a lifetime.

5. Ask for help: Whether it’s meeting with a banker or talking to friends or family, conversations and advice

can be critical to improving financial health, from building a budget to more complex matters like saving for retirement.

6. Keep the conversation going:  Talk with your partner or other family members regularly about your financial goals and how you plan to achieve them, and check in with your children to discuss their financial activity – whether it be what or where they’re spending, how much they’re

earning, or their savings goal. These discussions all provide opportunities to keep money as part of your family conversations.

Establishing solid financial habits can be a lifetime process, but it’s easier if you learn the fundamentals as early as possible. It’s never too early, or too late, to begin your journey, and this month is a great time to get started or recommit to your financial health. For more financial health tips, visit chase. com/financialgoals.

Combating the racial wealth divide

JPMorgan Chase is building on our investments in Washington, D.C. and around the country to help close the racial wealth gap and build a more equitable future.

As part of our commitment, we are taking actions to help improve financial health and access to banking in Black, Latino and Hispanic communities. Learn more at jpmorganchase.com/racialequity

5 Brian Atkins, Chase Skyland Community Manager

Exhibition Observes

50 Years of D.C, with Home Rule

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Home Rule for the District of Columbia, Nolan Williams, a versatile creator of music, stage, and film projects, curated the exhibition “DC Home Rule 50” through his company NEWorks Productions. In the artistic showcase, visitors will see murals and photos that beautifully convey D.C.’s history, strength, and significance.

Vintage photographs are combined with new works created by nine student photographers from American University, Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia. The results show a dynamic representation of D.C.’s worth.

Now at the DC History Center in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of the District, the exhibition can be viewed until July 9, 2023. Visitors will feel a clear message that statehood for the Nation’s Capital is long overdue.

“The truth is that even though we have Home Rule, even though we have emancipation, the work of social justice continues,” Williams said at the opening of the exhibition. We hope that you will be reenergized and recommitted because we who believe in freedom cannot rest until it fully comes.”

Along with images from the university students, Additional images are from DC photographer Lateef Mangum, now the city of DC’s new historian for archives and photos. Visit the NEWorks website for an overview of “DC Home Rule 50.”

4 (L-R) District photographer Lateef Mangum, recently appointed as the city’s historian for archives and photos, contributed photos to the “DC Home Rule 50” exhibition. Nolan Williams is the creator and curator of the exhibition through his company NEWorks Productions. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

5 At the DC History Center, huge murals depict the District’s history in the “DC Home Rule 50” exhibition. Seen is a large mural of the Randall Junior High School 1954 ninthgrade class. Singer/composer and D.C. native Marvin Gaye is in the class photo, and a timeline of his life is read by visitors. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

Claim Your Wellness in these Changing and Challenging Times with Epigenetic and Bioenergetics

By Rev. Dr Karen Khadijah Davis-Foulks

You are the Creator of Your Life…Create the World You Want to See. Keep Life Simple! It’s time to make Conscious Self-Healthcare M.O.V.E.S. (Mental Observation View is Essential for Self-Success) with self-healthcare medicine by being your “Own Wellness Doctor”. Step Up Out of the Dark Ages of Disease Care. Health is Consciousness and Healing is a Function of Consciousness. Is it time, is it the season to liberate from medical hexing and pharmaceuticals? Could it be time for you to emancipate yourself from medical mental slavery?

April is cell-a-brated as Conscious Self-Healthcare and Lymphatic Cellular Wellness

Month and April 30, 2023, is the 13th National World-wide Celebration of Emancipate Yourself from Medical Mental Slavery Day (EYFMMSD).

With all the new medical studies and information on disease care management and the development of new quantum health tools and software we as individuals can make a better wiser and more sustainable choice for the best care of the human and energetic body. We are empowered to not fall victim to one way as the best way and the only way to maintain and improve our state of health as we correct our Cellular Malfunctions, not diseases.

The 2023 EYFMMSD cellabration radio show will air on Sunday, April 30th at 10 AM PST/1 PM EST on www.innerlightradio.com. We will not have a panel discussion this year we will honor the life of former Commissioner of 8B06 Brother Humam Abdulmalik, founder of Blackanized Inc., poet and author of “Reflection In Contrast and Chess Made Simple for Everyone. Humam Abdulmalik my business partner, friend, and facilitator /co-founder of the Conscious Chess M.O.V.E.S. program made his transition on June 6, 2022. You can send in a 3-minute (mp3 file)

DMV Art Roundup

By Andrew S. Jacobson WI Contributing Writer

tribute for Humam Abdulmalik to ddavisfoulks@gmail.com which will be played on the show.

As each individual chooses to Shift Out of Chronic Disease Care Stress, I offer every person an opportunity to receive one FREE NES Health Bioenergetics Voice Scan from the comfort of your home using your phone or computer recording software visit www.consciouselfcare.com for details. You think the Metaverse view is real just wait until you see the view from the energetic, frequency, and vibration of the activities of your cells, Wow!

Family, Community, and Friends we have seen a lot, heard a lot, and experience a lot in the past 4 years. We have buried friends and loved ones, and our lifestyle, personal viewpoints, understanding, and self-assurance have all been challenged and changed.

We are divine energetic beings having a beautiful human experience on planet earth. Embrace the new paradigm in epigenetics and Bioenergetics; you have the power over your health and well-being. You are in control of your cells and your genes. Your thoughts and your environment can heal you from the inside out. Stress is a silent major influence on our health, and our healing and most feel they may not be under mental or physical stress and believe that they have a strong stress resistance. We all are handling so much more than we could have ever imagined. Why not have the Max Pulse 3-minutes cardiovascular screening pulse wave analysis and know your level of arterial elasticity (arterial stiffness) and your stress score? You will receive your easy-to-read printout at the time of your visit so that you can make conscious self-healthcare choices for your self-care program. Call 202248-7749 or email ddavisfoulks@gmail.com for details.

Yes! As Brother Humam Abdulmalik stated “We are not Our Own Enemy…We Must Heal and Deal with SelfLove” join us on the Friendship Train Ride every Wellness Wednesday at 4 PM EST and visit Youtube.com/KDAVISF for new and past radio shows. All Aboard! Time to breathe deeply with Rev. *Dr Karen Khadijah Davis-Foulks your host, Quantum Healthcare and Lymphatic Wellness Specialist.* Karen is not a medical physician.

Over the past two weeks, the Informer was honored to attend several monumental presentations. The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) hosted events surrounding the opening of its show entitled “The Culture: Hip-Hop & Contemporary Art in the 21st Century.” Then, Honfleur Gallery and Homme DC both hosted presentations in D.C. over the weekend.

BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART

The BMA’s group showing was co-organized with the Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) and will travel to the midwest late Summer 2023. The presentation covered 50 years of hip hop, as represented by over 60 contemporary works, fashion and design installations, as well as video works.

HONFLEUR GALLERY

Honfleur Gallery’s closing reception for Shaolin Jazz’s “Sound Patterns No. 8.” This locally sourced collective features an exploration of martial arts within a Black aesthetic. If you’re struggling to conceptualize, think: Wu-Tang Clan meets Blacksploitation films. If you love Jim Kelley and the RZA, then this was the place for you!

HOMME DC

Rik Holden, known as “Rikasso,” had a solo showing at Homme DC and Hines Real Estate’s collaborative pop-up. Centered around a home-listing, the venue left art enthusiasts doing more home inspection than otherwise expected at a show. That being said, the art spoke for itself. Self-taught, Holden applies a curious blend of surrealism and realism.

On first seeing the work, it appeared that Mickalene Thomas had been overtaken by the Cartoon Network.

Holden applies a mixture of oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolor, and house paint to fabricate his narrative.

When asked what inspired him to paint this way, Holden explained, “During the renaissance, they used Black subjects and turned them white. I’m just reverting that and adding things that I liked.”

WI

5 The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) hosted events surrounding the opening of its show entitled “The Culture: Hip-Hop & Contemporary Art in the 21st Century.” (Courtesy Photo)

People around the world are using these soft plastics to make ecobricks. Ecobricks are plastic bottles tightly packed with wrappers and other soft plastics. They can be used for building walls, furniture, play structures, houses and more.

All it takes is imagination and some plastic bottles and plastic waste.

Can you nd these things hidden in the ecobrick?

How to Make an Ecobrick

Stu

you need:

• Plastic bottles (including lids)

• Clean and dry plastic garbage

• Scissors

• A stick that is at least the length of the bottle

• Scales

• Permanent markers (for writing on the bottle)

What to do:

The Plastic Problem

Over 380 million tons of plastic is produced every year. The world uses 500 billion single-use plastic bags every year. A plastic bag is used for only 15 minutes on average, but the plastic itself can last more than 1,000 years!

Plastic pollution is a big problem, but people around the world are finding solutions. Ecobricks is one of the solutions.

What can go in an ecobrick?

Do the math under each item. Even-numbered answers can go in ecobricks. Odd-numbered answers can not. Circle the things that can go into an ecobrick bottle in green and cross out the things that can’t in red.

How much should an ecobrick weigh?

A

STEP 1: Make sure your plastic materials are clean and dry

STEP 3: Pack it tight. Tip: mix up soft and hard plastic.

Don’t over ll it. There should be 1-2 cm between the cap and the plastic inside.

STEP 2: Add small pieces of plastic, plastic bags and other kinds of clean plastic to the bottle. Use the stick to push more plastic in as you ll the bottle.

Ecobricks are sometimes called bottle bricks. Why do you think that name fits?

STEP 4: Choose a project to support. Find out if there are any local community projects that are looking for ecobrick donations. If you can’t nd one, there are hundreds online to get involved in.

Plastic Scavenger Hunt

Look through a newspaper to find examples of products that come in plastic or have plastic in them. Choose five and come up with a way to get that product without plastic.

Standards

Look through your newspaper for examples of people finding solutions to the plastic problem. Write a letter to the editor about how making ecobricks could help reduce plastic pollution in your community.

Planet Protector Tip

Share a tip with other children on ways they can help protect our planet.

in

Using the work with fill

Ecobricks can be set in concrete to build walls for homes, planter boxes and much more.

review wi book

"A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them" By

Timothy Egan

c.2023, Viking / $30

432 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

Who's in charge around here?

That would be you, the person at the top of the chain, the head honcho, the Fearless Leader. Your desk is where the buck stops in your organization. Everything is in your hands and you're in charge — but, as in the new book "A Fever in the Heartland" by Timothy Egan, don't get too comfortable on that throne.

When the Ku Klux Klan first appeared, they came in the night and people thought they were ghosts — which was the point. None of the six original founders, nor any of their subsequent followers wanted to be known as a member of the Klan in those post-Civil War years, and being ghost-like kept their secrets. Then, the Klan was mostly in the South, although filmmaker D.W Griffith and Washington politics weren't against its spread. But by 1922, the Klan had slowly crept northward.

Up north, in Indiana, D.C. Stephenson, who went by the name "Steve," was a "young man on the make," just starting a new life in Evansville, and he noticed what was happening. He knew the Klan had vowed to keep Evansville mostly white and Protestant, and that made him almost giddy. This was something Steve could sink his teeth into.

That spring, he ran for Congress on a platform that promised to fight for the Klan on behalf of every white person in Indiana. In short order, he'd worked his way up and was the leader of the nation's fastest-growing KKK chapter in the north.

One year later, though a handful of people quietly fought against what Steve was doing, he was a powerful man who did whatever he wanted to do, bragging that he was the law in Indiana. But his swagger hid something that few knew: Steve was a predator and an alcoholic, and before the spring of 1925 was out, he was also a murderer with a corpse as a witness.

That was when those against him knew it was time to take the Klan down …

For readers who have no patience for laying out the long facts, "A Fever in the Heartland" can be a bit of frustration.

It starts off with a meeting that, despite good intentions, is clearly not going to end well at all. Author Timothy Egan then switches to a history of the Klan, which is informative and necessary and slides into a long, long horror story of the terrorism of an entire state by a man who gained power with frightening speed. The length of it may numb you to the terror, and getting to the meat of the story — the subtitle's promise — feels like forever.

The good news is that when it does, the frustration dissipates immediately and you'll be turning pages like they're on fire. Things happen quickly here, as you begin to see how "A Fever in the Heartland" might resonate for modern readers. If you relish that kind of historical crime drama, look hard at your to-be-read pile and put this one on the top. WI

horoscopes

ARIES Kick off your week with a surge of adventurous energy! On Monday and Tuesday, you'll be a veritable pioneer, boldly forging new trails and meeting new people everywhere you go. Expect that action to subside by Wednesday and Thursday as obstacles and obligations crop up to block your path. You'll need to show some flexibility and patience to persevere. Lucky Numbers: 3, 11, 42

TAURUS Slow down on Monday and Tuesday! You'll find that you're in an unusual rush, which is weird for you, but just take a deep breath and resist any impulsive urges. On Wednesday and Thursday, you'll come back into your own, and how! All of your best traits, especially your persistence, practicality, and energetic stamina, will be magnified, and others will be amazed in your presence. Enjoy the flattery and make the most of the excitement (especially if romance is involved). Lucky Numbers: 18, 39, 57

GEMINI Take the initiative as the week begins. You're a dynamo on Monday and Tuesday, able to communicate quickly and come up with new plans on the fly (with a little help from your friends, of course). On Wednesday and Thursday, you'll need to drop your speed back down to a relaxing coast. Unexpected obstacles could block your way, but patience should see you through. Lucky Numbers: 15, 18, 56

CANCER Don't overreact as the week begins. Monday and Tuesday could both present emotional challenges thanks to your temporarily extra-sensitive intellect. If you can stay calm, cool, and collected, though, you'll pull through fine. On Wednesday and Thursday, make plenty of time to socialize. You're entirely too charming right now to stay at home. Lucky Numbers: 4, 34, 47

LEO Ready to learn something new? The beginning of this week should provide more than a few opportunities to discover interesting people and downright amazing ideas, and you'll even have some fun in the process. On Wednesday and Thursday, your focus will shift to big-picture thoughts on your reputation and career. Try to figure out how best to progress. Lucky Numbers: 5, 16, 24

VIRGO As the week begins, you'll be filled with an unusually assertive sense of purpose. Use this spirit and ambition to get things done on Monday and Tuesday, even if others are reluctant to help. On Wednesday and Thursday, take any opportunity to travel, even if it's just across town. A shift in perspective could clear up your mental outlook. Lucky Numbers: 22, 32, 39

LIBRA You'll be called on to make a compromise in a one-on-one partnership as the week begins, but fortunately striking a balance is your personal specialty. Find win/win solutions on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, you'll continue your focus on partnerships and alliances, but others will ask you to intervene in their own affairs. Lucky Numbers: 2, 15, 35

SCORPIO Watch out for trouble as the week begins! You're filled with initiative and energy on Monday and Tuesday, and it's a great time to start things, but that assertiveness could bring you into conflict if you're not careful. On Wednesday and Thursday, put more of a premium on flexibility. Your instinct might be to give your passions free rein and push ahead, but a slower, more flexible solution could do more good. Lucky Numbers: 2, 26, 38

SAGITTARIUS You can accomplish almost anything as the week begins. Monday and Tuesday both find you filled with playful enthusiasm and an almost kid-like creativity, so put all that energy to good use. On Wednesday and Thursday, focus on the big picture. You'll have a good handle on what needs to be done and what details have to come together to make that happen. Lucky Numbers: 9, 13, 16

CAPRICORN You may have to put things off as the week begins. On Monday and Tuesday, events are at odds with your desires and plans, but be patient. You just need to show some perseverance. On Wednesday and Thursday, take at least some time off to relax and goof off, especially with friends and kids (or even just kid-like friends!). This could be a rare and fun interlude, a quick respite from your usual busyness. Lucky Numbers: 14, 21, 37

AQUARIUS The week begins on an altruistic note for you. On Monday and Tuesday, you'll find plenty of opportunities to lend a helping hand, and what goes around will surely come around. On Wednesday and Thursday, boredom could get the best of you if you're not careful. Find creative ways to mix things up, even if it's just swapping strange stories with friends. Lucky Numbers: 20, 21, 33

PISCES Everything is a blur as the week begins. Your Monday and Tuesday could find you hard-pressed to sort out truths from half-truths (not to mention outright lies), and nothing ends up being quite what it seems. Proceed with caution. Wednesday and Thursday should both be better days for action. Your communication skills are unusually attuned, and others will swoon over your sweet, soft words. Lucky Numbers: 1, 19, 22

Coaches Serve as Role Models for Black Coaches

By Ed Hill WI Contributing Writer

With the hiring of two first-year coaches to head the men’s basketball teams at both American University and George Mason University, some local basketball insiders contend this is an ideal moment to analyze the future landscape of college basketball.

Tony Skinn was hired by George Mason, while Duane Simpkins was named as head coach at American.

“This indicates a changing of the guard,” said Skinn. “It is a step in the right direction. To see Blacks like me hired as first-time head coaches says a lot about the progress being made.

When young Black head coaches see this, it sends a message.”

Skinn played his prep ball locally at Takoma Academy. He then went on to George Mason where he led the program to its only Final Four appearance in 2006.

He made a way for himself in the coaching arena by serving as an assistant at Louisiana Tech, Seton Hall, Ohio State and most recently at Maryland.

Simpkins earned McDonald’s high school all-American honors at DeMatha and was All-ACC hon-

orable mention three times while helping the Terrapins to three NCAA tournaments, including a pair of Sweet 16 appearances.

He spent the past eight years at George Mason, where the team finished with a 20-13 record this season. He previously served as an assistant at UNC Greensboro for three seasons. He also had stops at Towson, UNC Greensboro and at the high school level at Sidwell Friends and St. Albans.

“My hiring opens the door for potential jobs for young coaches who have not served as a head coach,” noted Simpkins, who has a reputation for development of players, “I think that part of the decision to hire Tony and me was the result of what Blakeney did at Howard.”

Kenny Blakeney, who has several national coach of the year honors, led the Howard University Bison to their first MEAC regular season and tournament titles in 31 years.

“I am sure that both schools looked at what happened here at Howard. It is really cool that they have given them the chance,” Blakeney told the Informer.

“I know both Tony and Duane very well,” added Blakeny, who had

paid his dues and was passionately seeking a head coaching job at several places when he was hired by Howard.

“There are some similarities between their situation and mine here at Howard,” Blakeney explained.

“They are local and understand the culture of basketball here in the DMV. They have paid their dues. WI

Kenny Blakeney, who has several national coach of the year honors, led the Howard University Bison to their first MEAC regular season and tournament titles in 31 years.

5 Tony Skinn and Duane Simplins are the new head coaches at George Mason University and American University, respectively. (Courtesy Photo)

5 Daniel Gafford (21) goes up for the dunk during a Washington Wizards loss to the Milwaukee Bucks 128 - 140 at Capital One Arena on April 4. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)

CAPTURE the moment

4 (L-R) Ian Bagus, Anne McDonough - Deputy Director, D.C. History Center, Nolan Williams,Jr., Laura Brower Hagood - Executive Director, DC History Center, and Professor Leena Jayaswal – Co-Curator from American University cut the ribbon at the DC History Center’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the DC Home Rule act during an exhibition in Northwest. (Rob Roberts/The Washington

3

5 Aaron Myers (center), executive director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities with Claude Bailey and Ibrahim Mumin during the DC History Center’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the DC Home Rule act during an exhibition in Northwest. (Rob Roberts/The Washington Informer)

A visitor enters the exhibit at the DC History Center’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the DC Home Rule act in Northwest. (Rob Roberts/The Washington Informer)

5 Kimberly Bassett representing the Executive Office of the Mayor during the DC History Center’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the DC Home Rule act during an exhibition in Northwest. (Rob Roberts/The Washington Informer)

5 Carol Schwarts and Linda Cropp attend the DC History Center’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the DC Home Rule exhibition in Northwest. (Rob Roberts/The Washington Informer)

Informer)

RELIGION

Washingtonians Celebrate Easter Around the Area

By Hamil Harris WI Contributing Writer

RANKIN CHAPEL

FEATURES BISHOP

VASHTI MCKENZIE

Howard University’s Rankin Memorial Chapel service was packed with people and purpose as Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie preached an Easter Sunday message filled with hope.

The service, held at Cramton Auditorium, brought together a choir of former and current students, liturgical dancers, and chapel ministers dressed in white robes.

“The Easter story reminds us that

we can find hope out of despair,” said McKenzie, the first woman bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

McKenzie, now the interim President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, climaxed a spirited service that was one of many in houses of worship around the area.

VICE PRESIDENT CELEBRATES WITH ALFRED STREET BAPTIST CHURCH

Vice-President Kamala Harris attended Easter Service hosted by the Alfred Street Baptist Church at the

District’s Sports and Entertainment Complex in Southeast.

“He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today,” sang members of the Alfred Street Baptist Church Mass Choir, who were part of a massive program that included video pro-

duction, liturgical dancers, and a live orchestra.

Rev. Howard John Wesley, the pastor of Alfred Street’s Alexandria, Virginia congregation, preached from the subject, “Don’t Be Surprised If It’s Dark at Dawn,” because he said,

“Life has a way of delivering you at dawn.”

“Disappointment and discouragement will eclipse the sun of hope and joy in your life,” Wesley said. “The women came to the tomb saying was all this for nothing.”

Wesley compared the struggle of many today to the thoughts of the women who came to the tomb on the third day. “Was it for nothing? Pilate was still in office; the Pharisees were still acting up, and doves were being sold in the temple again. Beloved, you can lose hope when you ask was everything I did was in vain.”

“The message of the Resurrection will not make them hold down their Confederate flags,” Wesley added, ”but it will make you say I love you in Jesus’ name.” WI

5 Bishop Vashti McKenzie preached at Howard’s Cramton Auditorium for the university’s Rankin Memorial Chapel service on Easter Sunday. (Brenda Siler/ The Washington Informer)

“Disappointment and discouragement will eclipse the sun of hope and joy in your life,” Wesley said. “The women came to the tomb saying was all this for nothing.”

4 Rodney Carter, the associate pastor at Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church in Northeast preached the Easter sermon. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen. — Matthew 20:6 NKIV

Last year, on June 30, 2022, we all enjoyed having our first African American female member of the Supreme Court sworn in. We are about two months or so away from that anniversary, so I'm getting a head start to celebrate the honorable Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Though she has joined a court that seems to be different from any we've seen for decades, with many types of issues arising, we must keep our eye on the prize! One, is the abortion pill.

As we get closer to her anniversary in a couple months, we will come back to share with you some of her rulings, votes, etc., grateful that President Joe Biden kept his promise to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court.

Last year, for Women's History Month, I wrote a column that pays tribute to all African American women. The column, titled "Still I Rise," addressed the invaluable role African American women have had over the centuries here in America. During the installation of Justice Brown last year, I was particularly proud to hear our newest justice open up her message with a portion of this poem by Maya Angelou, which was extremely rewarding. That poem has become my mantra. Not only did she open with it, she took that poem a step further and closed with it as well — remember the conclusion of the poem where it says, "Bringing the gifts that my

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise; I rise; I rise."

Such an appropriate poem for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to open with, after watching how she was treated by some of the GOP. In the history of America, we have finally voted to confirm an African American woman for the Supreme Court. Another American, Women's History Month, history-making moment.

"It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States," Jackson said. "But we've made it. We've made it, all of us."

This quote was memorable: "In my family, it took just one generation to go from segregation to the Supreme Court."

Overwhelmed in what this moment meant, wiping away tears, the judge thanked her family, including her parents, brother, husband and two daughters, Leila and Talia, who were in attendance. She said, "This is all pretty exciting for me, but nothing has brought me greater joy than being your mother."

President Barack Obama nominated her for her first judicial role on the federal district court, and last year, she thanked him as well. She understood the poem written by Langston Hughes, "Mother to Son," which says, "Life ain't been no crystal stair":

Shiloh Church

7th Day

"Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, and splinters, and boards torn up, and places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time, I'se been a-climbin' on, and reachin' landin's, and turnin' corners, and sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now— For I'se still goin', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair."

Last year, Jackson watched the Senate confirmation vote alongside Biden at the White House, said she was "humbled" and "honored" to be given the opportunity to serve as a justice.

"We witnessed a truly historic moment," Biden said. "We're going to look back and see this as a moment of real change in American history."

He lauded the "pose and composure" Jackson showed during her confirmation hearings, during which she was interrupted by several Republicans who made what the president described as "vile" and "baseless" attacks on her record. Look for more from me in this column, as we get this party started. Judge Ketanji Brown, your sisters and brothers are out here watching and rooting for you! WI

A.M.E. Church

RELIGION

The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor

9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743

Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724

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

4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011

(202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/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

3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)

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

School: 10:00 AM

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

Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr.

Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423

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 themcbc.org

11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM

Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Street

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church

St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us...

Bishop

Sr. Senior Pastor 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

“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

Mt.

Zion

Baptist Church

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

Th.D. Senior Pastor 1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax

Services and Times

Sunday School: 9:30 AM

Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM

Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org

Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org

Bishop

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

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

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

headline and photo for LIF - MALCOLMXDAY

John F. Johnson Reverend Dr. 1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005

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

Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders,

Third

Church of God

Lanier C. Twyman,

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Reverend William Young IV Pastor

Covenant Baptist United Church  of Christ

Alfred A. Owens,

Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors

Zion Baptist Church

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

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

Rev. Lance Aubert Imterim Pastor

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

Park

Interim Pastor

1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org

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

Motto: "Faith On The Hill"

Emmanuel Baptist Church

Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor

2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020

(202) 678-0884 – Office / (202) 678-0885 – Fax

“Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . 100% Forgiven!

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

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor 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 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:

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor

5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

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

Tucker Senior Pastor 13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560

Service and Times

Sunday Worship: 11 AM

Sunday School: 10 AM

Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM

“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor 2001 Brooks Drive  District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074

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"

Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com

Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

Rehoboth Baptist Church

Curtis l. Staley Pastor 621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032

P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112

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

Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”

“Real

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest

Foggy Bottom Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW Washington, DC 20037

Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958

Service and Times

Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns

Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org

Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

Promised Land Baptist Church

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant Pastor

401 Van Buren St., NW, Washington D.C. 20012 Office (202)-882-8331

Service and Times

Sunday Worship 10:30 am Zoom: zoom.us/;/2028828331

Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00pm Communion Every First Sunday "Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ."

Website: Theplbc.org Email: churchclerk@theplbc.org

Senior Pastor

2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 Fax 202-678-3304

Service and Times

Sunday Worship Service: 9:30 AM

Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 9:30 AM

Sunday School: 8:15 AM

Bible Study: Wednesdays at Noon

Baptism: 4th Sunday 9:30 AM

Website address: www.mmbcdc.org

“Where God is Praised, Christ is Obeyed, and People are Loved”

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 “

Email Address: admin@pbc712.org

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor 602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001

Office:(202) 289-4480

Fax: (202) 289-4595

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 “

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

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

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor 2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738

Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org

Website:www.mthoreb.org

For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.

Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Richard B. Black

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Lincoln

United Methodist Church

Dr. Joseph D. Turner

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church

Christ Embassy DC

Rev.

Mount

Rev.

Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis

ter Hanes as a local figure who compelled D.C. Mayor Marion Barry (D) to proclaim D.C. Emancipation Day as a holiday. D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams (D) would later sign legislation in 2005 officially making it so. In the decades preceding her death at the age of 90 in 2016, Hanes, along with others, coordinated parades, school assemblies, and panel discussions that commemorated D.C. Emancipation Day.

As Jowers-Barber told the Informer, Hanes gained inspiration sitting at the feet of elders at the Stoddard Baptist Nursing Homes who, during her childhood, recounted their stories of enslavement and finally obtaining freedom under the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act.

That organic, family-oriented spirit of the holiday has been lost amid gentrification, Jowers-Barber said.

“People coming here don’t know the importance of [D.C. Emancipation Day]... so we have to re-establish the parade, the essays, the marches, the importance of it in schools… so that our children and grandchildren will know,” said Jowers-Barber, director of the Division of Humanities and Criminology at the University of the District of Columbia Community College. “Now, with so many things going on, the Cherry Blossoms sort of bump up against Emancipation Day. There's not a standalone way to impart the significance of it to individuals who are new to the city and those who have been here.”

EXPLORING D.C. EMANCIPATION DAY IN SOCIAL STUDIES INSTRUCTION

The District’s social studies stan-

VENDORS from Page 1

shoes, coats, jackets and even jewelry made by his wife. He said he saw his uncle similarly set up shop during the 1980s. He later walked in his footsteps as a viable means of making income.

However, run-ins with the police throughout the 1990s and 2000s often became too expensive than what Bradley could bear at times. “Sometimes, I’d have to put money to the side… in case [the police] took my stuff,” Bradley told the Informer.

ed “present” during the first reading of the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act due to concerns about what, at the time, had been provisions in the legislation expanding street vendors’ ability to sell food not approved by DC Health.

arrest them. The same should be true when a street vendor is out of compliance.

dards, as they currently stand, mandate instruction about the establishment of Washington, D.C. as the nation’s capital, including the geographic and political reasons for its location, Pierre L’Enfant and Benjamin Banneker’s role in mapping out the city, and Home Rule charters throughout the 19th century.

For the Reconstruction Era, instructors are requireed to cover, not only D.C. emancipation, but the local abolition movement and the Compromise of 1850 that had outlawed the slave trade in the District years prior.

There are also opportunities to learn about the expansion of public education in D.C. during the Reconstruction Era, major developments within the government, why and how Congress ended Home Rule for D.C. in 1874, how African Americans resisted discrimination, and migration patterns that influenced the racial and cultural composition of District neighborhoods throughout the 20th century.

Ben Williams, Ward 1 D.C. State Board of Education representative and facilitator of an ongoing history standard updating process, said data the Office of the State Board of Education (OSSE) collected showed that while District residents found D.C. history and government standards to be robust, many suggested the further inclusion of subject matter about the local history of Latino and LGBTQ groups.

As it relates to D.C. Emancipation Day, Williams, a U.S. government and D.C. History teacher at Capital City Public Charter School in Northwest, said that the District has ample opportunities for enrichment that teachers and administrators can integrate into their instruction.

WI

Read the full story on www. washingtoninformer.com.

Bradley, who recently applied for his license, begrudgingly said he’s scheduled to conduct a background check. With the legislation soon to be in place, he expressed excitement about what’s to come for native Washingtonians and returning citizens like himself who are trying to make a way.

“The police started bothering me before the shopping center [was constructed] when the building across from the Target was a playground and post office,” Bradley said. “They didn’t want ex-cons getting licenses. Now, I’m trying to get my mentoring [organizations] together to help youth and show them people in the community doing positive things.”

THE LAST STRETCH TO PASSAGE IN THE COUNCIL

Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act removes criminal penalties for street vending and allows the mayor to establish sidewalk vending zones. The legislation also waives licensing-related civil citations for vendors who obtain an individual sidewalk vending license or register with a sidewalk vending zone manager.

The bill also reduces licensure costs and abolishes criminal background check requirements for vendors applying for their license

On April 4, the D.C. Council unanimously passed the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act after D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and D.C. Councilmembers Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and Christina Henderson (I-At large) crafted an “amendment in the nature of a substitute” that created a new licensing category for street vendors selling food they prepared at home.

During a March 7 legislative meeting, Henderson, chairperson of the D.C. Council Committee on Health, deviated from her colleagues and vot-

The amendment in the nature of the substitute, approved by all 13 D.C. council members, requires street vendors selling homemade food to obtain a microenterprise home kitchen business permit. To do so, they would register with DC Health, submit documentation detailing how food will be stored, handled and prepared, and allow DC Health to conduct inspections before the business begins operation.

Another provision in the nature of a substitute clarifies that police officers may only request that street vendors provide identification if they refuse to divulge their legal name and current address, or that the officer has reason to believe that the vendor is providing wrong information. The term “detain” had also been changed within the legislation to mean “stop and order a person to remain at their current location or nearby location specified by an enforcement officer.”

Finally, the amendment in the nature of a substitute authorizes the D.C. chief financial officer to provide amnesty to street vendors with delinquent minimum sales tax payments.

The Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act now goes to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s desk to be signed before entering the congressional review process. Even with the question of how, or whether, the legislation will be funded in the fiscal year 2024 budget, it will be effective immediately. ‘

For the time being, Nadeau, along with grassroots organizers affiliated with the Beloved Community Incubator, continue building upon recent successes. During the latter part of March, street vendors flocked to the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation’s first public meeting about the design of the triangle park near 14th Street and Oak Street in Northwest that will serve as a new vending zone.

“From the start, we have wanted everyone in compliance and accountable, everyone safe, and everyone successful. Thanks to Councilmember Henderson and Chairman Mendelson, this bill is better – I hope we can continue working together on the next steps of funding and implementation,” Nadeau said. “If a business owner with a storefront has an expired license, police don’t come and

A VETERAN STREET VENDOR ANTICIPATES HAVING SOME ORDER

A veteran street vendor who asked to be identified as Mama Queeny extolled the efforts of her fellow businesspeople to secure the passage of the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act. She told the Informer that, with new systems in place, she looked forward to seeing more organization and cordiality among street vendors.

Mama Queeny, a lifelong entrepreneur, had been vending in the District since immigrating from the Caribbean in the late 1980s. First she sold incense, and later parlayed her success into the sale of other high-quality materials including jewelry, oils, sunglasses, bed sheets, and clothes.

As Mama Queeny recalled, her prominence along 14th Street has gotten her noticed not only locally, but in other cities where, while vending at festivals, she would encounter old customers who spoke highly about her demeanor.

Before setting up shop along 14th Street in Northwest 15 years ago, patrons could find Mama Queeny near 18th Street and Columbia Road in Northwest, oftentimes with her children playing under the table. In her early days as a Columbia Heights street vendor, Mama Queeny and others slept overnight at their spot to make sure they had a suitable portion of 14th Street to conduct business.

Though she always had her license to sell her wares in those areas, Mama Queeny acknowledged that additional fees could create hardship for those working to build their street vending venture. That’s why she said she looks forward to what the legislation could do for up-and-coming vendors.

“The licensing fee will cost less and everyone would like a reduction [in the price]. For those who pay late and get a penalty, [the legislation] is a beautiful thing,” Mama Queeny said.

“The market is so wide [so] you have to find your own [type of product] and use your ability,” she added. “It causes problems when you’re in a festival and people are fighting for you to vend but they don’t put things in order. People don't need to be in the same spot. People have to stop being greedy.”

EDMANCIPATION from Page 1

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 277

Renard Wheeler Harris Sr. Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Sean J. Harris, whose address is 4014 Bunker Hill Rd., Brentwood, MD 20722, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rernard Wheeler Harris, Sr. who died on December 11, 2022 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 9/30/2023. 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 9/30/2023, 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:

3/30/2023

Sean J. Harris

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 278

Chander K. Sehgal Decedent

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

Rajiv K. Sehgal, Mona K. Sehgal and Renuka K. Aldrich, whose addresses are 2133 1st St., NW Washington DC 20001, 2132 Greenwich St. Falls Church VA 22043 and 7922 Denton Dr., Clinton MD 20735, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Chander K. Sehgal who died on 1/29/2023 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 9/30/2023. 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 9/30/2023, 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: March 30, 2023

Rajiv K. Sehgal

Mona K. Sehgal

Renuka K. Aldrich Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000149

Winston R. Woods, Jr. aka Winston Raymond Woods, Jr. Decedent

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

Christopher Woods and Malik Woods, whose addresses are 643 L Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 and 643 L Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Winston R. Woods, Jr. aka Winston Raymond Woods, Jr. who died on 2/18/2022 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 9/30/2023. 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 9/30/2023, 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: 3/30/2023

Christopher Woods Malik Woods

Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 267

Julia E. Frane

Decedent

Jeffrey K. Gordon, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW #400 Washington, DC 20015

Attorney

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

Steven A. Mansbach, whose address is 159 Poverty Hollow Road, Newtown Connecticut 06470, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Julia E. Frane who died on September 25, 2022 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 9/30/2023. 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 9/30/2023, 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:

3/30/2023

Steven A. Mansbach Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000299

John B. Adams, Sr. Decedent

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002

Attorney

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

Michael J. Adams, whose address is 5316 59th Avenue, Riverdale, MD 20737, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of John B. Adams, Sr. who died on September 18, 2022 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 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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:

4/6/2023

Michael J. Adams Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2023 ADM 000309

Rose M. Janifer aka Rose Marie Janifer Decedent

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

James E. Janifer, whose address is 6502 Wood Pointe Dr., Glen Dale, MD 20769, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rose M. Janifer aka Rose Marie Janifer who died on August 30, 2019 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 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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: 4/6/2023

James E. Janifer Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000275

Helen S. Turner Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Lisa Holden-Pitt, whose address is 513 Fairhill Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20904, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Helen S. Turner who died on 12/5/2022 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 9/30/2023. 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 9/30/2023, 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: 3/30/2023

Lisa Holden-Pitt Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000292

Ella Mae Joyner

Decedent

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

Zakia Joyner-Kennedy, whose address is 4307 Gorman Terr., SE, Washington DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ella Mae Joyner who died on October 10, 2022 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 9/30/2023. 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 9/30/2023, 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: 3/30/2023

Zakia Joyner-Kennedy

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens

Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2023 ADM 000343

Sedgwick Dyson Landers III Decedent

Michelle Lanchester, Esq. 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Suite 900, South Building Washington, DC 20004 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Tomiko C. Lopez, whose address is 3305 Oxon Run Rd SE, Washington, DC 20032, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Sedgwick Dyson Landers III who died on May 15, 2022 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 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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: 4/6/2023

Tomiko C. Lopez

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000241

M. C. Fry

Decedent

Brian L. Kass, Esq. 4301 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 434

Washington, DC 20008

Attorney

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

Michael Conrad Fry, whose address is 1333 Elsinore Ave., McLean, VA 22102, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of M. C. Fry who died on 3/5/2016 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 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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: 4/6/2023

Michael Conrad Fry Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE

DIVISION

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 FEP 000013

2/11/2004

Date of Death

Donald Edward Bell

Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Anthony C. Brown whose address is 1703 Pepper Tree Court, Bowie MD 20721 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Donald Edward Bell, deceased, by the Circuit Court for Prince William County, State of Virginia, on 12/8/2022.

Service of process may be made upon Glenda Blackstone 1232 Rhode Island Ave, NE, Washington, DC 20018 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate. ¼ interest ONLY 1336 Oak Street NW, Washington, DC 20010

The decedent owned District of Columbia personal property. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication:

4/6/2023

Anthony C. Brown Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000322

Gloria W. Wilson aka

Gloria Wison Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN

HEIRS

Alfred N. Wilson, Jr., whose address is 4215 Grant Street, NE Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gloria W. Wilson aka Gloria Wison who died on December 20, 2022 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 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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: 4/6/2023

Alfred N. Wilson, Jr. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000252

Jacqueline E. Catoe Decedent

Michael K. Catoe, Esq. 3524 Texas Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20020 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Rodwell M. Catoe, whose address is 1515 Anacostia Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jacqueline E. Catoe who died on 4/9/2022 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 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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:

4/6/2023

Rodwell M. Catoe

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000307

William Joseph Carter Decedent

Suren G. Adams, Esq. Adams Law Office, LLC 4201 Northview Drive, Suite 401 Bowie, MD 20716 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Vince Carter, whose address is 7810 West Portland Avenue, Littleton, CO 80128, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of William Joseph Carter who died on January 8, 2023 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 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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: 4/6/2023

Vince Carter Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2022 ADM 000430

Joseph Young Decedent

Colline Silvera

7731 Belle Point Dr. Greenbelt Md 20770

Attorney

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

Lynnette Young, whose address is 2302 Colston Drive, #103, Silver Spring, MD 20910, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joseph Young who died on 1/14/2022 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 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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: 4/6/2023

Lynnette Young Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000264

John Desmond Dolan Decedent

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

William T. K. Dolan and Thomas Joseph Dolan, whose address is 1105 Redwood Drive, SE, Vienna, VA 22180 and 1505 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of John Desmond Dolan who died on August 18, 2022 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 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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:

4/6/2023

William T. K. Dolan

Thomas Joseph Dolan Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens

Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 0103

Donta Lee Brown Decedent

Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 1825 K Street, NW Suite 1150

Washington, DC 20006

Attorney

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

Shonetta Brown, whose address is 3500 South Foster Edge Road, District Heights, MD 20747, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Donta Lee Brown who died on July 25, 2012 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/6/2023. 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 10/6/2023, 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: 4/6/2023

Shonetta Brown Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 FEP 000031

December 23, 2020

Date of Death

Richard N. Cooper Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Jin Chen Cooper whose address is 4 Bryant Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Richard N. Cooper, deceased, by the Trial Court, Probate and Family Court for Middlesex County, State of Massachusetts, on February 2, 2021.

Service of process may be made upon Registered Agents Inc. 1717 N St. NW Suite #1, Washington, DC 20036 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 1657 31st Street, NW, Apt. 302, Washington, DC 20007. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 4/13/2023

Jin Chen Cooper

Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2021 ADM 001444

Barbara P. Minnis aka Barbara Pauline Minnis Williams Minnis Decedent

Attorney Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Leroy Wade, whose address is 5311 9th St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Barbara P. Minnis aka Barbara Pauline Minnis Williams Minnis who died on 8/14/2021 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 10/13/2023. 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 10/13/2023, 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:

4/13/2023

Leroy Wade Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000300

Anthony X. Jackson

Decedent

Johnny M. Howard Houston & Howard 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 402 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

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

Catherine Jackson-Roberts, whose address is 2908 P Street, SE, WDC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Anthony X. Jackson who died on 11/17/2021 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 10/13/2023. 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 10/13/2023, 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: 4/13/2023

Catherine Jackson-Roberts

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens

Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2021 ADM 001005

Sylvia Chatman Decedent

Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Road Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Denise Chatman, whose address is 330 Eastern Ave, NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Sylvia Chatman who died on March 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 10/13/2023. 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 10/13/2023, 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:

4/13/2023

Denise Chatman

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

BARNES from Page 12

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 0003358

Clarence C. Skinner, Sr. Decedent

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

Lewis Clayton Skinner, whose address is 606 Chaplin Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Clarence C. Skinner, Sr. who died on February 5, 2000 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 10/13/2023. 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 10/13/2023, 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:

4/13/2023

Lewis Clayton Skinner Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

year, the minority business enterprise (MBE) participation rate is expected to be 29%; it has not risen above 15% in recent years.

Ethics laws that were implemented in the past decade prevent ex-legislators from lobbying their former colleagues for at least one year following their departure from the legislature. He will advise counties and munici-

HEALTH WEEK from Page 20

er risk of falling ill,” Biden exclaimed. “When women face barriers traveling to the hospital for prenatal and postpartum checkups, they are less likely to remain healthy. Air pollution, water pollution, and lead pipes can have dangerous consequences for pregnant women and newborns. And when families cannot afford nutritious foods, they face worse health

CROWELL from Page 30

nity banks and minority depository institutions should not have to pay for the failures of bank mismanagement at SVB or Signature Bank."

Waters also decried efforts to shift

palities on procurement policy before lobbying in Annapolis.

The Prince George’s Democratic Central Committee will accept resumes and have a public hearing to appoint Barnes’ replacement in coming weeks.

Antoine Thompson is planning to apply for the appointment.

“I would be a fierce champion for minority and women owned businesses, focus my energies on increas-

outcomes.”

He claimed his administration has penned the blueprint for addressing the maternal health crisis, an agenda that lays out specific actions the federal government would take to improve maternal health and secured funding from Congress to help implement it.

“Vice President Kamala Harris has been a leader on the issue of maternal mortality for years and led the charge to improve maternal health

blame for the collapse from bank management and panicked investors onto so-called "woke" capitalism, as signified by the presence of one person of color on the board of directors of Silicon Valley Bank.

"Silicon Valley Bank collapsed be-

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 347

Renee Patricia Kirkpatrick aka Renee P. Kirkpatrick aka Renee Kirkpatrick

Decedent

Robert P. Newman, Esq.

Law Office of Robert P. Newman 801 Wayne Ave., Suite 400 Silver Spring, MD 20910

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Lisa Renee Kirkpatrick, whose address is 1233 Shepherd Street, NW, WDC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Renee Patricia Kirkpatrick aka Renee P. Kirkpatrick aka Renee Kirkpatrick who died on 11/9/2022 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 10/13/2023. 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 10/13/2023, 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:

4/13/2023

Lisa Renee Kirkpatrick

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

ing job opportunities, leading efforts for environmental sustainability and green jobs for residents in District 25, and working with Governor Moore, the Prince George’s County State Delegation to increase funding to our county and the district,” said Thompson. “I have the state legislative, business and civic leadership experience to make things happen for our District in Annapolis.”

WI

outcomes, including by issuing a call to action to address disparities in maternal care,” Biden stated.

“She continues to elevate the issue nationally, convening State legislators, medical professionals, and others so all mothers can access the care they need before, during, and after childbirth.” WI

@StacyBrownMedia

Read the full story on www.washingtoninformer.com.

cause of management failures and possible regulatory weaknesses — not because there was one Black man on the board," she said. "We saw this same racist playbook during the 2008 financial

CROWELL Page 53

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

2023 ADM 000380

Charles Agurs Jr. aka Charles Arthur Agurs Jr. aka Charles A. Agurs Jr. Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Tanya Agurs-Collins, whose address is 1700 Tulip St. NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Charles Agurs Jr. aka Charles Arthur Agurs Jr. aka Charles A. Agurs Jr. who died on 1/29/2023 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 10/13/2023. 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 10/13/2023, 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: 4/13/2023

Tanya Agurs-Collins

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

crisis when some Republicans blamed the Community Reinvestment Act and loans made to people of color."

Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, chair of his chamber's Banking Committee, shared similar concerns.

"In less than a day, Silicon Valley Bank customers pulled $42 billion out of the bank — fueled by venture capitalists and their social media accounts," Brown said. "They created the largest and fastest bank run in history. In the following days, Signature Bank lost $17.8 billion."

After noting that Silicon Valley Bank's executive pay was tied to profits and the bank operated without a risk officer for more than a year, Brown pointed the proverbial financial finger at the bank executives who took on high risk that fed their collective greed.

"Wealthy elites do anything to make a quick profit and pocket the rewards," he said. "And when their risky behavior leads to catastrophic failures, they turn to the government asking for help, ex-

EDELMAN from Page 30

allowed his brother to become invisible . . . And this can happen to America, the richest nation in the world."

Calling for the Poor People's Campaign that would soon come to Washington, Dr. King added: "This is America's opportunity to help bridge the gulf between the haves and the have-nots. The question is whether America will do it. There is nothing new about poverty. What is new is that we now have the techniques and the resources to get rid of poverty. The real question is whether we have the will. … Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation.

JACKSON from Page 30 or hurricanes or cyclones and more — across the country — and across the globe. We reap what we sow, and we have sown the furies.

These are people who have suffered a history of great pain. From slavery to a violent repression of freedom after the Civil War to enforced apartheid, Mississippi's Blacks still to this day struggle for equality. Ronald Reagan began his presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, the site of the torture and murder of civil rights workers James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and its fight for recog-

pecting workers and taxpayers to pay the price."

Michael Barr, who testified before Senate Banking on March 28, testified on behalf of the Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors, as its vice chair for supervision. Calling for transparency and full accountability with recent bank failures, Barr announced an investigative report on supervisory assessments and exam materials would be made public by May 1.

"SVB failed because the bank's management did not effectively manage its interest rate and liquidity risk, and the bank then suffered a devastating and unexpected run by its uninsured depositors in a period of less than 24 hours," Barr testified. "SVB's failure demands a thorough review of what happened, including the Federal Reserve's oversight of the bank."

Speaking before the National Association for Business Economics on March 30, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen weighed in on the recent closures:

"When the president and I took office in January 2021, we inherited a

America has not met its obligations and its responsibilities to the poor. One day we will have to stand before the God of history and we will talk in terms of things we've done. Yes, we will be able to say we built gargantuan bridges to span the seas, we built gigantic buildings to kiss the skies. Yes, we made our submarines to penetrate oceanic depths. We brought into being many other things with our scientific and technological power. It seems that I can hear the God of history saying, 'That was not enough! But I was hungry, and ye fed me not. I was naked, and ye clothed me not. I was devoid of a decent sanitary house to live in, and ye provided no shelter

nition was a dramatic step in the Black struggle for political rights. No small number of Blacks came to Chicago and other northern cities in the Great Migration, seeking a better deal in the North. And now they are victims of a calamity, one of far too many that are threatening lives across this country.

In Chicago, we will organize volunteer efforts to aid those displaced by the storm. Benny Goodman, the U.S. congressman from the Delta and the only Democrat on the Mississippi delegation, will lead the effort to drive federal assistance.

While we help those in immediate distress, we must do far more to address the roots of the calamity — from poverty to extreme weather.

financial stability apparatus at Treasury that had been decimated," Yellen said. "Over the past two years, I have made it a top priority to rebuild the financial stability infrastructure at Treasury.

"Our prosperity depends on the work to safeguard financial stability before a crisis occurs — just as the implementation of a strong fire code can prevent a fire from breaking out," Yellen concluded.

Consumers and small businesses affected by these closures are urged by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to remain watchful of scams and frauds. These scams often begin by seeking personal information while posing as representatives from Signature Bank, Signature Bridge Bank, N.A., or the FDIC.

More related information is available online: http://www.fdic.gov/resources/ resolutions/bank-failures/failed-banklist/. A 24-hour toll-free call center is also available by dialing: 1-866-7445463.

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for me. And consequently, you cannot enter the kingdom of greatness. If ye do it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye do it unto me.' That's the question facing America today."

Dr. King did not live to see how our nation would answer the question. On the day he was assassinated he called his mother to tell her the title for his next Sunday sermon: "Why America May Go to Hell." Fifty-five years later, we are still waiting. But the time is still ripe to choose the right answer. This holy season of renewal is also a ripe time for all of us to recommit to being the tireless, persistent, dedicated co-workers with God who will help. WI

The great bluesman Muddy Waters, who came out of Rolling Fork, once sang:

Have you ever been walking, walking down that old lonesome road?

Have you ever been walking, walking down that old lonesome road?

No place to go, whee well brown no place to room and board

Things look so lonesome, when you ain't got a shelter over your head

Things look so lonesome, when you ain't got a shelter over your head

When you could have been at home, whee well boy sleepin' in a feather bed.

Let us show the generosity — and the wisdom — to ensure that even in Mississippi, there is shelter over their heads. WI

WILLIAMS from Page 31

those distorted lenses.

Despite being on the losing team, Iowa's Caitlin Clark was named "Player of the Year." She (Clark) was even acknowledged by her opponents. Postgame, LSU's star Angel Reese did a little "trash-talking," which is certainly not unusual among men players. Some would say that scoring 15 points, pulling down 10 rebounds, having 5 assists and 3 steals would give her bragging rights. This was not to

MORIAL from Page 31

Ghana's former slave-trading post, was deeply personal to the vice president.

"The horror of what happened here must always be remembered," she said. "It cannot be denied. It must be taught. History must be learned."

The trip was a great opportunity for me, as well, as I was able to meet privately with President Nana Akufo-Addo to discuss the National Urban League's potential role in promoting inclusive economic empowerment in Ghana.

I also was deeply moved to visit the gravesite and memorial to the great civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois, who spent his final years in Ghana, and Black Star Square

MYRICK from Page 31

mind-boggling.

And that's the issue with authoritarians, fascists and would-be tyrants everywhere: they're all about rules and the sanctity of law until it comes to themselves. They want rules restricting your freedom, not their own, and if a law gets in their way they'll ignore it or use their power to try to override it.

I don't know if the next GOP nominee for President will be

be. Her post-game trash-talking, her use of the "you can't see me" gesture, made famous by WWE star John Cena, and gesturing toward her ring finger during the game was determined by some to be unnecessary taunting.

The resulting outcry of support for Caitlin Clark was a bit disingenuous. Those who feigned indignation at Angel Reese's gestures failed to acknowledge the fact that Caitlin had directed the same "You Can't See Me" gesture at an opposing player during Iowa's game against Louisville. Through the "wisdom"

— also known as Independence Square or Liberation Square — built to celebrate Ghana's independence from British colonial rule.

I was inspired and exhilarated by the energy and spirit of the in-

and "generosity" of DeSantis and others, we have learned that bringing discomfort to whites is not permitted in contemporary U.S.

Ending on a more positive note, tickets for this year's women's tournament have been priced far higher than the men's games. On the secondary market, the lowest cost for a single ticket for the final women's game was just under $400. Some nosebleed prices for the men's championship game were going for lower than $50 on Ticketmaster. Who would have thought? WI

dustrious, hardworking, and forward-thinking Ghanian people. African ideas and innovations will shape the future of world, and I am grateful and to have been part of such a historic moment.

Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis or someone else. I do know that the new anti-democratic, pro-authoritarian mood that has taken over the Republican party is real and dangerous. This is a party that doesn't want to share power or play by the rules, that doesn't want to investigate January 6 or Trump's multiple offenses. It's a party that openly worships strongmen here and abroad. Lately, the adulation has gone off the rails; Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene,

We can't accept this as the new normal. We have a right to demand accountability, honesty and ethical behavior from leaders ranging from your local school board member to President of the United States. I know there's a lot of cynicism about politics and politicians.

in New York for Trump's arraignment, compared his arrest to that of Jesus.

We can't accept this as the new normal. We have a right to demand accountability, honesty and ethical behavior from leaders ranging from your local school board member to President of the United States.

I know there's a lot of cynicism about politics and politicians. But as someone who has served in public office and devoted years to mentoring young elected officials, I can tell you that politicians are not all the same. For every Trump or DeSantis, there are many sincere, selfless people who want to serve their communities and their country.

If that describes you, run for office. If it describes an aspiring leader you know, support them at election time. When we all do this, the authoritarians don't win. And they don't get to rig the rules against you, me, and everyone we care about. WI

"The horror of what happened here must always be remembered," she said. "It cannot be denied. It must be taught. History must be learned."

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