The Washington Informer - July 6, 2023

WINNER OF SIX SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS FOR 2022 Celebrating 58 Years

Supreme Court Strikes Down Affirmative Action, Student Loans

Marginalized

Groups Feel Sting of SCOTUS Decisions

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Among multiple decisions that have been viewed as attacks on the rights of people of color and marginalized groups, the Supreme Court issued the death knell to affirmative action on June 29, and the following day, blocked President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which aimed to provide up to $20,000 in relief to millions of borrowers.

STRIKING DOWN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

As she watched her conservative majority colleagues on the high court strike down the value and lawfulness of affirmative action last Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote another masterpiece to express her dissent Jackson’s disapproval could easily be summed up in a single and precise senSUPREME COURT Page 28

Coming Up July 8: The First Legal Anacostia Swim in 50 Years

By Kayla Benjamin WI Climate & Environment Reporter

In celebration of major successes in river cleanup efforts, community members can join Anacostia Riverkeeper for the first ever “Anacostia River Splash” swim event at Kingman Island on July 8. The organization, which monitors water quality all along the river, has found that sites at Kingman Island, Buzzard Point and Washington Channel all meet the standard for safe swimming more than 90%

SWIM Page 48

Banneker Alumni Celebrate 40 Years with Eyes on the Future

The Newly-Launched Banneker Alumni Society to Galvanize Alumni Support for the School

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

As a student at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Kala Threatt begrudgingly took on a course load he said oftentimes intimidated him.

However, with the support of teachers, administrators and peers, Threatt successfully matriculated through Banneker, even while taking Latin and typing classes that he didn't find relevant to his academic and professional pursuits.

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

Decades later, Threatt enthusiastically admits how short sighted he had been in his assessment. He continues to credit those four years, what many call the "Banneker experience," with adequately preparing him for college and the professional world.

These days, Threatt works as a

BANNEKERPage 25

5 Mayor Muriel Bowser leads supporters in the Fourth of July Parade hosted by the Palisades Community Association in Northwest. Entertainment included live bluegrass music, free ice cream, and pie eating and baking contests in Palisades Park. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

5 Community members can participate in the first ever “Anacostia River Splash,” swim event at Kingman Island on July 8. (Cleveland Nelson/The Washington Informer)

The Washington Informer

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Washington Informer Wins Five Black Press Awards

The Washington Informer earned five newspaper and journalism awards at the 2023 National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Fund’s Messenger Awards.

The newspaper was recognized for its outstanding education and environment reporting, and community service. The Informer also received accolades for print layout and design, and its website.

“I am grateful for our hard-working and committed team that consistently seeks to educate, entertain, inform, and inspire our readers,” stated Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes.

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Observer added the seventh John B. Russwurm Award to its storied history, scoring a resounding victory during the ceremony.

The Russwurm Award is presented to the top Blackowned newspaper in the country.

In all, the publication, established in 1962, took home 16 awards including Publisher of the Year.

Observer Publisher Larry Lee thanked his NNPA peers and his staff for the newspaper’s continued success.

“On a very humbling night during the NNPA Fund Messenger Awards, the Sacramento Observer won 16

awards including the Russwurm Award as the nation’s best Black newspaper,” Lee celebrated.

“I was also awarded Publisher of the Year. I cannot express how proud I am of our team,” he said.

The 2023 NNPA Fund Messenger Awards took place in Nashville, Tennessee during the NNPA’s annual convention.

The annual awards help bolster a week of meetings, panel discussions, and other events that brings together more than 200 African American publishers and media company owners, their partners, and sponsors.

While the Observer took home the biggest awards haul, and the Informer earned five, other multiple award winners included the Atlanta Voice, Houston Defender, and the Philadelphia Tribune. WI

Remembering Christine King Farris, Education Champion and MLK’s Sister

Christine King Farris, the oldest sister of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) and champion of education and literacy, died June 29 in Atlanta. She was 95.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $55 per year, two years $70. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to:

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PUBLISHER

Denise Rolark Barnes

STAFF

Micha Green, Managing Editor

Ron Burke, Advertising/Marketing Director

Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor

Lafayette Barnes, IV, Editor, WI Bridge DC

Austin Cooper, Our House Editor

Desmond Barnes, Social Media Stategist

ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout

Mable Neville, Bookkeeper 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

King Farris dedicated most of her life to keeping her brother's legacy alive.

“We along with the entire King family, Civil Rights activist, historic Ebenezer Church, the academic community, and people of goodwill celebrate the life of our beloved servant,” said Bernice A. King, MLK’s daughter, and CEO of The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

Isaac Farris, her oldest son, said that his mother's death ”was not unexpected,” but is sadly ironic because it occurred the same day as when the Supreme Court “struck down affirmative action,” in education.

Farris said that his mother “suffered,” because she wanted to attend Harvard, but after that wasn't possible she got into Columbia University where she earned two graduate degrees.

Farris was the first child of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. She would go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics from Spelman College and later master’s degrees in social foundations of education and special education from Columbia University.

As the oldest sibling, Farris endured multiple tragedies: the assassination of Dr. King in 1968; the death, by drowning, of her other brother, Alfred Daniel King in 1969; and the fatal shooting of her mother Alberta King, who was assassinated while playing the organ during Sunday services at Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1974.

“Aunt Christine embodied what it meant to be a public servant,” Martin Luther King III said in a tweet after her death. “ She defied the odds that held back too many marginalized communities – going on to become a civil rights leader and acclaimed author.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

New Program Offers Cash Rewards for Tips on Illegal Guns, Shootings

A new effort as part of Safer, Stronger DC, and #GunsDownDC, is offering up reward money in assisting the Metropolitan Police Department in finding illegal guns as well as arresting alleged shooters.

In order to stop the spread of firearms, MPD and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser are offering a minimum of $1,000 and up to $2500 for tips that lead to the arrest and seizure of an illegal gun.

Further, providing tips that lead to the arrest and sei-

zure of a “‘ghost gun’ or a firearm equipped with an automatic conversion device,’ can result in receiving additional reward money of up to $5000.

Those who provide information leading to an arrest and conviction in a shooting are eligible to receive up to $10,000.

For more information or to report an illegal firearm, call (202) 727-9099 or anonymously text 50411. WI

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

Remembering Dorothy Simms Fauntroy

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

Hundreds gathered at New Bethel Baptist Church in Northwest, D.C., on June 29 to celebrate the life of Dorothy Simms Fauntroy, a church leader and community servant, who was often celebrated as “the wind beneath the wings” of the District’s former Delegate to Congress. Serving as the New Bethel’s longtime first lady, Fauntroy was remembered as an “angel,” and woman of great strength.

In life, Fauntroy was the wife and lifelong companion of the Rev. Dr. Walter Fauntroy, an iconic Civil Rights leader and aide to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Reverend Fauntroy went from pastoring a District congregation and leading protests to serving as the District’s first Delegate to Congress and beside him was his wife Dorothy, who died June 18 at the age of 88.

In an interview with the Informer, Marvin Fauntroy, 59, talked about his mother and growing up as a child in the Civil Rights Movement.

“She was a quiet power and she was the bedrock for my father that allowed him to do what he needed to do,” Marvin Fauntroy said in an interview. “I don't know many people who could have done that.”

In terms of how his dad is doing, the son said, “He is doing ok.”

“I can't imagine knowing somebody for 71 years. They got married in 1957 but they met in 1951,” he explained.

Marvin Fauntroy said that he has received calls from the family members and children of other Civil Rights leaders, such as the Jacksons and Kings.

“The Jacksons, the Kings, they are going something right now (with the death of Christine King Ferris) I am going to send them something,” he explained.

With appreciation for all who have reached out, he singled out a letter from the children of King’s top assistant Ralph Abernathy.

“I called him Uncle Ralph,” he said.

“When Dr. Abernathy came to D.C., they didn't stay in a hotel they stayed at the house,” Marvin Fauntroy explained. “Dr. King came to the house, but he didn't like staying in a

house because he thought it put people in peril. He would come. There is a picture of him standing on the steps and holding me. I was 2 years old.”

“When Abernathy came he would bring the whole family” added Marvin Fauntroy.

The now 59-year-old said he learned many things from his parents and elders of the movement like remaining in his seat during church service.

“You go to the bathroom before church; there wasn't any getting up from the pew unless it was time to put something in the plate,” Marvin Fauntroy emphasized. “There was none of this running in and out. Sit your butt right here. That’s how I was raised. I cringe when I see it now.”

CELEBRATING AN ‘ANGEL’

On June 29, New Bethel Pastor, the Rev. Dexter Nutall, led former Delegate Fauntroy and a somber procession of family and friends out of the sanctuary after a funeral that celebrated the life of Deaconess Dorothy Fauntroy. From the beginning to the end of the service, it was evident the deaconess and former first lady was loved by all of the members of the close knit congregation in upper Northwest.

Nutall called her ‘our angel,’” said Ibrahim Mumin, who along with his wife Carol, were close friends to the Fauntroy family.

Mumin said Nutall shared engaging and touching anecdotes about Dorothy Fauntroy’s contributions to her church community.

“He reminded us how every year at this time, Mrs. Fauntroy would give little white envelopes filled with small amounts of money to the graduates to keep them encouraged,” Mumin said of Nutall’s eulogy. “We knew it wasn’t much, but it was just a great thing she always did.”

In addition to working at New Bethel and in the Shaw community, Dorothy Fauntroy worked hard and supported her husband since the time she spotted him her freshman year on the campus of Virginia Union. At the time she noticed him, he was in the process of joining Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

“Who was that little guy with a bald head,” Dorothy Fauntroy told

the Informer in a March 2017 interview. She said despite the shaved head, and his desire to be in a fraternity, she learned something else about the then mystery man: “He he sang in the choir and had a beautiful voice.”

What began as a campus romance, blossomed into a relationship that spanned more than seven decades. She was his partner in the Civil Rights Movement. She was there when King and other ministers planned parts of the March on Washington, and she was there serving the residents of the District of Columbia when her husband was in Congress from 1971 to 1991.

Dorothy Fauntroy was also a devoted member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and recipient of multiple community service awards. Her unwavering commitment reflected in her profound impact on both the church and community.

“Dorothy demonstrated exceptional leadership skills during her tenure at

the ministry, successfully leading various programs over several years. Her devotion to the church and community did not go unnoticed, as she was recognized with the prestigious title of ‘New Bethel Baptist Church Woman of the Year in 1982,’” according to information in her funeral program.

The deaconess and wife also had a unique collection of dolls and orna-

ments that was a favorite attraction for friends and guests. She had porcelain angel figurines and music boxes. She also had a passion for planting and nurturing flowers.

However, paramount in her life was her love for her children and grandchildren.

Read more on www.washingtoninformer.com WI

healthy food, healthy families.

Shop participating Healthy Corners stores in your community for fresh produce at fair prices brought to you by DC Central Kitchen.

5Dorothy Simms Fauntroy, wife to the District’s first Delegate to Congress, died on June 18 at the age of 88. She was remembered as an ‘angel,’ at a funeral on June 29 at New Bethel Baptist Church. (Courtesy Photo)

Marvin Fauntroy: “She was the bedrock for my father”

Find participating SNAP Match & DC WIC locations, explore what’s on the shelf of your nearest store, download the Healthy Corners app, & more!

AROUND THE REGION

facts

JULY 6 - 12, 2023

SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

Williams successfully defended her title, knocking off Justine Henin in the finals.

JULY 9

1901 – Actor and composer Jester Hairston of "Amos 'n' Andy" and "Amen" fame, is born in Belews Creek, North Carolina.

JULY 10

1875 – Civil rights luminary Mary McLeod Bethune is born in Mayesville, South Carolina.

1893 – Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performs the world's first open-heart surgery at Provident Hospital in Chicago on a man stabbed in the chest.

1941 – Iconic ragtime and jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton dies in Los Angeles at the age of 50.

1943 – Tennis great Arthur Ashe is born in Richmond, Virginia.

1973 – The Bahamas is declared a fully independent nation.

JULY 11

1905 – W. E. B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter found the Niagara Movement, a Black civil rights organization.

JULY 12

JULY 6

1957 – Tennis star Althea Gibson became the first Black tennis player to win Wimbledon, defeating fellow American Darlene Hard in straight sets.

1971 – Legendary jazz trumpeter Louis "Satchmo"Armstrong dies of a heart attack in New York City.

1979 – Musician and D.C. native Van McCoy, best known for his 1975 smash "The Hustle," dies in Englewood, New Jersey.

JULY 7

1913 – Negro leagues baseball legend Leroy "Satchel" Paige is born in Mobile, Alabama.

1913 – Blues pianist Pinetop Perkins is born in Belzoni, Mississippi.

1915 – American poet and writer Margaret Walker, author of "Jubilee," is born in Birmingham, Alabama. 1972 – Hall of Fame basketball player Lisa Leslie, the first player to dunk in a WNBA game, is born in Gardena, California.

JULY 8

1908 – Swing-era bandleader and musician Louis Jordan, "The King of the Jukebox," is born in Brinkley, Arkansas.

1914 – Famed jazz singer Billy Eckstine is born in Pittsburgh.

2000 – Tennis legend Venus Williams defeats Lindsay Davenport to win the Wimbledon women's singles championship, the first Black woman to do so since Althea Gibson in 1958. Exactly a year later,

1920 – Emmy-winning actress Beah Richards is born in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

1936 – Rose McClendon, founder of the Negro People's Theatre and a leading Black Broadway actress in the 1920s, dies in New York City at the age of 51.

1937 – Famed actor and comedian Bill Cosby is born in Philadelphia. WI

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE

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BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

What are your thoughts?

CHARLOTTE MAYFIELD / MILWAUKEE , MINN

It’s amazing that race as a consideration was struck out, but not legacy points and placements.

TARQUETTA JOHNSON / WASHINGTON, DC

Affirmative action is gone, and that’s horrible, but at some point, we’re going to have to quit constantly trying to kick down the doors of people who don’t like us and secretly despise us. I say that to say HBCUs were created for this very reason.

DEANDRIA JONES / FORT MILL, S.C.

But ending affirmative action is going to hurt white women too. In trying to hurt us, they will no longer benefit. We are in many more corporate spaces and positions of power than in the past. I wish them the luck they deserve.

RHONDA INGRAM /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

We have to be vigilant and strong enough to make and handle new challenges ahead. It takes the young and gifted among us to say we shall not be moved and take the time and effort to say maybe we should go to HBCUs and build our own schools.

AMBER HORTON / WASHINGTON, D.C.

Stay tuned for the discrimination lawsuits. They will be coming back to this decision in the next four years.

After decades of precedent, the Supreme Court ruled affirmative action in higher education institutions is unconstitutional.

AROUND THE REGION

Wells Fargo Delivers $300K to D.C. Area Nonprofits Via Caravan

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

The philanthropic arm of Wells Fargo Bank recently donated $300,000 in grants to six nonprofits in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for the purpose of supporting efforts to increase African American and Latino homeownership in caravan style.

Donna Greene, vice president of diverse segments and home lending for Wells Fargo, was joined by colleagues Victor Burrola, senior community impact and sustainability specialist and Kenrick Thomas, senior communications consultant for the Atlantic region that covers the District, Maryland and Virginia as they traveled to the home offices of the nonprofits in the District, Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties to deliver a check replica of the $50,000 each received on behalf of the bank’s foundation on June 30.

“Wells Fargo has a commitment to serve underserved communities,” Greene said. “Using mortgage housing, we want to close the gaps of disparity of wealth with paths to homeownership. These six $50,000 grants will make a difference in those organizations dedicated to expanding homeownership.”

THE CARAVAN

The first nonprofit to receive

their $50,000 grant was Housing Options and Planning Enterprises (H.O.P.E.) located in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Donna Hurley, the president, and CEO of H.O.P.E., was pleased to receive the grant.

“This $50,000 will be essential to our operation,” Hurley, 67, said. “It will go to the livelihood of the organization by providing funds for overhead and salary and helping to keep our team in place.”

From Oxon Hill, the Wells Fargo officials went to the office of University Legal Services (ULS) in Northeast, a block east of Union Station. Jane M. Brown, ULS’s executive director, greeted the officials and thanked them for the grant.

“This money will help us embrace our housing counseling services for first time homebuyers in D.C.,” Brown, 63, said. “It will also be used to help assist tenants in buying their buildings that are up for sale.”

The bank officials left Northeast to travel back to Prince George’s County to Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF) in Riverdale, Maryland. CAF primarily assists Latino and immigrant families purchase homes and work to prevent foreclosures. Walkira Pool, the president and founder of CAF, said her organization is no stranger to Wells Fargo.

“Wells Fargo was our first funder,” Pool, 47, said of her founding in 2009.

The caravan stayed in Prince George’s County, venturing west

to the offices of the Housing Initiative Partnership Inc., (HIP) in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Maryanne Dillon, HIP’s executive director, said the grant will be used to support primarily the housing counseling program.

“We operate on a $2 million budget,” Dillon, 71, said. “We need resources to pay for what we do. The good thing about the Wells Fargo grant is that it is unrestricted money, and we can use it as we see fit.”

The Wells Fargo group left Prince George’s County to go into the District on Eastern Avenue in Northwest to the offices of Manna Homes.

Scott Willis, the chief operating officer of Manna, said the Wells Fargo grant will be used for its home ownership programs.

“We will use it to fund the Home Ownership Center,” Willis, 55, said. “We help people with their full cycle journey experience. Our goal is to turn renters into homeowners.”

The last stop on the caravan was the offices of First Home Alliance, Inc., (FHA) in Rockville, Maryland in Montgomery County

“We will use the grant to continue our outreach and increase our social media presence,” said Larry Laws, founder, and president of FHA. “Also, the money will help us to develop more programs. I thank Wells Fargo for this grant because it says a lot when a major bank backs you.” WI @JamesWrightJr10

5 (left to right) Victor Burrola, Kenrick Thomas, T.C. Caviness, Donna Greene, Shannon McQueen and Scott Willis pose with a replica of a Wells Fargo check presented to MANNA, Inc. for $50,000. (Rob Roberts/The Washington Informer)

CORNER

Take an Inside Look at Paris FW ‘23 with Somewhere DC

By WI Bridge Staff

Paris Fashion Week represents a pivotal event for retail stores, providing a platform to highlight upcoming trends, showcase new designs, and connect directly with customers. This immersion into the fashion world intensifies the retail customer experience, offering a peek into the future of style and guiding their purchasing decisions.

Retailers are not just selling clothes—they’re selling inspiration, innovation, and identity, solidifying their brand image while directly impacting consumer choices and their approach to personal style.

We visited to witness the sights and sounds of the important week in international fashion and get an up close look at how D.C.-based retail store Somewhere approaches the buying process and brings a world of fashion to our local market. WI

Dreaming of

AROUND THE REGION

CAPTURE THE MOMENT

Who’s Reading the Informer?

James Jones of Woodbridge, Va., reads the Washington Informer.

WORDS

(Courtesy photo)

“To those of you with your years of service still ahead, the challenge is yours. Stop doubting yourselves. Have the courage to make up your minds and hold your decisions. Refuse to be bought for a nickel, or a million dollars, or a job!”

(L-R) Mark O’Donovan, Stephen Glaude, Priya Jayachandran, and Sasha Angus during a panel discussion and press conference announcing $7.65 million in grants to three housing organizations - National Housing Trust; Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development; and Manna, Inc. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

African Americans Forge Cultural Identity Through Local Nigerian Center

By Dr. Patrise Holden WI Contributing Writer

Due to the relative ease of tracing ancestry online, a large number of African Americans are finding that their genealogy traces back to Nigeria. This knowledge of ancestry has caused a surge in interest in Nigerian languages, food and culture both nationally, internationally and in the Washington, D.C. region.

The first of its kind to open in the nation, the Nigerian Center focuses on assisting all minority populations to embrace, study and understand Nigerian culture. The center teaches native Nigerian languages: Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo. Thought to be a way to teach second and third generation immigrant families their native languages, these classes have been attended by diverse groups, predominant amongst them, African Americans.

“Over the years, interest in learning Igbo has evolved from 2nd and 3rd generation families to people who have married Igbo, those wanting to learn a new language, travelers, those interested in culture, and professionals who have a connection to Nigeria,” said Toochi Ngwangwa, president of Express Igbo, which partners with the Nigerian Center.

A second generation Nigerian American, Morenike Adaku, 26, serves as cultural chair of Nigerian Center partner Umu Igbo Unite.

“Learning Igbo has brought greater connection to my personal and professional culture,” Adaku said. “There were so many things that my parents would say in English that went over my head. Hearing and understanding those same phrases in Igbo gave me greater understanding.

“It is one of many defects of American education that we are taught European languages but not languages relating to Black history or culture, said Bryant. “Without access to language and culture, African Americans, in great degree, have become a rootless people.”

Gbenga Ogunjimi, 41, founder

and executive director of the Nigerian Center, said language is key in molding cultural identity.

“Language is a form of identity imperative to forging cultural identity and belonging. For those of us in the diaspora, it is critical to assimilation, and part of our way of restoring culture,” Ogunjimi said. “Whether you’ve been here for centuries or are newly immigrated, it reconnects you to that culture.”

Ogunjimi indicated that language plays a major role in fulfilling the Nigerian Center’s core mission to connect the world to Nigerian culture through pro-

grams surrounding financial inclusion and social justice opportunities.

“Being fluent in another language, especially one dealing with heritage and ancestry, is one of the key ways of establishing cultural and professional identity for oneself.

Bryant, who holds a J.D. from Yale and bachelor’s from Harvard, echoed Ogunjimi’s sentiments.

For our own edification and intellectual expansion, learning another language is extremely rewarding. Being Black and being proficient in a language that is unexpected not only helps you to engage culturally but to stand out on a resume,” said Bryant, whose undergraduate degree is in Slavic Language, Literatures and the Classics.

Ogunjimi noted that the Nigerian Center is of benefit to all people, even himself.

“As a native Nigerian married to an African American, my wife and I too are learning how to ensure that our 2-year-old son embraces all sides of his culture,” Ogunjimi told the Informer.

“For all people of color it is the sense of community and the commonality of embracing culture that people resonate to. Being in a community with abundant cultural resources like the Nigerian Center is a transformative experience, even for me.” WI

5 “Nollywood Dreams,” premiere meet and greet, at Round House Theatre Bethesda, Maryland. Founder, Gbenga Ogunjimi is standing second from right. (Courtesy Photo/ Nigerian Center)

“Learning Igbo has brought greater connection to my personal and professional culture,” Adaku said. “There were so many things that my parents would say in English that went over my head. Hearing and understanding those same phrases in Igbo gave me greater understanding.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

PRINCE GEORGE’S WEEKLY UPDATES

Cannabis Legalized, Brown Elected Committee Chair, Farmer’s Market

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

CANNABIS OFFICIALLY LEGALIZED IN MARYLAND

Recreational cannabis became legal in Maryland on July 1, with most adults now eligible to purchase cannabis in flower, concentrate and edibles at dispensaries with just their state ID. Prior to July 1, only those with medical licenses were able to purchase at dispensaries.

In 2014, cannabis possession in small amounts became a civil offense. Over 226,000 charges and convictions relating to cannabis possession have been recorded in Maryland’s district and circuit courts since cannabis possession was made a civil offense in 2014.

At Mary and Main, a Black-owned dispensary in Prince George’s, cus-

ANTWAN BROWN ELECTED AS COMMITTEE CHAIR

Antwan Brown (D- District 26) was officially voted to serve as the

tomers lined up to buy and learn about cannabis from Hope Wiseman. The Capitol Heights business is one of the few Black-owned cannabis businesses set to benefit from the law change. You can even order online from them, provided you meet the legal requirements. All available dispensaries are listed here by the Maryland Cannabis Administration.

Adults may possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis, 12 grams of concentrates or up to 750 milligrams of edible cannabis products at a time. Marylanders can also grow up to two indoor cannabis plants, as long as they are out of public view.

“I also believe Marylanders should consider the opportunity of growing our own plants. It has been reported that gardening is a great way to clear your mind,” said Rita Lynn Lawrence of Seraphim Holistics, a Dunkirkbased cannabis business. “Plus, you will be producing your own self care

Chair of the Democratic Central Committee following the appointment of former Chair Kent Roberson as Delegate in District 25. Brown, who represents Fort Washington, previously ran for Delegate.

He was a key leader on the Coordinated Campaign, an effort by state and local Democrats to engage voters between the primary and general election.

Between now and the 2024 general election, the Committee will register voters and hold monthly meetings. In the event of a Delegate or State Senate vacancy, all Central Committee members vote on the replacement. WI

resources in growing your cannabis plants. Another option are grow clubs and co-ops which I hear are already forming.”

The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has until July 1, 2024, to clear possession cases and the Maryland Judiciary must clear the state’s court case search of any criminal case where possession of cannabis is the only charge, according to the new law.

“Having a cannabis charge show up in a background check can be like putting an extra barrier in front of you when applying for jobs and promotions,” said Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service staff attorney Chris Sweeney.

FORT WASHINGTON FORWARD BRINGS FARMERS MARKET

With the rising summer temperatures, Fort Washington Forward, a farmers market with an eye on providing local produce at reasonable prices to Prince Georgians, has officially returned. Every second Saturday of the month from now until November 18, they will be at Potomac Landing Elementary School from 9a.m. to 1p.m. Every fourth Saturday of the month, during the same time block, the market will be at Friendly High School.

Some of the benefits of a farmer’s market over grocery stores are fresher products, local sourcing and safer

However, cannabis remains federally illegal. It is illegal to use or consume cannabis on federal lands, including parks and military bases, or to transport cannabis across state lines. Jobs are still able to drug test their employees. It also remains illegal to offer payment for any amount of cannabis product. While it is illegal for police to use cannabis odor as probable cause to search a vehicle, it does remain illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence.

With the positives of cannabis legalization also comes a negative impact to Maryland’s CBD industry. The cannabis legalization bill caps unregulated sale of THC at 2.5 milligrams per package.

Patrick Elder, who owns three CBD shops in Maryland, is closing his businesses until he knows for sure he has one of the 300 commercial licenses.

“Maryland has absolutely, 100%, unequivocally turned their back on the hemp industry," said Elder. If he is unable to get one of those licenses, he will relocate his business to another state. Beyond lost business, he also fears that other CBD shop owners may get shut down or face trouble for operating without a license.

We have previously covered cannabis legalization. Read more here and here. WI

At a farmers market, the produce may be locally grown, healthier, and have better longevity.”

There are also business opportunities that aren’t available in brick and mortar grocery stores.

shipping options.

‘The average age of a grocery store apple is six to 12 months old,” said Forward Farmer Market’s master gardener Maura Russell. “Whereas, at a farmers market, the potatoes may have been harvested that week!

“We have provided vendor spotlights for our vendors. Some will even offer demonstration stations, where they can show you how to create healthier meal alternatives or teach you how to grow your lettuce,” said Koroma Renaud, the Fort Washington Forward Market Manager. “In a grocery store, farmers and bakers may not get the chance to reap benefits, as their products will be competing against bigger brands.” WI

5 Mary and Main is a Black-owned and woman-owned dispensary located at 8801 Hampton Mall Dr. in Capitol Heights. (Anthony Tilghman/Washington Informer)

Congressman Hoyer Awarded by Maryland Dems

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Longtime Democratic Congressman and state political leader Steny Hamilton Hoyer was awarded by the Maryland Democratic Party at their June 23 gala for decades of service and enormous contributions to not just his congressional district, but the entire state.

Hoyer was first drawn to politics when he met President John F. Kennedy while enrolled at the University of Maryland. Hoyer was elected to the State Senate in 1966, and elected by his peers as Senate President in the late 1970s.

After Congresswoman Gladys Noon Spellman (D) fell into a coma in 1980, Hoyer won the congressional special elections to represent Maryland’s 5th Congressional District. He has been serving in Congress ever since, including as the Majority Leader and Minority Whip under Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D). In the mid 1960s, both he and Pelosi interned

on Capitol Hill together for Senator Daniel Brewster.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries attended the gala, and offered his respects for someone who has been a mentor for him in D.C.

“Steny Hoyer is a good man, a hard-working man, a family man, a well-educated man, a community man, a visionary man, a soonto-be-newly-wed man,” he said.

“And certainly, above all else, a mighty, mighty, mighty Maryland man who has dedicated his life to improving the health, the safety, the economic well-being of the people of this great state.”

“I like politics because of what we can do, not to just be, but do,” said Hoyer. “To make a difference in people’s lives. To make it better. To give it a greater quality. To respect every individual.”

A tweet from Hoyer’s Twitter account read, “Thank you to Chairwoman Yvette Lewis, [Maryland Dems], [Hakeem Jeffries], and the entire Maryland delegation for such a special night.”

5 Congressman Steny Hoyer was awarded at the Maryland Democratic Party gala on June 23 for decades of service and immeasurable contributions to the state. (Courtesy Photo/ Office of Congressman Steny Hoyer)

By James Wright / WI Staff Writer

BUSINESS briefs

DISTRICT CAPITALIZED MICRO-LINE OF CREDIT PILOT

The District’s Department of Small and Local Business Development agency and Life Asset, a financial institution that specializes in microloans based in Northwest, have partnered to launch the District Capitalized Micro-Line of Credit pilot.

Life Asset will award each qualified business up to $10,000 at 6% interest for a one-year term with the option to renew. The pilot will initially focus on District-based small businesses that are Made in DC certified, CBE certified or operate a licensed business that provides cleaning, landscaping, childcare or sustainability services.

The launch and application information session occurred on July 6. The Application Information session will take place on July 10. For more information, subscribe to email updates at bit. ly/MicroLOCpilotAlerts. WI

MAYOR’S BLACK BUSINESS EXPO

The Mayor’s Office on African American Affairs will hold its Black Business Expo on July 7 at Sandlot Anacostia in Ward 8 in Southeast.

The focus will be on the food industry. The event suits those who are seasoned professionals or just starting off in the food world.

Join for informative talks and networking opportunities with leading industry experts. Attendees will get the chance to meet potential suppliers, buyers, partners, and D.C. government regulatory agencies while discovering the latest trends, techniques, and tips to enhance your food business. The range of topics and tables will be many, but a couple of topics include Introduction to food entrepreneurship; business planning and strategy; marketing and branding; food safety and regulations; product development and innovation and Mayor Bowser’s investments in food-based businesses.

Register at Tinyurl.com/MOAAABBE. WI

STUDY REPORTS MARYLAND 2ND BEST FOR MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS

A study by Lendio released on June 12 reported Maryland is the second-best state in the country for minority entrepreneurship. The study revealed Hawaii as the best and Montana as the worst. Delaware, neighboring Maryland, ranked fourth while Virginia came in eighth and the District, 17th. Factors utilized for the study included income equality through Census data, the Black-white jobless rate ratio, the minority business ownership rate measured as the share of businesses owned by a person of color, new firms (under two years old) that are owned by minorities, the percentage change in the number of Community Advantage loan approvals and Community Reinvestment Act loan sums for small business owners with revenue of $1 million or less. The study reported that in Maryland, 24% of businesses are minority owned. Regarding STUDY Page 15

5 William F. Armstrong from Armstrong & Associates, Ronnie Taylor from The Taylor Construction Group and Kenneth Hudson from Hawkeye Services, HVAC, Bathroom Remodels and Project Management all Minority Business Owners in Prince George's County. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

FDIC. Sandy Spring Bank and the SSB logo are registered trademarks of Sandy Spring Bank. © 2023 Sandy Spring Bank. All rights reserved.

STUDY from Page 14

startups, almost 30% of them are owned by people of color. Plus, the job growth at minority businesses is 59%, the study said.

Overall, the study reported the number of businesses owned by people of color reached a record high in 2020, 1.2 million. That makes up more than 50% compared to 2007. Nevertheless, minorities constitute 40% of the nation’s population but only 20% of its businesses.

“Not all business owners have equal opportunities to succeed,” the study said. “In particular, minority entrepreneurs face barriers in accessing the capital they need to start and grow their businesses—even in the top ranked states.” WI

CAAB LAUNCHES MONTHLY VIRTUAL

FINANCIAL WORKSHOPS

The Capital Area Asset Builders has launched monthly #DCEITC and financial empowerment virtual workshops.

Anyone can join the webinars. The webinars will occur once a month from July to December from 6- 7 p.m. The first one took place on June 27. Attendees will learn best practices and recommendations on managing personal finances as well as information on key tax-related matters such as the federal and D.C. earned income tax credit and the child tax credit.

The remaining dates are July 18, August 22, September 19, October 24, November 21, and December 19. For more information, call 202-419-1440 or visit caab.org. WI

@JamesWrightJr10

5 The Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) helps residents improve their money management skills. (Courtesy photo)

Black Press Convention Concludes with Legacy Awards, Message from President Biden

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

President Joe Biden has always maintained that the Black vote pushed him over the top in his 2020 election victory over Donald Trump. And it’s never been lost on the president that a pivotal day in his campaign occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, on Feb. 26, when he sat down for a live roundtable interview with Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis

Jr., the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned newspapers and media companies.

Joining Chavis at that campaign-turning event were dozens of Black Press publishers and media company owners, and the livestream of that event, followed later in the day by an endorsement from Democratic South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, catapulted the once slumbering

candidacy all the way to the White House.

During the NNPA’s annual convention, which celebrated 196 years of the Black Press of America, Biden appeared via video to deliver remarks to mark the occasion.

“Congratulations to the Black Press of America for celebrating 196 years of serving communities across our nation,” Biden stated in the address which aired on July 1.

Sam Pollard’s Documentary Shines Light on the Legacy of the Negro Baseball Leagues

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

On the Black Press of America’s “Let It Be Known” show, renowned filmmaker Sam Pollard took center stage

in an exclusive interview about his new film that shines a spotlight on the fabled Negro Leagues.

Pollard’s latest documentary, “The League,” will make its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival before a theatrical release in July.

Based on the book “The Negro Baseball Leagues” by Bob Motley and Byron Motley, the film counts as another triumph for Pollard, whose past directorial works include the critically acclaimed “Mr. Soul!”, “Sammy Davis, Jr: I’ve Got to Be Me,” and “MLK/FBI.”

The documentary also boasts Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the executive producer responsible for the Oscar-winning “Summer of Soul.”

The film illuminates that the sport was integrated in its earliest days, albeit with Black players forming only a minority of team members.

That changed in the late 1800s, as racist white players like Pop Anson of the Chicago White Stockings, who infamously refused to take the field with Black athletes, sparked a shift.

“Ida B. Wells once said, the way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon the wrong. That’s the sacred charge of a free press. That’s the charge African American publishers have pursued for nearly two centuries,” Biden continued. “With every story you publish, you make our democracy stronger.

“Ida B. Wells once said, the way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon the wrong. That’s the sacred charge of a free press. That’s the charge African American publishers have pursued for nearly two centuries,” Biden continued. “With every story you publish, you make our democracy stronger. Thank you for what you do to turn the light of truth wherever your work leads you. Thank you.

The week began with a chairman’s reception at the National Museum of African American Music sponsored by Nissan, with greetings and acknowledgments from outgoing NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards, President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., and convention planning committee chair Terry Jones, the publisher of Data News Weekly in New Orleans.

Rosetta Miller-Perry, the publisher of the Tennessee Tribune, served as host for the week.

A workshop on engaging the next generation through culture and building pathways between the Black Press and the next generation through education included conversations with Houston Forward Times Business Manager Chelsea Lenora White, and Jarren Small, the CEO of Educational Entertainment and Reading with a Rapper.

cussed the “Black Press State of Emergency Response through Hip Hop, Education, and Literacy, during a fireside chat.

The NNPA Fund handed out its Merit Awards, honoring the best of Black newspapers. The Sacramento Observer won 16 awards, including Publisher of the Year for Larry Lee.

The Washington Informer earned five Merit awards, including best layout and design and accolades for its website.

Chavis also interviewed Jessie Wolley-Wilson, the president and CEO of DreamBox Learning, on education emphasizing mathematics.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison proved a crowd pleaser with his topic, “Ending the Cycle of Police Violence in America.”

R.J. Reynolds hosted a lunch panel on “When Good People Write Bad Public Policy: Stop the FDA Menthol Ban,” a session that expounded on the lived experiences and expertise of the nation’s leading Black law enforcement professionals and community leaders on the unintended consequences of bans and prohibitions.

Bobby Henry, the publisher of the Westside Gazette in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., won election as NNPA Chairman, succeeding Carter Richards of the Houston Forward Times.

5 “The League,” is a film that illuminates that baseball was integrated in its earliest days, albeit with Black players forming only a minority of team members. (Courtesy Photo/ Sam Pollard)

However, as Jim Crow laws engulfed the nation, Black players were banned from the game.

POLLARD Page 17

The workshop stressed the importance of solving the national literacy issue to reach the next generation and provided publishers and attendees with solutions to reach an untapped market: schools.

Small and Dr. Chavis then dis-

The NNPA’s Legacy Awards and Gala Dinner honored Ellison and Tennessee State Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson.

Grammy-nominated singer Keith Washington closed the gala with a mini-concert. WI

@StacyBrownMedia

5 Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes accepts one of five Messenger Awards. (Mark Mahoney, Dream in Color Photography)

In 1920, Rube Foster, a trailblazing Black baseball pioneer who excelled as a pitcher, manager, and owner, founded the Negro National League.

Inspired by Frederick Douglass’ words, the league adopted the motto “We Are the Ship, All Else the Sea.”

Three years later, the Eastern Colored League emerged as a competitor, culminating in the inaugural Colored World Series in 1924.

Foster, hailed as the “father of black baseball,” serves as one of the documentary’s most compelling subjects.

Noteworthy for pitching seven no-hitters and inventing the screwball, Foster even taught the pitch to white player Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants, who popularized it.

Tragically, Foster met a grim fate, succumbing to the effects of a gas leak in a hotel room.

He suffered from delusions and spent several years institutionalized in an asylum before passing away at 51 in 1930.

Although the Negro National

League eventually succumbed to the economic pressures of the Great Depression, other leagues emerged, serving as a springboard for numerous Black players who would later achieve legendary status.

Several of these players, including Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Satchel Paige, would eventually join Major League Baseball (MLB).

The documentary features captivating archival interviews with these players and more.

The film poignantly chronicles the immense challenges faced by Black players as they traversed the country, often denied accommodation in hotels and meals in restaurants.

Additionally, the Negro Leagues provided a home for many talented Latino players from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and other parts of Latin America.

Following World War II, with many Black service members having bravely fought for their country, pressure began mounting for the integration of MLB.

Notably, Paul Robeson became a

prominent advocate for this cause. Despite years of resistance from MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who evoked comparisons to a character from “Birth of a Nation,” progress emerged.

Landis died in 1944, and three years later, Branch Rickey recruited Jackie Robinson as the first Black player to join the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson’s entry opened the door for other Black players such as Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, and Jim Gilliam, all of whom had roots in the Negro leagues.

Effa Manley, a formidable businesswoman, also features prominently in the documentary.

Known as the “First Lady of Negro Baseball,” she co-owned the Newark Eagles and became the only woman inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Manley fiercely advocated for fair compensation for Negro league teams when MLB began recruiting their players.

The integration of baseball eventually led to the decline of the Negro Leagues, which ceased operations by

the late 1940s. Through masterful use of vintage footage, interviews, oral histories, and contributions from modern-day historians and scholars, the documentary makes a case for the enduring significance of the Negro Baseball Leagues.

Reflecting on his connection to the project, Pollard said, “I grew up in the

1960s being a huge baseball fan… But what I did not know much about… was that [Jackie] Robinson had come out of the Negro Leagues and that the Negro Leagues had been home to Black and Latino ballplayers who had to play segregated baseball during the height of the Jim Crow era.” WI

BE READY FOR ANY EMERGENCY

5 In recent years, MLB officials have faced a growing and significant lack of African American representation within the sport. (Wikimedia commons)

5 Some combatants of the genocidal FDLR group, who were captured by M23 rebels, fighting alongside the DR Congo armed forces in the east of the country last year. (Courtesy Photo)

Kagame Speaks Out on UN Group of Experts Report on DR Congo

Rwanda President Paul Kagame has said that the recent report by the United Nations Group of Experts on DR Congo failed to detail the causes of insecurities in the country’s east, which is home to more than 130 local and foreign armed groups, The New Times, Rwanda’s largest daily newspaper, reported on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.

In an interview with the national broadcaster aired on Tuesday, July 4, Kagame said the report, which accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group and causing insecurity in eastern DR Congo, is similar to previous reports that failed to address the real issues in the Great Lakes Region and suggest possible solutions.

“There are just reports coming up, and when you look at it – and you’ve lived in this region and know what has happened and what is happening – sometimes you wonder what the exercise is all about,” he said.

“Is it really aimed at resolving problems? Do they present facts of the situation to help people to do the right thing to resolve the problems obtaining and move on to other things?” he wondered. “Or are they just aimed at sanitizing the involvement, the names of many perpetrators and really keeping the status quo, so that in the end there is money flowing into the situation and out and people living off it, and countries using it to manage other countries?”

Speaking of thousands of Congolese refugees who have lived in Rwanda for decades and others that recently fled to the country due to persecution and hate speech in DR Congo, Kagame said, “These reports always fall short of addressing even the understanding of this problem, let alone providing possible solutions.”

The UN experts did not visit Rwanda to talk to people who fled from DR Congo.

“They’ve never done that. Why do you think any expert who’s supposed to be taken seriously, and therefore the report they write, would not have done that? It shows something, maybe akin to bias of some sort.”

He said the Group of Experts maintains a narrative that was set close to 30 years ago around the story of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. WI

UN Secretary General Appeals for Help for Haiti

“Help for Haiti.” That was the appeal on Monday, July 3, from the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which was immediately answered with a firm promise from incoming CARICOM Chairman Roosevelt Skerrit that CARICOM will stand with Haiti with increased support.

“And I say to our brother–Prime Minister of Haiti (Ariel Henry)–you will see even increased support for the Haitian people as we seek to find a solution to your challenges,” Dominica’s Prime Minister Skerrit added as he addressed the audience at the Hyatt Regency.. Henry was among the leaders present.

5 Interim Prime Minister of Haiti Dr Ariel Henry is escorted during the processional of Heads of Government at the launch of the 45th Regular Meeting of Caricom at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, on Monday, July 3. (Courtesy Photo)

Both Skerrit and Guterres were speaking at Monday’s launch of the 45th Caricom regular meeting and 50th-anniversary celebrations at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Guterres, who wished CARICOM “Happy Birthday,” said he had come to the summit from Haiti.

“The security situation is appalling; the humanitarian needs are soaring and there is not yet a full political solution in sight. We must help ease the suffering of the Haitian people,” Guterras said.

He added that he would continue to push for a robust international security force authorized by the Security Council to be able to help the Haitian national police to defeat and dismantle gangs there.

“I reiterate my call to all partners to increase support for the national police in the form of financing, training, and equipment,” Guterres said, adding the challenges seen in Haiti require greater engagement and solidarity.

“And that is precisely the founding spirit of CARICOM.” WI

How to Support the Health of You and Your Baby

Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia

Pregnancy and early motherhood are impactful times in a woman’s life. Although exciting, the journey to becoming a mother can include many physical and mental changes that you might find challenging. The care you need to help ensure a healthy pregnancy and smooth delivery may seem overwhelming, but the road to motherhood can be a positive one if you prioritize your maternal health, as well as the health of your baby.

“Maternal health” refers to a woman’s health during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.1 Having regular appointments with a trusted provider to monitor you and your baby’s health is critical to preventing mortality before, during, and after childbirth.

PREGNANCY

Maternal health should become a priority when you are trying to get pregnant or as soon as you learn you are pregnant. Having access to sufficient health care during pregnancy can lower your risk of pregnancy complications, which can include anemia, anxiety, depression, diabetes, and high blood pressure.2

By maintaining a healthy diet, incorporating regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco use, you can reduce your risk of experiencing complications. Regular visits with your primary care provider are also important to get the essential care you and your baby need.

CHILDBIRTH

Maternal health also plays a significant role in labor and delivery. There are a few ways that you can prepare for the birth of your baby and reduce the need for medical intervention during labor:

• Develop a birth plan. Prepare for childbirth by developing a birth plan. A birth plan includes your goals and wishes before, during, and after delivery. Think about what your needs may be once you begin labor and delivery. Talk with your healthcare provider about a birth plan that will work for you, and consider working with a midwife or doula. It’s important to note that the delivery may not

always go according to plan. It’s best to remain calm and take advice from your healthcare provider if things go differently than expected.

• Take a childbirth class. Childbirth classes can help you get answers to your questions before you are in the delivery room. An in-person demonstration of the labor and birthing process is a great way to ease some of your childbirth-related stress.

• Make regular trips to the doctor. Speak with your doctor about your family’s health history and any concerns you may have. Staying on top of your health care during your pregnancy can help ensure a safe delivery for you and your baby.

AFTER CHILDBIRTH

After childbirth, you will likely be focused on caring for your baby. However, mothers should continue to take care of themselves too. Women can experience health problems, some life-threatening, in the weeks and months after delivery. More than half of pregnancy-related deaths happen up to one year after childbirth.3

After delivery, keep in contact with your healthcare provider. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that postpartum care be an ongoing process rather than just a single visit. Your provider will help make sure you’re recovering well and adjusting to motherhood.

Many of the discomforts and body changes women have in the weeks after giving birth are normal, but you should familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms of health problems and reach out to your healthcare provider if you notice something unusual. Seek emergency help if you have any of the following:

• Chest pain

• Obstructed breathing or shortness of breath

• Seizures

• Thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby

The information in this article is intended to help you learn more about this topic; it is not meant to take the place of visiting

your healthcare provider. If you have questions, talk with your healthcare provider. If you need to see your health care provider because of something you have read in this information, please contact your health care provider. Never stop or wait to get medical attention because of something you have read in this material.

Sources

1. “Maternal Health,” World Health Organization, Last accessed March 8, 2023, https://www.who.int/health-topics/maternal-health#tab=tab_1.

2. “Pregnancy Complications,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Last updated February 8, 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-complications.html?CDC_AA_ refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc. gov%2Freproductivehealth%2Fmaternalinfanthealth%2Fpregcomplications.htm.

3. “Postpartum Complications:

#BestMe Benefits of Working with A Doula

Doulas are trained to provide emotional and physical support for mothers during childbirth. Research shows that doula care can help improve health outcomes for mothers and reduce racial disparities due to the culturally contextual and competent care doulas provide.4

To help mothers achieve optimal maternal health, AmeriHealth Caritas District

of Columbia has expanded the doula benefits available to its enrollees. The new benefits give all pregnant individuals access to a total of 12 doula visits across the perinatal and postpartum periods. For help finding a doula, enrollees should call Bright Start® at 1-877-759-6883 or download the Bright Start Welcome Booklet for Moms.

What You Need To Know,”

Mayo Clinic, Last updated December 3, 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/ healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/ in-depth/postpartum-complications/ art-20446702#:~:text=Common%20 postpartum%20complications&text=Cardiovascular%20diseases,bleeding%20after%20giving%20 birth%20(hemorrhage).

We want to make sure you and your family stay covered for all your healthcare needs.

ACT NOW HERE’S HOW

Confirm your household information and report any changes

Recertify and renew your benefits

Online: https://districtdirect. dc.gov/ua/ Mobile App: District Direct In Person: At a Service Center To find a location near you, visit www.dhs.dc.gov/service/findservice-center-near-you

Online: https://districtdirect. dc.gov/ua/ Mobile App: District Direct In Person: Drop your completed renewal documents off at a Service Center Mail: Mail completed renewal documents to: Department of Human Services Economic Security Administration Case Record Management Unit P.O. Box 91560 Washington, DC 20090

Cara B. Safon et al., “Doula Care Saves Lives, Improves Equity, and Empowers Mothers. State Medicaid Programs Should Pay For It,” Health Affairs, May 26, 2021, https://www. healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20210525.295915/full/

All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model

Need more information about renewing your benefits?

We are here to help. Call your health plan:

• Amerigroup DC 1-800-600-4441

• AmeriHealth Caritas DC

1-800-408-7511

• Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc.

1-866-937-4549

• MedStar Family Choice District of Columbia

1-888-404-3549

Here’s what you need to do now.

HEALTH

UNDER THE SHADOWS OF PTSD

Trauma Victims Face Lifelong Effects of the Disorder

By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Health Reporter

The quality of our mental health can quickly jump from stable to incredibly dicey territory after a life-changing encounter or traumatic event. Underneath a seemingly reserved demeanor, a subtle trigger or circumstance can open the proverbial “pandora’s box" to a host of adverse behavioral outcomes for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental ailment that devel-

ops from an experience of hyperintense, scary, dangerous or shocking events. The harrowing impacts of PTSD often present hindrances on an individual’s quality of life, psychosocial functioning, and other alarming variables including suicidality.

Native Washingtonian Damon Roberts, 60, and author of “Matter of Time: Continue to March,” knows all too well the turbulent chain of events that a life with PTSD can cause, experiencing the disorder from two sides of the coin being an Iraqi war veteran, and later on in his life as a returning citizen,

Make Changes: Always Have Good Intentions

largely due to the after-effects of war.

“I lost some people I was very close to, two of my former students were murdered, and my father died [all in one year]. In the midst of this, I was self-medicating with alcohol, [operating] as a functional alcoholic. One thing I learned with PTSD is if you don’t express yourself or you hold your anger in, when that resentment takes hold of you, that’s when you’ll have problems, and I started having problems,” Roberts shared.

A TRAUMA THAT LEFT HIM FOREVER CHANGED

Having started what became a lengthy career of service to the United

States Army soon after high school, Roberts was 42 when he was called to active duty in Iraq in 2005. These unexpected orders included mobilizing his division and presented an abrupt halt to his planned retirement.

Serving as First Sergeant, stationed at the Taji National Depot– the largest Army Base in Iraq– Roberts experienced a whirlwind of chaos and trauma that he couldn’t quite erase from his mind once he returned home.

But despite his honorable commitment to protect and serve, Roberts quickly learned he would not be welcomed with open arms while attempting to reacclimate himself to society. Having worked simultaneously within the DC Public school system as a social worker for years be-

fore his deployment, he was shocked to find himself turned away from his job upon his return. He was officially diagnosed with PTSD in October of 2006, and later faced bouts of alcoholism to cope.

The severity of the war grounds made common activities nearly unbearable as he reverted to his pre-war era. Traffic became a nerve-wracking task having to transition: from barreling through Iraqi streets commanding others; to the hypervigilant discomfort of sitting through traffic, reminding him of the fatal threat that stillness posed on the battleground overseas. Even morning worship became an issue while facing the oncoming influx of traffic into his church parking lot while attempting to leave service.

He became very aggressive in his communication, damaging his ability to connect with people the way he used to.

“I started to notice that some things were going on with me when I returned. When I went to try and get help at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at that time, my experience did not go very well,” he explained. “I described a situation [to my caseworker] that happened with me and my daughter returning home. She was 15, 16 and [one evening] she had stayed out all night. I was explaining to them the depth of just how angry I was, and do you know, [they] called child protection services on me?”

While nothing came out of it, they neglected to revisit Roberts’ plea for assistance to remedy his heightened anger induced by his experiences overseas.

After years of struggling to cope, and a mental breakdown that landed him in jail for roughly two years, he decided to fight hard in advocating for his mental health, staying consistent with touch points across the VA, and including his partner during visits to help better articulate his needs.

He emphasized that although it is a challenging road to recovery, to take advantage of all resources that are available or else they could very well pass by veterans in need.

http://www.franklinspeaksup.com

“That’s the thing that hurts us sometimes, is that a lot of times, we’re not ready to receive the services, and that was me. When I say ready, you have to have it in your mind and heart that you are ready to change. As far as this mental health thing, you are asking me to do things that society tells me not to do as a man. Sharing, expressing yourself,” Roberts said.

5 Damon Roberts, 60, author of “Matter of Time: Continue to March,” who, after serving in Iraq and dealing with the effects of PTSD, now encourages others to seek help and find resources in order to cope with trauma. (Courtesy Photo/ Facebook)

I believe if you are going to make changes, always have good intentions.

Dan L. Franklin, (aka Franklin)

AN UPDATED COVID-19 VACCINE HELPS SAVE LIVES

Vaccinated people* who received an updated COVID-19 vaccine were

14X less likely to die compared with those who received no vaccine

3X less likely to die compared with those who received only the original COVID-19 vaccine(s)

People ages 12+ who got their last COVID-19 vaccine dose before September 2022 should get an updated vaccine

To find your nearest vaccination site, visit vaccines.gov

Hear from DC government representatives and

EARTH OUR

WHAT ON (OUR) EARTH IS GOING ON?

June Roundup: Parks East of the River Can Expect Some Big Money

Environmental news really became top of mind for many District residents last month. We started June with an unprecedented air quality emergency, with wildfire smoke from Canada causing levels of particle pollution higher than the northeast U.S. had ever seen before. Then we ended the month with more smoky days, though they weren’t quite as dramatic.

The images of hazy views and orange skies gave off doomsday vibes, especially given that wildfires—and the toxic smoke they cause—will become more severe and frequent as climate change increases temperatures and disrupts rainfall. That said, I’m excited to focus this month’s roundup on a few exciting and positive developments in the D.C. climate and environment world.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE EXPECTS TO RECEIVE OVER $11M TO IMPROVE PARKS EAST OF THE RIVER

The National Park Service has requested $11.8 million to replace and renovate playgrounds, restrooms, sports courts and other facilities in parks east of the Anacostia River, the agency announced June 6. The funding would go toward projects in Anacostia, River Terrace, Fort Davis, Fort Dupont and Kenilworth parks, as well as the Parkland area of Shepherd Parkway.

The news comes less than a month after a report by George Washington University research-

Metro Lift program, which WMATA launched in June. Anyone who receives SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits from D.C., Maryland or Virginia can sign up for the program. Free enrollment online began June 20, and in-person enrollment efforts started June 26. To apply online, visit lift.wmata.com/ liftweb. To fill out the form, applicants will need:

• A SmarTrip® card for each person in the SNAP household

• An active SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card; to sign up multiple household members, applicants also need a copy of their SNAP benefits summary

ers highlighted deep inequities in funding and facilities between parks between Parkland East and west of the Anacostia. The NPS division that includes Rock Creek Park gets four times more funding per acre than the division covering parks east of the river; the National Mall gets about 80 times more funding per acre than eastern D.C.’s parks.

The report also noted that the underfunded national agency has a maintenance backlog of almost $2 billion in the District. The division covering parks east of the Anacostia accounts for about $405 million of that backlog, DCist’s Jacob Fenston reports.

In separate good news regarding federal funding for DMV parks, a coalition of parks departments from D.C., Prince George’s County and Montgomery County received $25 million to fix and build trails in underserved communities. The grant money, which comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation, was announced June 28. It will help fund the completion of Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, rehabilitation of Sligo Creek Trail and Northwest Branch Trail and construction of the Central Avenue Connector Trail, Suitland Parkway Trail and Prince George’s Connector.

METRO LAUNCHES REDUCED FARE PROGRAM FOR INCOME-QUALIFIED TRANSIT RIDERS

Lower-income DMV residents can now access half-priced fares for bus and metro rides through the

• Current government-issued photo ID card

• Phone number

In addition to providing a financial leg up for lower-income families in the D.C. area, programs like Metro Lift also offer environmental benefits. Making it easier for everyone to access public transit can lead to fewer cars on the road—and that means better air quality for everyone and fewer emissions heating up our planet. WI

WILDFIRE SMOKE RETURNS TO D.C.

Wildfire Smoke Returns to D.C.

By Kayla Benjamin WI Climate & Environment Reporter

Smoke from Canadian wildfires once again drifted into the District last week, causing a Code Red air quality alert Thursday. The alert for “unhealthy air” came just three weeks after the U.S. northeast—including the DMV region—experienced its worst air quality on record.

The air pollution spike at the end of the month was not nearly as severe as the one we saw in early June. Still, having another Code Red day so soon after the ones earlier in the month underscores a really important fact: this problem is not going away anytime soon.

Dr. Joseph L. Wilkins, a leading wildfire and air pollution expert and Howard University professor, said he was “not at all” surprised to see the smoke return to our region last week.

“We're heading into the beginning of the fire season, really—we're not even in July yet,” he said. “So we could actually see way more of this; it just depends on how much more fuels there are to burn and what direction the winds are going to go.”

AIR QUALITY ISN’T JUST ABOUT AIR—IT’S ABOUT YOUR HEALTH

Since more smoke-filled days will likely come our way this summer, it’s important that D.C. residents and families be ready for them. Unhealthy air quality poses particularly high risks to sensitive

populations, which include:

• Anyone with heart or lung issues

• Pregnant people

• Seniors, and

• Children and teens

However, Code Red, Purple or Maroon alerts (“unhealthy,” “very unhealthy,” and “hazardous,” respectively) indicate that everyone should be thinking about air pollution when making decisions about their day.

“This is something that can cause a lot of health issues,” Wilkins said. Those can include “acute issues like asthma flare-ups, full-on asthma attacks or bronchitis” as well as longer-term issues, such as increased risks for heart and lung diseases.

STAY IN THE KNOW

One of the most important things people can do to protect themselves from the health harms that air pollution poses is staying informed. You can check the real-time air quality near you at airnow.gov; the site also hosts a map of wildfire smoke throughout the country. Most weather apps also show information on daily air quality.

Chris Rodriguez, director of D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), also encourages all District residents to sign up for AlertDC and/or follow the @ AlertDC account on Twitter.

“Our role is to really provide consistent guidance, not directives, but guidance, based on federal guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency,” Rodriguez said.

Read more on www.washingtoninformer.com WI

DC FUTURES is a new program that gives District residents up to $8,000 for college tuition. Students can choose from more than 50 in-demand fields.

Other benefits include:

• One-on-one coaching to help keep you on track.

• $1,500 stipend for books, travel, and other extras.

• Emergency funds to cover some of life’s unexpected expenses, such as car repairs, rent, food, and child care.

So, whether you want to finish the degree you started, or start the degree you’ve always dreamed of, the first step is just a click away.

Learn more at osse.dc.gov/dcfutures.

“The career I never thought possible ... is possible.”

— Quinton, Class of 2024

5 A noticeable haze hung over the D.C. skyline as wildfire smoke from Canada returned to the region June 29. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

EDUCATION

BANNEKER from Page 1

maintenance administrator and an associate of Shukri's Goldsmiths, his father's Afrocentric jewelry business. He's also enjoying marital bliss with his Banneker classmate, Melonie Threatt.

"I have to give it to Banneker. When I got to the real world, it made my life easier. I had the knowledge to get my jobs and do well on them," said Threatt, a 1991 Banneker alumnus.

"I tell people going to Banneker to not let the school intimidate them.

Going there makes it easy to be motivated. I didn't have to do it by myself. They work with your parents and you work with your peers."

Banneker Alumni Celebrate, Organize and Reflect on 40 Years

Threatt counted among more than 300 alumni, students, current and former staff, administrators, family and community members who converged on the campus of Banneker Academic High School on July 1 to commemorate the school's 40 years of academic excellence.

Though 2021 marked 40

years of Banneker's existence, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed commemoration activities by a couple of years. During that time, students, faculty and staff moved into a new

state-of-the-art campus at 1600 Ninth Street NW.

The Banneker 40th anniversary alumni celebration, which followed a gala in March, marked the launch of the Banneker Alumni Society, an effort to energize Banneker's alumni network around further supporting the school.

Throughout much of Saturday af-

ternoon, people of various Banneker classes and generations spoke among one another, while Garvin Brooms of Banneker’s class of 1990 kept music emanating through the space. The Common Ground Band, a live band that includes saxophonist and 1989 Banneker alumnus Courtney Nero, played contemporary jazz and funk in the school cafeteria.

In the courtyard, a grill master cheffed up burgers and hot dogs, while alumni feasted on cookout delicacies. Children frolicked in a station set up just for them, while some Banneker alumni sold their wares and promoted their independent ventures in the vending area.

Meanwhile, several people participated in a tour of 1600 Ninth Street NW.

Prominent alumni who showed

BANNEKER Page 48

3 Former student Angela Alsobrooks (Class of 1989) speaking of the rich legacy of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School during the 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

Commanders and Local Organizations Partner to Train Students

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Dozens of students from across D.C. and Prince George’s County, along with their parents and volunteers, met at FedEx Field for a new program born out of a partnership between the Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation, Hustlers Guild and Beyond

Your Block DMV for “Hustle Up: 360 Athlete Experience.” At their June 28 program, skills training was provided for youth impacted by gun violence across the Washington metropolitan area. Lessons were taught to reinforce the importance of health and wellness and provide students with the tools needed to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom.

After some NFL trivia, comedian Rodney “Red” Grant and D.C. Councilmember Trayon White (D, Ward 8), prepared the kids for a day of activity and learning.

Grant, who described himself as one of the biggest Commanders fans in the country, said the students were there to have a good time and be educated at once.

“We’re here for you guys to have fun and to learn something today,” he said. “Eyes front. Today is a special day. Who’s ready to meet the players,” Grant said, to which the students, along with some parents, cheered.

Grant then spoke about his program to expand the horizons of city youth and to offer encouragement. His organization, Beyond Your Block DMV, is dedicated to providing significant experiences for city youth and they have previously taken students to local baseball and basketball games along with Virginia’s Luray Caverns and the Jamestown Settlement.

The Department of Education, in a research paper, stated “Field trips offer an opportunity to motivate and connect students to

appreciate and understand classroom concepts, which increase a student’s knowledge foundation, promoting further learning and higher level thinking strategies. With understanding comes confidence and intrinsic motivation.”

Further, Grant expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "We are excited to join forces with the Commanders and other stakeholders to create a powerful catalyst of positive engagement, growth, and self-discovery.”

The Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation also emphasized the importance of the partnership.

“Together, by supporting technical advancements in schools and providing youth resources, access and training, I am excited to see the change that we can facilitate for the greater Washington, D.C. area,” said Valerie Biberaj, vice

STUDENTS Page 27

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS. PERSONAL SERVICE.

5 D.C. Councilmember Trayvon White (left) and comedian Rodney “Red” Grant teamed up with the Commanders to offer a day of training for youth. (Rob Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

STUDENTS from Page 26

president of Community Relations, and executive director of the Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation.

Yasmin Salina, co-founder and executive director of the The Hustlers Guild (HG), a nonprofit, social impact organization created to expose students of low-income households to careers in entertainment, said such opportunities can be “life-changing.”

“Opportunities like this… will help transform their views on self-regulation and decision-making to ensure they succeed in and outside of the classroom. The Washington Commanders’ support shows their commitment to our local youth at such a critical time where gun violence is on the rise,” said Salina.

White said he had dreams of the NFL at their age. After suffering injuries, White pivoted from athletic stardom to using his smarts to get ahead.

“Being an athlete is important, but if you don’t focus on being a student, you won't be an athlete for long. It’s called student-athlete,” he said. “I started listening to my coaches and my family members, and they gave me wisdom– wisdom I use everyday as

a Councilmember in D.C. We believe in you, despite obstacles against you.”

Even with hard work on the field, not everyone makes it to the NFL. Less than 2% of college athletes go pro, and less than 15% of high school athletes receive collegiate offers.

SKILLS AND SOCIAL TRAINING

Students were broken up into groups, one to do athletic drills and one to learn about social and emotional learning.

As part of the training, 100 youth participants met with Washington Commanders coaching staff, executive leaders, and alumni football players to discuss their experiences with gun violence and participate in workshops centered around social and emotional learning, effective communication, health and wellness, mental toughness and athletic endurance.

“The highlight of the day was the mock press interview workshop, where I got a chance to ask questions and learn about the experiences of retired professional football players. Marcus Smith is legit and dropped a bunch of gems,” said Sevyn Evans, a local high schooler, who participated. WI

DC FUTURES is a new program that gives District residents up to $8,000 for college tuition. Students can choose from more than 50 in-demand fields.

Other benefits include:

• One-on-one coaching to help keep you on track.

• $1,500 stipend for books, travel, and other extras.

• Emergency funds to cover some of life’s unexpected expenses, such as car repairs, rent, food, and child care.

So, whether you want to finish the degree you started, or start the degree you’ve always dreamed of, the first step is just a click away.

Learn more at osse.dc.gov/dcfutures.

“The career I never thought possible... is possible.”

— Shayla, Class of 2024

5 Grant and members of the Hustler Guild pictured with a $20,000 check from the Washington Commanders. (Rob Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

SUPREME COURT from Page 1

tence: “Our country has never been colorblind.”

“The best that can be said of the majority’s perspective is that it proceeds (ostrich-like) from the hope that preventing consideration of race will end racism,” Jackson wrote in blasting the

six-member majority.

“But if that is its motivation, the majority proceeds in vain. If the colleges of this country are required to ignore a thing that matters, it will not just go away. It will take longer for racism to leave us.”

In the majority ruling, the conservative justices declared that the admis-

sions policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC), which consider race a factor, were unconstitutional.

Students for Fair Admissions had presented two cases for consideration against Harvard and UNC, representing private and public universities.

They argued that the practice violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment and put white and Asian-American applicants at a disadvantage.

Harvard and UNC maintained that affirmative action should be upheld, contending that their admissions policies align with previous court decisions.

They argued that considering race ensures a diverse student body. They denied any discrimination in their practices.

However, the Court ruled that affirmative action violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

The justices stated that the universities’ policies do not conform to the limited exceptions for equal rights without regard to race, color, or nationality.

BUSINESS SPACE AVAILABLE

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The justices determined that the universities failed to provide sufficient justification for using race in admissions.

Further, they claimed that affirmative action programs do not comply with the Equal Protection Clause’s requirement that race not be used negatively or as a stereotype.

The Court noted that affirmative action resulted in a lower acceptance rate for Asian American applicants at Harvard.

The Court further stated that basing admissions on race leads to stereotyping and assumes that individuals of a particular race think alike, which it said it found offensive and demeaning.

The justices did acknowledge that race can still be considered if it is directly tied to an applicant’s character or unique abilities that they can contribute to the university.

Chief Justice John Roberts, in the majority opinion, emphasized that students should be evaluated based on their experiences rather than their race.

He criticized universities that he said had wrongly prioritized skin color, stating that America’s constitutional history does not support such a choice.

Jackson lambasted that opinion.

“With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces, ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat,” Jackson forcefully dissented.

“But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life. And having so detached itself from this country’s actual past and present experiences, the Court has now been lured into interfering with the crucial work that UNC and other institutions of higher learning are doing to solve America’s real-world problems,” Jackson asserted.

“No one benefits from ignorance. Race matters in the lived experience of Americans, even if legal barriers are gone.”

LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS CONSIDER ATTACK TO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

By gutting equitable access to higher education, the Court ruled against Black and Brown students’ access to the American Dream, said Jessica Giles, Executive Director of DFER DC.

“This ruling erases decades of progress – a particularly concerning reality given our higher-education system continues to uphold systemic, racist barriers to entry that keep doors of opportunity closed on Black and Brown students,” Giles said.

“Now more than ever, we must upend the college admission process to ensure it is optimized for racial equity, starting by abolishing legacy preference – a textbook example of systemic racism. In the absence of race-conscious admissions policies, we strongly urge D.C. elected officials to pass policies that ensure our Black and Brown students complete postsecondary education and can obtain economic prosperity.”

Sharon R. Pinder, president and CEO of the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council, serving Maryland, D.C. and Northern Virginia, criticized the Court in an op-ed.

“Across the country, we see systematic attacks on programs established to support affirmative action and the inclusion of minorities in education, business, and other aspects of American life,” Pinder insisted.

“From what we are witnessing, it has gone beyond philosophical conversations and debates to hardcore legal action.”

Diversity is key to the furtherance of institutions, as emphasized by University of Maryland (UMD) President Darryll Pines.

“We believe it is at the intersection of diversity and excellence where innovation is born, where ideas are nurtured, and where we begin to solve the grand challenges of our time,” Pines said.

“While the laws that govern the way we achieve that diversity may change, our commitment will not waver.

SCOTUS BLOCKS STUDENT LOAN PROGRAM

The day after its decision on affirmative action, the Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden’s ambitious student loan forgiveness program, which was intended to provide up to $20,000 in relief to millions.

The decision comes as a blow to the Biden administration’s efforts to alleviate the burden of student debt on struggling individuals.

Considering the decision, sources close to the White House said the Biden administration intends to emphasize to borrowers and their families that Republicans are responsible for denying them the much-needed relief that the president has been fighting to deliver.

The White House said it remains committed to its mission of easing the financial strain on Americans burdened by student loans.

Read more on www.wqshingtoninforemr.com

WI @StacyBrownMedia

5 Students and protestors gather at the Supreme Court after the high court struck down affirmative action for college admissions. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

Fireworks are Beautiful, But Also… Kind of Just the Worst

Around 10 p.m. on the Friday before the Fourth of July holiday, I was walking with a friend on U Street. We heard a popping sound behind us; someone was lighting some small fireworks from the sidewalk into the street. When they set off a second one, we heard a woman scream. Standing directly across the road, she’d been hit full-on with the sparks. After seeing the woman walk off with her own group, my friend and I hurried on our way. But days later, the moment kept taking up space in my thoughts. It was unsettling to see something I’d always thought of as just fun and pretty lights suddenly turn into a danger.

That uneasy feeling made me look into it. Here’s what I found:

• Fireworks killed 11 people and sent over 10,000 to the ER in 2022, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

• Both combat veterans and gun violence survivors have said the sounds can trigger harmful post-traumatic stress symptoms.

• Dogs, with their far-more-sensitive ears, hate the loud, unpredictable noises. According to the Humane Society, the panic can cause pets to run away or even fall ill.

• Fireworks regularly cause devastating impacts for wildlife like birds and squirrels.

• The National Fire Protection Association estimates that fireworks cause about 19,500 fires each year. From 1992 to 2015, more than 7,000 wildfires started in the U.S. on July 4, researchers found.

• Fireworks absolutely destroy air quality. D.C. in particular sees huge spikes in harmful particle pollution every year around July 4.

Those last two factors feel particularly pressing this year, given the wildfire smoke that left our region looking vaguely apocalyptic for several days last month. And lots of D.C. residents say they hear and see fireworks going off all summer, far beyond Fourth of July weekend.

Many jurisdictions have implemented—and enforced—strict regulations on fireworks. Personally, I’m a fan of Massachusetts's policy, which allows professionals to put on shows but otherwise bans them. Some places have begun swapping fireworks shows for shape-shifting, flashing drone displays.

Here’s the conclusion I’ve reached: fireworks are just not worth it. They’re beautiful and exciting and fun—but still not worth the price of our own health and the planet’s.

Is July 4th a Day of Pride or Just a Day to Party?

As millions of people celebrated July 4th, America’s Independence Day, one could not help but ask if their festivities focused on the historical event that severed the relationship between America and Britain, creating a free United States of America. Or, has it become an annual day-party event with no connection to the past except for the traditional parades, cookouts, fireworks, and, of course, the disgusting annual Nathan’s hotdog eating contest now in its 51st year?

While red, white and blue flags were waving, and fireworks lit up the sky commemorating the Americans’ high-spirited love for their country, a recent Gallop poll indicates that American pride is at a near record low, and it has remained the same since 2022.

According to Gallop, when U.S. adults were asked in January 2001, “55% of U.S. adults were extremely proud to be American. However, pride soon intensified after 9/11, with extreme pride ranging from 65% to 70% between 2002 and 2004. The percentage of Americans expressing extreme pride declined in 2005 and in subsequent years, but it remained at the majority level through 2017. Since 2018, extreme pride has consistently been below that, averaging 42%.”

The question, then, is why is American pride so low. The Gallop poll distinguishes groups by age and politics. Younger people have less pride than older ones, and Republicans seem more proud of America than Democrats.

If race was included, there’s no doubt that the recent Supreme Court decision on affirmative action would put many Black Americans firmly in line withe the least proud. And, they too, might ask what Frederick Douglass, the famous newspaper publisher, abolitionist, and orator, asked when he delivered his famous 4th of July speech in 1852 in celebration of the 76th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Douglass asked, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth Of July?” Among his many points, he acknowledged, “Citizens, your fathers made good that resolution. They succeeded; and to-

Day of Reckoning

What is the Supreme Court doing to our nation? It seems the clock is rolling back on all of our rights one by one. Every minority group in this country is seeing their existence stepped on by these people who have way too much power if you ask me. All I’ll say is elections matter.

Tony Sellers Washington, D.C.

TO THE EDITOR

Anxiety Screenings Needed

I totally agree with the recommendations that American adults should be screened for anxiety. It’s a shame that so many people are walking around with mental and behavioral disorders but don’t have access to information and resources to help their situation improve. It’s true then and now: The people perish for lack of knowledge.

Maureen Corbett Laurel, Md.

day you reap the fruits of their success. The freedom gained is yours; and you, therefore, may properly celebrate this anniversary. The 4th of July is the first great fact in your nation’s history —the very ring—bolt in the chain of your yet undeveloped destiny.”

But then he retorted, “Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice,

liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”

Undeniably, America has come a long way since 1852; and, Americans still have a journey ahead to establish and reignite pride within its people. The proof will be seen at the polls next year. WI

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

Julianne Malveaux

American Exceptionalism Excludes Women

our democracy, our exceptionalism. The data don't bear us out.

Our United States of America loves to brag about our advancements. We are the biggest, the best, the most progressive and the most democratic. We believe that people, no matter who they are, deserve a voice. We have invaded other people's countries to make that point. We beat ourselves against our chests to talk about

The World Economic Forum says it will take 131 years. Internationally, to close the gender gap with economics, politics, STEM engagement and more. It ranks the so-called exceptional United States as 46th in gender parity, behind Norway and Iceland (1 and 2), the United Kingdom (15), France, Columbia, Switzerland, the Philippines and South Africa. These countries do better than ours because they have poli-

Guest Columnist

cies that support families, instead of penalizing them for simply existing. Our country took a step in the right direction after COVID when we chose to provide unemployment benefits, child services, and more for challenged families. Now, we have leaders who would punish those who want to uphold families.

The gender pay gap bleeds over to the life gap. Women who don't earn earn enough can't contribute enough to the candidates of their choice. No matter what they think

Ben Jealous

A Deep-South Governor's Race to Watch

A year in which there are only three races for governor's seats, all in the Deep South, wouldn't normally create a lot of political speculation. Kentucky's popular Democratic incumbent may have a tough race, and chalking up Louisiana and its neighbor to the east to a Republican would be typical conventional wisdom.

But "Mississippi Miracle" may

well become the catchphrase of this election season. Brandon Presley is making a strong bid to become the first Democratic elected governor in the Magnolia State this century.

Presley (yes, Elvis from Tupelo is a cousin) has won a seat on the state's Public Service Commission four times, where he's opposed a huge coal-fired power plant and a proposal to dump nuclear waste in Mississippi and fought to expand internet access in rural areas.

He's hard to pin as a typical Democrat. He lowered taxes and

Guest Columnist

balanced budgets as a mayor, endorsed George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election and describes himself as a pro-life Christian (which he is quick to note demands supporting health care, education, and seniors as well).

Presley has a powerful personal story that reaches well beyond his kinship with the King of Rock and Roll. He was raised by a single mom who worked in a garment factory after his father was murdered. He's told poor and working-class voters that they should see their own

David W. Marshall

or feel, they can't support at the level of the predatory capitalist men who have attempted to craft a world that allows them to rule. At the root of the gender pay gap, there is an oppression that sidelines women's voices. And some of the strange fruit of the root is the way many women buy into our own oppression.

As long as the American economy is introducing great results, the inequity in these results is hidden. GDP growth is robust, unemployment rates are low, at the macro

level all is good. Down here on the ground, not so much. Down here on the ground, too many are wondering what will happen next. Down here on the ground, low unemployment rates, coupled with low wages, mean that a robust labor market is not a robust paycheck.

Thus, the myth of American exceptionalism is a story of illusion and delusion. Where is the exceptionalism for women, when a

MALVEAUX Page 53

names on the ballot when they see his.

Nettleton, the town of about 2,000 people in the northeastern Mississippi that Presley hails from and he first became mayor at age 23, is split about 60% White and 40% Black like the state as a whole but has a median income $10,000 below the median in one of the poorest states in the country.

It's no surprise that Presley is campaigning on issues that matter most to those voters. He responded to Gov. Tate Reeves' state of the

Thomas Jefferson and Clarence Thomas, a Paradox of Liberty

two critical elements in American history. The first is the paradox of the American Revolution — the fight for liberty in an era of pervasive slavery.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened its permanent home in 2016 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Among the museum's many exhibitions is one that explored slavery and enslaved people in America through the lens of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation. The exhibit, "Paradox of Liberty," highlights

The second element is the self-contradiction of the man who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. When we look at national unity from patriotic and moral lenses, it can best be described by the paradox of five powerful words authored by Thomas Jefferson: "All men are created equal." And yet Jefferson was an owner of slaves.

Jefferson was a complex man, an

oppressor (slave owner) who at the same time was oppressed by the British. He was a man who achieved a degree of freedom when the American colonies gained their independence from Great Britain. However, he chose not to extend independence and liberty to all his slaves when he denied their freedom after his death. There were over 600 enslaved men, women and children during Jefferson's lifetime on his Virginia plantation. Jefferson would set only two of them free.

As the facts of Jefferson, the op-

pressor, are disheartening, he wrote those five powerful words from the perspective of being an oppressed citizen at the hands of King George III of England. As our nation celebrates Independence Day, we should remember that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence to inform a "candid world" about the "long train of abuses" the American colonies were subject to the rule of King George III. It listed and explained, in point-bypoint detail, the "patient sufferance of the colonies," which justified their reasons for public protest. With an

state address outside a shuttered rural hospital to highlight his $1 billion Medicaid expansion plan, which he says will improve health care to low-income residents and save nearly 40 Mississippi hospitals at risk of closing.

Reeves is unpopular even among his party's voters. Six in 10 voters in a recent poll, including a third of Republicans and two thirds of independents, said they want "someone else" to be governor. While

unsuspecting world being part of his written audience, Jefferson exposed the truth about the oppressor and the truth concerning the oppressed. The anger, humiliation and pain oppressed people must endure (then and now) were evident in his words. He understood the divine rights of kings is the belief that the right to rule comes directly from God and is not derived from the people. It is believed that kings are not answerable for their actions to the people whom they are

Guest Columnist

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

usually unpleasant. When they surrender their right to vote, the consequences can be disastrous. Failing to vote when one can is the ultimate surrender!

E. Faye Williams

Elections always have consequences and this week we experienced Part Two of the pro-Republican/pro-conservative Supreme Court. When we connect the dots, we realize the connection between Trump and three of the six justices who voted to terminate Roe AND eliminate affirmative action in college admissions. When folks surrender, the consequences are

I join the legion of those who will analyze and critique this latest act of social violence by the Supreme Court. Much of what I write will echo what you have already seen on television or read online or in a publication. For that I apologize, but the truth of this matter is voluminous and must be told and listened to.

Using the language of the 14th

Guest Columnist

Amendment which was written to remedy the injuries of enslavement and bring a full measure of citizenship to formerly enslaved persons, the majority dismissed the history and continuing injury of systemic racism. In their dissent against this travesty, Justices Brown Jackson and Sotomayor gave the nation a complete and concise primer on the beneficial impact of affirmative action and the shortsightedness demonstrated by orchestrating its demise.

Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three liberal justices on the Su-

Marc H. Morial

preme Court, said in her dissenting opinion, "Today, this court stands in the way and rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress," she added that this decision "subverts the constitutional guarantee of equal protection by further entrenching racial inequality in education, the very foundation of our democratic government and pluralistic society."

Sotomayor argued that the race neutrality envisioned by the majority "will entrench racial segregation in higher education because racial inequality will persist so long

as

it is ignored."

In a blistering rebuke of her colleagues in the majority, Brown Jackson stated that "six unelected members of today's majority upend the status quo based on their policy preferences about what race in America should be like, but is not, and their preferences for a veneer of colorblindness in a society where race has always mattered and continues to matter in fact and in law."

Brown Jackson added, "Our

Celebrating 20 Years of Upholding a Tradition as 'The Voice Of Black America'

sponsibilities of leadership of the National Urban League — one of which is the honor to author this very column, "To Be Equal," established by the esteemed Whitney M. Young Jr.

Whitney M. Young Jr.

"Show me a person who is full of prejudice, and I will show you a sick, unhappy, fearful individual who is not going anywhere and who is not growing. People don't shut other people out; they fence themselves in." —

It was 20 years ago this week that I humbly assumed the re-

The column shares its name and takes its inspiration from Young's first full-length book, published on New Year's Day, 1964, in the wake of what Young called "the year of the Negro Revolution," a year that saw thousands of children, marching through Birmingham, Alabama, attacked by police

Guest Columnist

dogs and blasted with firehoses; the Woolworth's lunch counter sit-in in Jackson, Mississippi; Gov. George W. Wallace's Stand in the Schoolhouse Door at the University of Alabama, the assassination of Medgar Evers, the March on Washington for Jobs and Justice, and the deadly bombing of Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church.

The first "To Be Equal" column to be published in New York's Amsterdam News was headlined, "How Much Are Negroes Worth?" Young recounted his conversation

with "a middle-aged white housewife" who declared she harbored no prejudice against Black Americans but could not comprehend the push to desegregate schools. "Her arguments against school integration, it turned out, were directed against sending her children to slum schools," Young wrote. "But supposedly there is nothing wrong with sending Negro children to slum schools."

The last "To Be Equal" column published under Young's byline ran three weeks after his tragic

March 11, 1971, drowning in Nigeria and consisted of excerpts of his various speeches. The last column he authored, also published after his death and headlined "Old Story, New Beginning," concerned his efforts as part of a special commission tasked with updating the recommendations of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, also known as the Kerner Commission.

"The Kerner report's sound

MORIAL Page 54

Freedom and Equal Justice Under the Law Requires Constant Struggle

On Juneteenth 2023, the nation enjoyed the new national holiday celebrating the freedom of the slaves at the end of the Civil War. This week marks the 10-year anniversary of Shelby v. Holder and the impending decision of the Supreme Court on affirmative action in college admissions. The juxtaposition is a stark reminder

that the struggle for equal justice for all is ongoing. Each step forward is met with furious reaction; each reconstruction with concerted efforts to roll back the progress. And today, we are once more in the midst of that reaction.

June 19, 1865, was the day that U.S. Major General Gordon Granger declared that the Emancipation Proclamation, that went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863, had freed all the slaves in Texas — an estimated 250,000. The proclamation, a wartime measure, was lim-

ited: it applied only to those states still in rebellion. Lincoln always gave precedence to the survival of the union over the question of slavery. With the proclamation, slaves in states that were not in rebellion — like Delaware and Kentucky — remained in bondage. And the news was slow to travel to distant slave states like Texas, even after the surrender of the Confederate armies under Gen. Robert E. Lee. The proclamation took hold only as U.S. troops extended their victory. It took the passage of the

13th Amendment to end slavery throughout the United States.

Needless to say, that profound reform was met with furious reaction. The plantation class in the southern states began a campaign of systematic violence to squelch Black freedom. The Ku Klux Klan, among others, spread the terror of lynching across the South. In the end, the federal government gave in. A political deal removed federal troops from the defeated Confederate states. A reactionary Supreme Court ratified "separate but equal"

as constitutional. Segregation — legal apartheid — settled in across the South. Juneteenth marks not the triumph of equal justice, but a large step forward and the beginning of a new era of struggle.

One hundred years later, the civil rights movement rose up to demand equal justice. Blacks demanded the right to vote, and equal access to public accommodations. Finally, a Supreme Court ruled that segregation was a vio-

JACKSON Page 54

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

LIFESTYLE

Two Missing Smartphones, and Meeting People’s Daily Needs in Senegal

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

This is the second installment in a series about Sam P.K. Collins’ travels to Dakar, Senegal.

Not long after publishing the first installment of my Dakar, Sen-

egal series, my phone and that of my significant other disappeared from our hotel room.

Last I recall, we were watching Youtube documentaries on her phone in the wee hours of the morning. Once she fell asleep and my eyelids grew heavy, I threw our phones on the bed and turned to

my side in preparation for a good sleep.

When I woke up out of my slumber four hours later, I searched the bed for my phone, as I always do as a force of habit. Unfortunately, we never found my phone or hers. They weren’t on our bed where we left it. Neither were they underneath the bed or anywhere else in the room. During our search, I found that the balcony door, which was closed earlier in the night, was wide open.

I’ll let you, the reader, put two and two together.

This situation became somewhat of a setback in what has otherwise been a relaxing and eye-opening experience. However, as I repeated in my inner-D.C. voice throughout that day, someone out there around the hotel caught us loafin’, even though we had taken extreme precautions to not be on the receiving end of a scheme.

In the days preceding and following that incident, my significant other and I would often walk the streets of Ngor, Dakar -- along what’s called the Airport Route

-- and the Alimades where all the popular nightclubs are located, all in search of a good time.

Indeed, we found several places to have a good time. We also found panhandlers of different ages.

In Dakar, panhandling is an industry and family activity. Sometimes, groups of children may walk up to you with buckets in hand, motioning their hand toward their face in request of some money. Other times, it might be an elderly woman in a Muslim shawl or a man with a physical disability.

In other instances, as I had witnessed firsthand, a little girl might leave her mother and siblings on the curb to chase someone and pull them by the arm in the hopes that they provide some funds.

I’m not going to lie. When that little girl did that, the D.C. in me turned around quickly and yelled, not seeing who I was yelling at at that moment. When I looked to my left and looked down to see the little girl, I grew embarrassed and apologized repeatedly as she grew startled.

Minutes later, I circled back to break the young sister off with a 500 CFA, what’s almost a U.S. dollar.

These moments, and other mo-

ments from Ngor, continued to stay with me throughout my stay. Students who navigate Senegal’s public education system often experience more difficulty in passing through the secondary tertiary levels if they don’t make the mark on their exams. Those who don’t fulfill requirements to pass through the next level are funneled off into trades that might not be lucrative.

This situation bears a striking similarity to what our Black children experience in the U.S. In the absence of quality education and a social safety net, people are left to participate in alternative economic systems and revert to habits that destroy people, or at the very least inconvenience them, as had been the case for my significant other and me when our phones disappeared.

In the ongoing fight for African liberation, we must be cognizant that we’re in the period of class struggle where the enemies of progress aren’t only Europeans, but those with significant economic means who perpetuate systems that exploit families, and most especially children.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com. WI

@SamPKCollins

5 Sam P.K. Collins and Tyisha L. Jones visited the African Renaissance Monument during their visit to Dakar, Senegal in June. (Courtesy Photo)

More help with your energy bill. More peace-of-mind.

We’re working every day to keep energy affordable for our customers and the communities we serve. If you need extra support, we can help with payment options and by connecting you to bill assistance programs. Learn more about this and other ways we’re delivering more peace-of-mind to our customers at pepco.com/MoreThanEnergy.

Gussom Owns Black Pawn Game Clothing Firm

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Since he was a youngster growing up in Southeast, D.C., in Ward 8, Charles Gussom always wanted to make a difference in the lives of his friends, family and neighbors.

Many Washingtonians know Gussom as a dedicated employee of Martha’s Table, the Ward 8-based social service agency that offers food, clothing and assistance to the needy, as the assistant director of community development.

While Gussom works to help others through the nonprofit, he has also embraced entrepreneurship. Gussom is the owner of the clothing firm Black Pawn Game based east of the Anacostia River.

“My partners and I decided to get into a different type of business,” Gussom, 36, said. “I have been involved in entertainment and have worked on U Street in Northwest in that field. But we decided to try a clothing brand. We want to try to unify people through clothing.”

Gussom is a graduate of Ballou High School and holds degrees from the University of the District of Columbia and Potomac College. He has worked for Grand

Hyatt Hotel and participated in other entrepreneurial ventures. Black Pawn Game was founded by his partner, DonVeto D. Premier, in 2020. The clothing concern was set up to design and develop products of quality to unite like-minded people, groups, and sectors. Gussom and Premier noticed many of the present leading apparel brands are made without consideration of the underserved, unrepresented and economically and politically disadvantaged in mind.

The name comes from chess, the game where black and white figurines with medieval titles are used in a match of wits and strategy. Gussom said in chess, as in life in America, white people tend to be dominant while Black Americans are often in a defensive position.

“The black figures are the pawns, and the pawns are the weakest in chess,” he said. “In the real world, we are the black pawns. We are counted out. We are the underdogs. But the pawn can also be the most powerful tool in chess if you know how to play the game. That applies to life, too.”

Black Pawn Game has joined GUSSOM Page 36

5 Charles Gussom is the owner of the clothing firm, Black Pawn Game. (Shevry Lassiter/ The Washington Informer)

We Want Your Feedback on Proposed Parking Changes at Deanwood Station

Metro is proposing to eliminate the 194-space Park & Ride facility at Deanwood Station to support future mixed-use development, which could include housing and neighborhood amenities such as retail, and/or a public library. Provide

Submit comments through an online form at wmata.com/plansandprojects

Participate in the Open House and Public Hearing.

On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, Metro will host an Open House at 6 p.m. followed by a Public Hearing at 6:30 p.m. The Public Hearing will offer both in-person and virtual participation options.

In-person: Ron Brown High School

Monarch Hall Community Room

4800 Meade Street NE

Washington, DC 20019

By phone: Call 206-899-2028 and enter meeting code 212 669 966 #.

By video:

Advance registration is required. To register, email speak@wmata.com or call 202-962-2511 by 5 p.m. the day before the public hearing.

For additional information about this project in your preferred language, call Metro’s Customer Service line at 202-637-1328.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, gender, religion, disability, or family status. ASL interpretation will be provided. To request other accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or other language interpretation services (free of charge), contact the Office of the Board Secretary at 202-962-2511 (TTY: 202-962-2033) or send a message to speak@wmata.com as soon as possible, so Metro can make the necessary arrangements before the public hearing date.

GUSSOM from Page 34

the growing number of entrepreneurs selling streetwear, which got its start in New York City in the 1990s.

Streetwear is casual, non-designer clothing that can be worn at any time of day. Other Black-owned streetwear brands in the District include The Museum Store co-founded by LaGreg Harrison and Muhammad Hill and the Love More brand founded by Ward 8 resident Jovan Davis.

Black Pawn Game offers its customers polo shirts, hoodies, shorts, jogger track pants and outfits. The word “colored” is on Black Pawn Game’s clothes which has raised eyebrows given the contemporary view of the word, which many Blacks consider outdated.

Gussom said they have trademarked the word and seek to de-

fine it in their own way and not use society’s definition.

Customers can order merchandise through their website or visit them at the Black Wall Street pop-up that occurs on Saturdays at Check-It Enterprises in Ward 8, with other vendors. Gussom said his goal is to have a brick-andmortar store within five years and branch out to other locations in the Washington metropolitan area.

Ron Moten, who owns Check-It-Enterprises, is pleased to showcase Black Pawn Game in his establishment.

“It is important for Black businesses to have incubator spaces,” said Moten. “These spaces give Black business owners the chance to network. I like the Black Pawn Game brand because they try to educate people.”

WI

@JamesWrightJr10

5 Some of the garments available for purchase can be viewed on Instagram @blackpawngame. (Courtesy photo/IG)

Empowering the local workforce

Di Rita President, Bank of America Greater Washington D.C.

Melissa Joseph: D.C. Artist Making Waves in Global Art Market

By Andrew S. Jacobson WI Contributing Writer

The nation’s capital is influencing the global art market with the inclusion of Melissa Joseph in a group exhibition at Charles Moffett in New York this summer. An educator for six years in D.C., teaching both in DCPS and at Georgetown Prep, Joseph has infused her work with a narrative that is deeply connected to her time spent living and teaching in the District.

Joseph's narrative, steeped in her experiences as a person of color, in a rural Pennsylvanian household, then significantly shaped by her urban D.C. years, forms an integral part of the "Kinship" theme in the exhibition. Her compositions, borne out of textiles and other craft materials, invite viewers into her personal realm, depicting her rural upbringing, extended family

abroad, and her diasporic life.

Curated by José Chavez Verduzco, the exhibition titled "Genius Loci" probes into the spirit of place, showcasing the artistry of 18 diverse artists.

Chavez first crossed paths with Joseph's unique work at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery’s “Wonder Women,” show, where her unconventional painting "Smells like Pre-Teen Spirit," crafted from felted wool, caught his eye. Struck by her alchemical process of turning wool into narrative, Chavez became an instant fan.

A chance meeting with Chavez at a reception dinner further solidified his admiration for her work. As Chavez recalled, the opportunity to understand her artistic practice and observe her process of using fibers as pigments was transformative. The respect and tenderness she infused in her felt works while translating archival photographs was a distinctive perspective

he wished to showcase in "Genius Loci."

Given Joseph's proliferative artistry over the past year and her boundary-pushing approach to painting, Chavez felt privileged to include her in the exhibition. Even as she readies herself for a solo presentation with REGULARNORMAL and group shows at James Fuentes, Galleria Poggiali, and the British Textile Biennial, her District-infused work continues to resonate with audiences globally. Visit, "Genius Loci," which opened on July 5, to experience Joseph's moving lens that has captured the essence of her personal journey from D.C. to the heart of New York City. WI

4 A piece by Melissa Joseph, included in the “Genius Loci,” exhibition at Charles Moffett in New York. Joseph said much of her work is influenced by her time living and teaching in D.C. (Courtesy Photo)

A firefly is an insect, but it is not a fly. It is a beetle.

Beetles have two pairs of wings. The front pair is stiff and protects the soft back wings, which are used for flying.

Standards Link: Life Science: Students know animals have structures that serve different functions in survival.

People use their lungs to get oxygen from the air. A firefly has small holes on its abdomen that let in oxygen.

Fireflies need four things to glow. Three of those are chemicals it has in its body. Circle every third letter to discover the fourth thing it needs to glow.

Fire ies the World

Fireflys can continent except About 2,000 scientists, and more await

In Japan, there fireflies are Princess. One legend says

In ancient firefly was Queen of the

In Malaysia reserve for in Japan hold In Asia, one with others trees. They until the entire and off at the

An adult firefly can make its light blink on and off. Each species or kind of firefly has its own blinking pattern. Males and females use their flashes to find mates from the same species.

Some species flash short, quick flashes. Others stay lit longer. Others have longer dark times between flashes.

The male flies around flashing his light. The female stays near the ground and flashes “answers” to the male’s flashing messages as he flies above her.

Fireflies also use their flashing lights to scare off predators and to warn other fireflies of danger.

Use a light stick, often found with sporting goods, to demonstrate how chemicals can mix together to create light without giving off any heat.

Glow Little Glow Worm

What are glow worms? Hold this page up to a mirror to nd out!

In some parts of the world, you can see little glowing critters climbing on branches and grasses. They are called glow worms, even though they are not worms. They are re y larvae.

A re y lights up the world in two of its four parts or stages of its life cycle.

Like all beetles, re ies have four stages or parts to their lives. These are larvae, pupa and adult

More Than One Spells Confusion

One firefly is spelled f-i-r-e-f-l-y. More than one is spelled f-i-r-e-f-l-i-e-s

Do the math to label this diagram.

Adjective Detective

Practice using descriptive words in stories to add color. Clip five adjectives from the newspaper that could describe a mystery. Use these words to write a story about a detective solving a mystery. Be creative!

To make firefly plural you change the y to i and add es

Look through the newspaper for five nouns that end in y Change each from singular to plural. Then, look for five plural nouns, and change them to singular nouns.

Write Words Wonderfully

An alliteration is a series of words that start with the same letter. Can you come up with one or more alliterations?

review wi book

"Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class"

by Blair LM Kelley

c.2023, Liveright

$30

338 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer

WI Contributing Writer

At least you won't have to move.

You keep telling yourself that, ever since the boss decided to downsize this year, workplace and all: a reduced staff and work-from-home options means a smaller office and big change, which is fine with you. In the new book "Black Folk" by Blair LM Kelley, your ancestors never had it this good. In the years immediately following Emancipation, former slaves were shut out of nearly every job other than domestic and sharecropping and they "still faced circumstances almost as degrading as those of slavery." Hoping for better lives, Black workers first headed from farm to big city, in the hope of landing good jobs.

"My work as a historian has always begun with the stories of my ancestors," says Kelley and she opens this book with an angry man, his son, and the story of Henry, who was "born in bondage" and ultimately became a blacksmith. Kelley admits that she doesn't know much about Henry's earliest life but in adulthood, he became a voter and "he was part of a community" — something that Kelly "found time and again" had given "Black folks [a] sense of self."

Like many Black women in the 1920s, Sarah Hill was a washerwoman hired to launder white folks' clothes. It was an honorable job, one of the few available to Black women, but while it didn't pay well, it paid enough for Sarah to put a little money aside. It allowed her some control over her own life then.

Callie House helped washerwomen organize. Cottrell Dellums belonged to an organization of Black porters. As a young teenager, Minnie Savage was "near the front of a grand exodus north" when she snuck away from her parents home. To her great irritation, Minnie could only find domestic work in Philadelphia. And after moving north, Hartford Boykin landed a job but his past kept returning to him.

"From his mother, Hartford learned that Black freedom was precarious."

Remember how totally dry your high school history books were? Yeah, this is nothing like those. "Black Folk" lets readers get to actually know people who lived a century ago or more. It's like being carefully handed a living, breathing story to hold.

In using her own family tree as a launching point, author Blair LM Kelley lends detail to tales she's heard all her life and knows well. This is no small thing: it assures readers that there's authenticity inside every anecdote, that they're not told with guesswork but with real first-hand knowledge. Alongside that, Kelley uses her experience as a historian to show how her ancestors represent most of the Black working class between roughly 1865 and 1940, and how their journeys were like so many others in the Great Migration.

On this, readers will be happy that both men and women stand tall here. This is one of those books that's meant to savor, to explore and enjoy. For historians and anyone who had a Great Migration ancestor, reading "Black Folk" is a good move.

horoscopes

ARIES ing anyone. That said, by Wednesday, you'll be rushing all around. People who send you long, gushing emails will get a one-sentence response. Friends or coworkers who want an in-depth discussion of the details on Thursday will have to wait for a better day. Lucky Numbers: 4, 14, 40

TAURUS Energy levels are high on Monday, and you and your friends are tighter than ever. You've been longing for romance lately, and you're going to be treated to some on Tuesday. Decadence, affection, and sex appeal all figure strongly. Check you out! The second half of the week finds you distracted (it's pretty obvious why) and feeling out of character. Someone's on you to sign a legal document on Thursday. Don't. An impulse buy at a department store tempts you. Resist. Lucky Numbers: 4, 9, 10

GEMINI The obstacle that plops down in your path on Monday may shake you up a bit, but stay the course. Focus. You knew there would be obstacles, but they're just part of the fun. Tuesday surrounds you with talkative people, but all you feel like doing is standing back and listening. By Wednesday, though, you're ready to join in on the conversations. Lucky Numbers: 16, 24, 42

CANCER A big lunch on Monday fills your belly and puts a huge smile on your face. You are deliriously happy around other people these days, even family members, especially when food is involved. A social dinner on Tuesday isn't a bad idea. On Wednesday and Thursday, you have your sights set on wilder, more ambitious ways of spending your time. You are in the mood for adventure; you are in the mood to buck authority. Don't resist this positive impulse. Lucky Numbers: 8, 23, 31

LEO As much as you'd like to be spending the day in the park, Monday is all about work: your career, your standing, stuff like that. Your reputation is on the up-and-up, in fact, and you feel like something of a celebrity on Tuesday. The circle of people around you is constantly lavishing you with praise, so put that circle of people to good use. Lucky Numbers: 8, 10, 40

VIRGO Your head opens up on Monday, and you have visions of far-off lands. And you start thinking improbably about philosophy. And you try to devise new excuses to express yourself to people. On Tuesday, these impulses graduate into outright soul-searching. Research and analysis suddenly seem fun to you on Wednesday, and a logic puzzle captures your imagination. Lucky Numbers: 3, 11, 24

LIBRA Beauty hits you over the head on Monday. It's everywhere. If you're in the middle of a romantic courtship, this is going to be a meaningful week. If you're not in the middle of a romantic courtship...well, wait a few days. Who knows? Tuesday is like a duet between you and you-know-who, and Wednesday is suited for deep communication. Try to go out and experience what the world has to offer you and your special someone on Thursday and Friday. Lucky Numbers: 16, 37, 56

SCORPIO Ah, the old give-and-take. An opponent may be a stronger force than you on Monday, but this is not an arm-wrestling competition. Ceding a minor victory at this point could be the key to getting what you want at a later date. Boldness and bravery are key on Tuesday as well. But in all your valiance, don't ignore the fine print this week, especially on Wednesday and Thursday. Lucky Numbers: 3, 17, 33

SAGITTARIUS You and your best friend are attached to each other, at least by phone, at the start of the week. Communication is key. How else are you going to get everything done? You see the value in having a trusted pal, and so does your trusted pal. By Wednesday, though, you start wondering if less talk and more action is in order. (It is in order. You're right.) Lucky Numbers: 5, 8, 10

CAPRICORN On Monday, you're dreaming of the woods: camping, trees, crackling fire. You might not be able to dart off into a forest any time soon, but do your best to spend some time in an environment that in some way relaxes you. Lucky Numbers: 3, 11, 28

AQUARIUS You are not one to spend a lot of time looking back, but at the start of the week your head is in the history books. Or it's in some of your old journals. Or you're asking an old relative a lot of prying questions. Something tells you there are relevant lessons for you somewhere in the past, and you're right. Lucky Numbers: 6, 8, 26

PISCES Love and beauty abound at the beginning of the week: romantic notes, poetry, artwork, delicious dinners, you get the picture. If you're single, this energy may manifest itself in a few days of incredible creativity. Creativity will carry you through the week, actually, although Wednesday and Thursday are days of business and mutability. The moment you finish building a house of cards, someone breezes into the room and topples it. Alas...life. Lucky Numbers: 29, 38, 51

Football Camp Combines Sports and Decision Making

By Ed Hill WI Contributing Writer

Nearly 400 youth gathered for the football camp on Saturday, July 1, at the Deanwood Recreation Center in Northeast, Washington, where students participated in drills and activities for the one-day event.

But blocking and tackling were not the only things that were stressed during the all-day affair. They also heard about blocking out the negative forces or elements in their lives and tackling them with confidence by making positive choices.

The Positive Choices camp began back in 2003 by Aazaar Ab-

dul-Rahim. A former defensive player from Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., Abdul-Rahim, founded the non-profit organization as a means of giving back to the community.

“It started after I came home from San Diego State,” said Abdul-Rahim, who holds a masters in counseling from there. “Football was just a part of it. We recognized that there was a lot of talent in the DMV area that sometimes missed out on opportunities because they may have made bad choices that impacted and affected their lives.”

He continued, “My masters is in counseling and my background is in football so I used that combination in the vision that I had

and shared with others who cared about this community.”

The focus was in the area of conflict resolution and addressing.

Abdul-Rahim was hired as head football coach at Friendship Collegiate Charter School in Northeast, D.C.. Despite having a startup program and having no practice field, he was able to build Friendship into a high school football program that was nationally ranked, on ESPN and had a number of athletes obtain scholarships.

After 11 years there, Abdul-Rahim became a hot commodity in the college coaches circle, with stops at nationally-ranked University of Alabama for three years, the University of Maryland, and University of Massachusetts, before being hired at Boston College two years ago.

Regarded as one of the top recruiters in college football, Abdul-Rahim has been able to have some of his former players and recruits buy into the mission of Positive Choices.

“This is where it all started for me,” said Rakim Jarrett, a wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “Positive Choices helped me develop a focus on priorities. I grew up in this community and I know some of the challenges that these young people face on a daily basis in making the right choices in their lives. I am forever grateful for what it did for me, so I look forward to coming back here where

it all started for me, and hopefully my presence and what I share will be something that will make a difference in their lives.”

EXPERIENCING THE ONE-DAY CAMP

The camp was very organized and structured. Following registration, the campers were taken through physical fitness drills before being grouped according to age.

There were eight stations that each group had to go through. There, they were introduced to the same drills used at the higher levels.

Upon completion of the drill and technique sessions, the participants competed in a race where the two fastest were acknowledged. A group photo followed before several current NFL and future potential draft picks spoke to the group about their experiences and journeys to their careers. They emphasized how important it is to make positive choices, not just in the sport, but life. Among the speakers was Howard University head football coach Larry Scott.

“Never let anyone tell you that you cannot dream,” said Scott, who led the football team to its first championship in 30 years this past season. “And when you dream, make sure you make it a reality with hard work and confidence. And that applies to all facets of your life.”

Following the session, the campers participated in seven-on-seven drills and while it was competitive, it was also fun for them.

Nathaniel Henry, a former standout at Spingarn who worked as a juvenile probation officer in D.C. before retiring four years ago, brought his 9-year-old grandson Chad Jackson, up from Richmond, Virginia to attend the camp.

“I heard about the camp and decided to bring him up,” said Henry. “He was so excited about the experience. I loved it because it covered structure, discipline, organization, teamwork and leadership while at the same time, it was competitive and fun. It was all that I thought it would be and more.”

Abdul-Rahim noted that without the sponsorship of the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Military Bowl and The Museum DC and the hard work of the many volunteers, Positive Choices would not happen.

“This is all about collaboration to make a difference,” explained Abdul-Rahim. “In my opinion, I don’t think we do enough, myself included. If we are to make a difference, we need to have more programs coming together to show these young people that we care about them by helping guide them in their decision making. At the end of the day, it’s all about making positive choices.”

WI

5 The Military Bowl Foundation and Positive Choices Inc., teamed up to host the 18th annual Youth Football Clinic on July 2 at Deanwood Recreation Center in Northeast. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

CAPTURE

the moment

This year's Palisades Community parade grand marshals were WAMU radio personalities Kojo Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood. The lineup of included a brass band, car clubs, environmental groups, and much more. Bounce houses, balloon art, and a dunk tank were just a few of the activities for children.

(Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

RELIGION D.C. Judge Rules for Metropolitan AME Church over the Proud Boys

White Supremacist Group Set to Pay in Excess of $1M

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

The Proud Boys Inc., an organization that supports former President Trump and harbors white supremacist views, has been ordered by a D.C. Associate Superior Court judge to pay over $1 million for a racially motivated attack on the Metropolitan AME Church in Northwest that occurred in December 2020.

The ruling was announced on June 30. The judge, Neal Kravitz, held that members of the Proud Boys engaged in an unlawful con-

spiracy and violated federal and state civil rights laws, including the Ku Klux Klan Act and the District’s hate crime statutes.

Kravitz based his decision on evidence that Proud Boys members trespassed onto the church’s property and destroyed a Black Lives Matter sign. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, along with the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, represented the church. During the proceedings, the church provided documentation of the attack while the Proud Boys failed to show up in court. The court entered default judgments against the Proud Boys.

Damon Hewitt, The Lawyers’ Committee president and executive director, praised Kravitz’s ruling.

“The attack against Metropolitan A.M.E. was an attempt to silence the congregation’s voice and its support for Black life, dignity, and safety,” Hewitt said. “It represents just the latest chapter in a long history of white supremacist violence targeting Black houses of worship. These attacks are meant to intimidate and create fear, and this lawsuit’s aim was to hold those who engage in such action accountable. The Lawyers’

Committee was proud to answer the call in this case and honored to represent the historic Black institution, which sits just blocks from our own office and the area near the White House known as Black Lives Matter Plaza. We will continue to stand up against white supremacy and send the message that this type of conduct will not be tolerated—not here, not anywhere.”

The Rev. William H. Lamar IV serves as the senior pastor of the 183-year-old church. He said the church has a tradition of standing up against bigotry and hate.

“Our courage and determination to fight back in response to the 2020 attack on our church is a beacon of hope for our community and the ruling showed us what collective vision and voice can achieve,” said Lamar. “Our church is rooted in the theological vision that humankind is one family. Institutions like ours must continue to lead the way toward a new narrative and white supremacist institutions must be an erased element.”

Kravitz barred the Proud Boys from coming near the church or making threats or defamatory remarks against it for five years. WI

@JamesWrightJr10

5 Metropolitan AME Church is in downtown Washington, D.C. (Courtesy photo/Flickr)

Remember Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise"? Let me cite just the first stanza: "You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I'll rise."

This poem reminds me of my days at Trinity University here in Washington, D.C., when we heard our chair of the communications department often talk about how those of us who are earning our master's degrees from his department ought to speak out against some of the mistreatment that we all witness on television, especially the evening news. He said, "African American women are often portrayed by media as pregnant, promiscuous, poverty stricken, welfare cases, on drugs overweight, or as prostitutes."

Now we have another difficulty, and that is "affirmative action," which was introduced in an executive order issued in 1961, articulating a policy of proactively impeding discrimination in hiring. In the ensuing years, there have been many iterations of this practice: numerical targets, or "quotas," in the early days; increasingly sophisticated formulas pegged to goals.

In the entire history of America, we have finally confirmed a woman of African American descent for the Supreme Court. We are so proud of you, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, as we celebrate the anniversary of your historical appointment. We are still keeping you lifted up in prayer.

There are others shown as successful, but the negative far outweighs the good. How do we continue to erase some of these hurtful and inaccurate stereotypes to reclaim a connection with our true selves? Black women are women of power and might!

According to findings compiled

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Still I Rise: Salute to Strong Black Women

in a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, Black women have been obtaining degrees at a consistently high rate for the past eight years and counting. Information collected about higher education among African-Americans between 2009 and 2010 shows that Black women accounted for 68% of associate's degrees, 66% of bachelor's degrees, 71% of master's degrees and 65% of doctorate degrees awarded to Black students during that time frame.

The article also stated, "By both race and gender, there is a recent study that shows that Black women are enrolled in college at a higher percentage than any other group including white women, Asian women and white men."

However, while the study does shed light on many positive aspects of Black women and education, some of the overall statistics are still immensely troubling. For example, as of 2012, only 15% of students enrolled in college were African-American, a drastically low number relative to that of the 60% of white students enrolled.

How many of us know we are queens, and that our strength, courage, persistence and faith propelled generations of our foremothers into our own world where we raised families based on love, Christian faith, wisdom passed down through the generations, and virtues that empower us to raise strong families, and to have productive careers?

We have had to sacrifice our love lives, skip vacations to stay focused and

Shiloh Church

God 7th Day

do those things which make us better while others have fun. We have had to go to weekend college to get degrees, as I did, to give us more opportunities for growth at work. And now, according to some reports, Black women outnumber other ethnicities when it comes to going to college.

This modern-day Jim Crow era leaves so many millions of Black women without spouses. Allow me to share how I felt the day I sat on stage at a prison as Les Brown delivered his riveting message to our handsome Black men.

Immediately following his show one day, Mr. Brown had a speaking engagement at the former prison complex in Lorton, Virginia, and invited me to attend as part of my training. As I looked out into the audience, seeing good-looking African American men, they reminded me of my brothers, my uncles and my father. It was that very moment I thought to myself, "So this is where all the Black men are!" "No wonder 70% of African American women like myself are without spouses."

Police can lock up our men, yet poor African American women caring for families are portrayed in such a negative light! Wonder what would be said if the TV producers could walk a mile in our shoes!

Thank God for this opportunity to write the truth about my people! This column is to salute you, African American women! As Harriet Tubman always said, "Keep a-going!" Still I rise.

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

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

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

11:00 AM

Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

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

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

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

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

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

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”

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”

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

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

The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest

of the time.

The event marks a major milestone for the river: it’s the first time the city has granted a permit for a swim event in the Anacostia since 1971, when D.C. outlawed fishing and swimming in both the Anacostia and the Potomac.

“This is something that hasn't really been done before—in most people's recent memory, they never have known anyone who just goes swimming in the Anacostia,” said Glenn Hall, special projects assistant for Anacostia Riverkeeper. “It’s symbolic… it's the first sign of a shift.”

Over the last two centuries, the Anacostia River has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s most polluted urban rivers. The District’s rapid growth—combined with a healthy dose of environmental racism—made the Anacostia a dumping ground for toxic industrial waste, trash pollution

and overflows from the District’s combined sewage and stormwater system.

But after decades of concentrated activism, the Anacostia River has shown major improvements in water quality. Sewage overflows into the river have decreased by 90% since 2018, when the first main phase of the Clean Rivers Project—a massive court-ordered initiative that came out of an early-2000s lawsuit—opened up a huge tunnel to hold sewage. The second phase, set to come online later this year, is expected to bring that up to a 98% reduction.

“For the adjacent communities, especially Anacostia proper, east of the river, I want people to notice stuff is actually happening on the river in terms of cleanup,” Hall said. “Things are getting better.”

Still, Hall, like many D.C. residents, expressed some reluctance about taking the leap. Even though he’s confident in the water quality monitoring process—he’s helped with

the testing before—Hall said it’s hard to forget all the trash he’s seen in the river during cleanup efforts. That’s included things like dog poop bags and condoms amongst huge amounts of plastic waste.

“It’s safe… I get the science, I know that I can do it,” Hall said. “It’s about changing my perspective on the river itself.”

Anacostia Riverkeeper Trey Sherard said it is important to note that the July 8 event is the only time and place people can legally take a dip in the Anacostia for now.

Hall already enjoys kayaking on the Anacostia, and said he would probably go for a swim “in a few years.” He said he wants more people, especially in communities closest to the river, to have access to recreational activities and the benefits of connecting with the natural space.

“I love to recreate on the water, just not in this new way—yet,” he said.

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up on Saturday include: Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (class of 1989), activist-theologian and former Washington Informer editor Rahiel Tesfamariam (class of 1999), Pastor Delonte Gholston of Peace Fellowship Church (class of 1998), and Karim D. Marshall (class of 1999), an attorney and one-time at-large D.C. Council candidate.

On Saturday, Banneker alumni acknowledged teachers, administrators, alumni and others who passed away. They later celebrated Principal Anita Berger and dean of students Janice Dennis before wrapping up festivities with the singing of "Family," a song that each class has sung at graduation since Banneker's inception.

While speaking before her fellow alumni, Alsobrooks, a Democratic candidate for Maryland Senator Ben Cardin's seat, reflected on her first foray into politics as a candidate for student treasurer at Banneker in the 1980s. She said that experience set the foundation for her matriculation to Duke University and subsequent ventures.

In her request for Banneker alumni to pay it forward, Alsobrooks alluded to the recent Supreme Court decision that weakened affirmative action.

"We have been given so much and we have an obligation to give back," Alsobrooks said. "In this world where the Supreme Court is doing scary things… we have to keep the fire going to ensure every person coming into this school has the tools to be trained.

Sheila Bunn, a 1990 alumna and member of the 40th anniversary planning committee, echoed those sentiments, telling The Informer that the Banneker Alumni Society will soon develop an organizational infrastructure to carry out its mission.

"It's up to us as alumni to volunteer and financially support the school," said Bunn, who currently serves as Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember Vincent C. Gray's chief of staff.

"We have students from all eight wards, some who need additional support like mentoring, internships, scholarships, clothing and things that students can't get on their own. The Banneker Alumni Society wants to be that bridge."

A LEGACY BIRTHED OUT OF A VISION

Banneker Academic High School opened in 1981 with the goal of, as articulated in its charter, setting the standard of public school education in the District and providing a blueprint for other high schools to follow.

The first class of Banneker achievers graduated in 1984.

Throughout its existence, the school has boasted a 100 percent college acceptance rate. Each graduating class has also amassed millions of dollars in scholarships to a bevy of universities across the U.S. Admission into Banneker requires high grades, teacher recommendations, and the completion of an essay and a series of interviews. Because of the specialized curriculum, no students can enroll as 11th graders, and only a few could do so as 10th graders.

MD HIC #129346,

We have been trained to save the world [so] let's share what we have been able to do."

Read more on www.washingtoninformer.com WI

BANNEKER from Page 25

5 Benjamin Banneker Academic High School held its 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion on July 1. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000736

Marion Moody Shell Decedent

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue NE

Washington, DC 20002

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Eric Graye, whose address is 1304 Monroe Street NW, Washington, DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Marion Moody Shell who died on April 30, 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 12/22/2023. 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 12/22/2023, 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:

6/22/2023

Eric Graye 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 000705

Roxie Ann Burton

Decedent

Peggy A. Miller 5130 7th Street NE

Washington, DC 20011-2625

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Fred Tarpley, whose address is 7124 Chestnut St., NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Roxie Ann Burton who died on April 25, 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 12/22/2023. 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 12/22/2023, 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:

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000709

Annie Y. Carter aka

Annie Y. Fitzgerald

Decedent

Howard Haley, Esq.

The Haley Firm, PC 7600 Georgia Ave, NW #416

Washington, DC 20012

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Mark Anthony Cates, whose address is 5503 Colorado Ave., NW, WDC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Annie Y. Carter aka Annie Y. Fitzgerald who died on 4/3/2023 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 12/22/2023. 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 12/22/2023, 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: 6/22/2023

Mark Anthony Cates Personal Representative

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000717

Dorothy Lee Higgins 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

Deborah Floyd, whose address is 8288 Quill Point Drive, Bowie, MD 20720, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Dorothy Lee Higgins who died on February 15, 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 12/22/2023. 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 12/22/2023, 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:

Deborah Floyd

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000731

Amma Hawthorne Decedent

Joan M. Wilbon Attorney at Law 1629 K Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Sharon J. Hawthorne, whose address is 57 Frontenac Estates Drive, St. Louis, MO 63131, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Amma Hawthorne who died on 5/15/2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 12/22/2023. 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 12/22/2023, 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: 6/22/2023

Sharon J. Hawthorne 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 00115

Helen Brown Decedent

Peggy A. Miller 5130 7th St., NE

Washington, DC 20011-2625 Attorney

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

Crystal Y. Rice, whose address is 6008 Rosedale Dr., Hyattsville, MD 20743, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Helen Brown who died on May 9, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 12/22/2023. 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 12/22/2023, 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: 6/22/2023

Crystal Y. Rice

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 000639

Kazumi P. Wall aka Kazumi Peggy Wall aka Peggy Wall

Decedent

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

David Alvin Wall, whose address is 2611 Moreland Pl., NW, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Kazumi P. Wall aka Kazumi Peggy Wall aka Peggy Wall who died on 11/23/2022 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 12/22/2023. 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 12/22/2023, 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: 6/22/2023

David Alvin Wall Petitioner 2611 Moreland Pl., NW Washington, DC 20015 Address

PUBLIC NOTICE:

TAKE NOTICE THAT; that anyone with an equal, prior or superior equitable or legal right or interest in/to/for/of the TITLE: GRIFFIN, JOYCELYN DENEASE, JOYCELYN D. GRIFFIN, J. D. GRIFFIN, JDG, JOYCELYN GRIFFIN or GRIFFIN JOYCELYN in any style variations and ROSALINE DIOR LUCILLE GRIFFIN, PATRICK NEIL TINKER JR, DARIOUS JONTE’ GRIFFIN, ERICA DENEASE DAVIS, MALIK KYREE GRIFFIN, in any style variations thereof capable to confuse, suspend or clog said Title, right or interest in/to/for Title is HEREBY REQUESTED to present their claim to witness: Joycelyn Denease Griffin Trust, 921 East Dupont Road, Suite 838, Fort Wayne, IN, [46825] before expiration of thirty days of this publication. I have returned from the sea.

6/08/2023 x 6/29/2023 4x

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2023 ADM 000687

Alfred J. Hiltebeitel aka Alfred John Hiltebeitel Decedent

Julie A. Simantiras, Esq. The Geller Law Group PLLC 4000 Legato Road, Suite 1100 Fairfax, Virginia 22033 Attorney

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

Adam Claude Hiltebeitel and Simon Eric Hiltebeitel, whose addresses are 2611 22nd Street NE, Washington, DC 20018 and 2207 Ross Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Alfred J. Hiltebeitel aka Alfred John Hiltebeitel who died on 3/12/2023 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 12/22/2023. 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 12/22/2023, 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: 6/22/2023

Adam Claude Hiltebeitel

Simon Eric Hiltebeitel

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 693

Geraldine P. Boykin Decedent

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

Jeannetta Boykin, whose address is 3253 Highwood Drive, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Geraldine P. Boykin who died on 1/13/2023 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 12/29/2023. 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 12/29/2023, 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: 6/29/2023

Jeannetta Boykin

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 000060

July 8, 2002

Date of Death

Delores Travers Davis

Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Barbara L. Hill, whose address is 2018 Gaither Street, Temple Hills, Maryland 20748 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Delores Travers Davis, deceased, by the Probate Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on June 14, 2023.

Service of process may be made upon Attorney Bobby Henry 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 100 Largo, Maryland 20774 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.

1905 19th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010. 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:

7/6/2023

Barbara L. Hill

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 743

Vivian Dolores Harrison

Decedent

Caren M. Webb, Esq. 1308 Ninth Street, NW Suite 250 Washington, DC 20001

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE

TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Diane C. Harrison, whose address is 8412 Autumn Way Clinton, Maryland 20735, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Vivian Dolores Harrison who died on September 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 1/6/2024. 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 1/6/2024, 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: 7/6/2023

Diane C. Harrison Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: "Tonya LaToya Maynard", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “

TONYA LATOYA MAYNARD", corp. sole Dba.: "TONYA L MAYNARD",“TONYA MAYNARD” “TONYA LATOYA MAYNARD” “TONYA TURNER”

“TONYA L TURNER” “TONYA LATOYA TURNER” “TONYA MAYNARD TURNER” “TONYA L MAYNARD TURNER” “TONYA LATOYA MAYNARD

TURNER” “TONYA TURNER MAYNARD” “TONYA L TURNER MAYNARD” “TONYA LATOYA TURNER MAYNARD”“MAYNARD,TONYA” “MAYNARD,TONYA L" “MAYNARD,TONYA LATOYA” “TURNER,TONYA” “TURNER,TONYA L” “TURNER,TONYA LATOYA” “MAYNARD TURNER,TONYA” “MAYNARD TURNER,TONYA L” “MAYNARD TURNER,TONYA LATOYA” “TURNER MAYNARD,TONYA” “TURNER MAYNARD,TONYA L”

“TURNER MAYNARD,TONYA LATOYA”. As natural clan mother, and guardian of: "Kendrick Nathaniel Turner", the beneficiary and heir of: “ KENDRICK NATHANIEL TURNER ”, corp. sole Dba.: "KENDRICK N TURNER", "KENDRICK TURNER" "KENDRICK NATHANIEL TURNER"

"KENDRICK TURNER NATHANIEL" "KENDRICK TURNER N" "TURNER,KENDRICK N" "TURNER, KENDRICK NATHANIEL" "TURNER, KENDRICK" "TURNER NATHANIEL KENDRICK" "TURNER N, KENDRICK". Having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Estados al-Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Tonya LaToya Maynard ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: "tonya latoya el". My beloved son, "Kendrick Nathaniel Turner", from this day forward, in harmony with our Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: "kendrick nathaniel el ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: THE CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE: STATE FILE NUMBER,: 156-87-407797:" TONYA LATOYA MAYNARD", TONYA MAYNARD”, “TONYA L MAYNARD” “TONYA TURNER” “TONYA L TURNER” “TONYA LATOYA TURNER” “TONYA MAYNARD TURNER” “TONYA L MAYNARD TURNER” “TONYA LATOYA MAYNARD TURNER” “TONYA TURNER MAYNARD” “TONYA L TURNER MAYNARD” “TONYA LATOYA TURNER MAYNARD” “MAYNARD,TONYA” “MAYNARD,TONYA L” “MAYNARD,TONYA LATOYA” “TURNER,TONYA” “TURNER,TONYA L” “TURNER,TONYA LATOYA” “MAYNARD TURNER,TONYA” “MAYNARD TURNER,TONYA L” “MAYNARD TURNER,TONYA LATOYA” “TURNER MAYNARD,TONYA” “TURNER MAYNARD,TONYA L” “TURNER MAYNARD,TONYA LATOYA”, &,THE CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE : STATE FILE NUMBER,:156-20-049082: “KENDRICK NATHANIEL TURNER ” “KENDRICK TURNER""KENDRICK N TURNER" "KENDRICK TURNER NATHANIEL""KENDRICK TURNER N""TURNER,KENDRICK N" "TURNER, KENDRICK NATHANIEL" "TURNER, KENDRICK""TURNER, NATHANIEL KENDRICK""TURNER N, KENDRICK", is as a special deposit order, conveyed to "Tmt Wellstead Trust". Re: THE CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE: STATE FILE NUMBER, 156-87-407797:

"TONYA LATOYA MAYNARD", “TONYA MAYNARD”, “TONYA L MAYNARD” “TONYA TURNER” “TONYA L TURNER” “TONYA LATOYA TURNER” “TONYA MAYNARD TURNER” “TONYA L MAYNARD TURNER” “TONYA LATOYA MAYNARD TURNER” “TONYA TURNER MAYNARD” “TONYA

L TURNER MAYNARD” “TONYA LATOYA TURNER MAYNARD” “MAYNARD,TONYA” “MAYNARD,TONYA L” “MAYNARD,TONYA LATOYA”

“TURNER,TONYA” “TURNER,TONYA L” “TURNER,TONYA LATOYA” “MAYNARD TURNER,TONYA” “MAYNARD TURNER,TONYA L” “MAYNARD TURNER,TONYA LATOYA” “TURNER MAYNARD,TONYA” “TURNER MAYNARD,TONYA L” “TURNER MAYNARD,TONYA LATOYA”, &, THE CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE: STATE FILE NUMBER, 156-20-049082: " KENDRICK NATHANIEL TURNER", “KENDRICK TURNER" "KENDRICK N TURNER""KENDRICK TURNER NATHANIEL""KENDRICK TURNER N""TURNER,KENDRICK N" "TURNER, KENDRICK NATHANIEL" "TURNER, KENDRICK""TURNER, NATHANIEL KENDRICK" "TURNER N, KENDRICK", is as a special deposit order conveyed to: “ Kendrick Nathaniel Trust © ”, with a 50% interest retained by Trustee: “ tonya latoya el © ”, &, a 50% interest retained by Trustee: “ aqeel ki el© ”. All interest is to remain fully intact until the sole beneficiary, “ kendrick nathaniel el© ”, reaches the age of majority. All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor / Guardian: "tonya latoya el", nom deguerre: "Tonya Latoya Maynard”, as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : "Tmt Wellstead Trust”, or : "Kendrick Nathaniel Trust", both Trust being, Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trusts. These deposits are not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000759

Ivy J. Young 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

Michelle M. Young, whose address is 807 Pleasant Hill Lane, Bowie MD 20716, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ivy J. Young who died on April 24, 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 1/6/2024. 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 1/6/2024, 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:

July 6, 2023

Michelle M. Young Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender.

Notice of Special Appearance : am that am: "Pedro Tyri Winfrey© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ PEDRO TYRI WINFREY©", corp.sole Dba.: "PEDRO T. WINFREY© "; PEDRO WINFREY, WINFREY, PEDRO T, having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Al Maghreb Al Aqsa, Estados al Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: "Pedro Tyri Winfrey© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: "Tyri-Azu: Amadi© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: Illinois Department of Public Health-Division of Vital Records : STATE FILE NUMBER: 112-1983 6010736, "PEDRO TYRI WINFREY©", is as a special deposit order, conveyed to "Thrive Regardless Trust©". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: "TyriAzu: Amadi©", nom deguerre: "Pedro Tyri Winfrey", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : "Thrive Regardless Trust©", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000763

Margaret Ann Boddie

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

Robert Boddie, whose address is 4137 Southern Ave. #102, Capitol Heights, MD 20743, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Margaret Ann Boddie who died on February 14, 2011 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 1/6/2024. 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 1/6/2024, 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:

7/6/2023

Robert Boddie

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Notice of Special Appearance : We have received the goodness of God in the land of the living : As a result of the holy matrimony of : “aqeel ki el”©, fka: “Joseph Antoine Turner”©, Age: 36, son of “annmarie miller” and “joseph wendell turner”, tribal lineage corporeal hereditament : Taino American Moor, and, “tonya latoya el”©, fka: “Tonya Latoya Maynard Turner”©, Age: 36, daughter of “margaret ward watts” and “michael maynard”, tribal lineage corporeal hereditament: Taino American Moor; beget at planet Earth, Latitude: 33.467940 Longitude: -84.263180, El Maghreb al-Aqsa, commonly known as : Henry County, Georgia, [Hampton, Georgia [republic], The united states of America, States of the Union, Moon : Waning crescent, 30% Illuminated, Zodiac : Taurus, On time : Long Count Date : 13 baktun. 0 katun. 10 tun. 9 uinal. 16 k'in. Tzolk'in Date: 4 k’ib’ Haab Date: 4 Sip. Lord: G7 [ Sunday, May 14th, 2023 ], Temperature : 80°F, at 09:53 p.m., mostly cloudy, anu allah [ God of gods saw it fit to allow a living soul to incarnate a fleshblood-and bone body, in homo sapien form, as a natural born, baby boy, in full life, Height/Length: 21” , Weight : 7 Pounds, 2 Ounces, to be. Life Path : 8. He is known in this life as: khol kwali el©

In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender.

Notice of Special Appearance: I am that I am: “Joseph Antoine Turner”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “JOSEPH ANTOINE TURNER”, corp.sole Dba.: “JOSEPH A TURNER”, “JOSEPH A TURNER”, “JOSEPH TURNER”, “JOSEPH TURNER, A”, “JOSEPH ANTOINE TURNER”, “ TURNER, JOSEPH”, “TURNER, JOSEPH A”, “ANTOINE JOSEPH TURNER”, &, “TURNER ANTOINE, JOSEPH”. As natural clan father, and guardian of: “Karson Isaiah Turner”, the beneficiary and heir of: “ KARSON ISAIAH TURNER”, corp.sole Dba.: "KARSON I TURNER", “KARSON TURNER”, “ KARSON ISAIAH TURNER”, “KARSON TURNER I”, “KARSON TURNER ISAIAH”, “TURNER,KARSON I”, “TURNER,KARSON”, “TURNER,KARSON ISAIAH”, “ISAIAH, KARSON TURNER”, “ISAIAH, TURNER KARSON”, “TURNER ISAIAH KARSON”, &, “TURNER, I KARSON”.

Having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Estados al-Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American.

I am that I am: “Joseph Antoine Turner”, from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " aqeel ki el”. My beloved son, " Karson Isaiah Turner", from this day forward, in harmony with our Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " karson isaiah el ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: City of New York Department of Health: STATE FILE NUMBER, 156-87-308422, “JOSEPH ANTOINE TURNER”, “JOSEPH A TURNER”, “JOSEPH TURNER”, “JOSEPH TURNER, A”, “JOSEPH ANTOINE TURNER”, “ TURNER, JOSEPH”, “TURNER, JOSEPH A”, “ANTOINE JOSEPH TURNER”, “TURNER ANTOINE, JOSEPH”, and is as a special deposit order, conveyed to "Joseph Antoine Trust". This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: THE CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE : STATE FILE NUMBER, 156-18-041513, “KARSON I TURNER”, “KARSON TURNER”, “KARSON TURNER”, “KARSON ISAIAH TURNER”, “KARSON TURNER I”, “KARSON TURNER ISAIAH”, “TURNER KARSON”, “TURNER KARSON I”, “TURNER KARSON ISAIAH”, “TURNER ISAIAH KARSON”, “TURNER I KARSON”, “ISAIAH KARSON TURNER”, &, “ISAIAH TURNER KARSON”, is as a special deposit order, conveyed to "Joseph Antoine Trust", until the beneficiary reaches the age of majority. At which time, any and all rights, titles, and interest is conveyed to “ Karson Isaiah Trust© ”. Until the beneficiary reaches the age of majority, a 50% interest is retained by Trustee: “ aqeel ki el© ”, &, a 50% interest is retained by Trustee: “ tonya latoya el© ”, for “Karson Isaiah Trust© ”. All interest is to remain fully intact until the sole beneficiary, “ karson isaiah el© ”, reaches the age of majority. All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor / Guardian: " aqeel ki el", nom deguerre: "Joseph Antoine Turner ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Joseph Antoine Trust ", or : " Karson Isaiah Trust ", both Trust being, Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trusts. These deposits are not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

world body ranks us as 46th, not in the top 3? When our wealth gap is greater than that in developing countries? When it is not just our economics but also our politics that sideline women? When we are content to accept a century before we can effect change?

Our nation truly cannot tout exceptionalism if it dos not trickle down to women. We cant talk about how great we are unless our greatness is gender-neutral. American exceptionalism is a lie if it does not lift all of us up. Exceptional for women? For women of color, espe-

JEALOUS from Page 30

he's campaigning on a raise he gave educators, the teachers union has endorsed Presley.

The incumbent has been tied to a scandal in which up to $94 million in welfare funds were diverted to pet projects of the state's most powerful while many families in need were being denied $170 a month in assistance. It's a particularly salient issue at this moment when Mississippi and other states are beginning to seek and spend hundreds of billions in federal dollars to build infrastructure and create clean energy jobs.

Presley will need a big turnout from the 38% of Mississippi voters

MARSHALL from Page 30 led to govern. As the author of the Declaration of Independence, a disrespected Jefferson was focused on King George III, who saw himself as superior to everyone. In his "no justice, no peace" message to the world, he made it clear that despite one man's position as ruler and another as subject, in God's eyes, Thomas Jefferson and King George III were both created equal as human beings. In principle, he stressed that the divine rights of kings were wrong. Despite being an oppressor, our primary focus, in this case, should be on the everlasting contribution of Jefferson's written words rather than the hypocrisy of his immoral actions.

Jefferson's words spoke for all oppressed people throughout all eras of time. To those considered "others," he gave them fighting ammunition against men and women who considered themselves superior because of race, religion, class, level of education, gender, or for any unjust reason. Any

cially Black women? Exceptional for other Black people? Exceptional means special, outrageous, amazing. There is nothing about these United States that is exceptional, except our rhetoric.

Can we, somehow, get over ourselves? Can we shrug off the constraints of American exceptionalism to speak candidly about our flaws? Can we embrace our flaws and manage them? Can we decide that American exceptionalism does not serve women, Black folks, other marginalize people and then some.

There is an African saying that "women hold up half the sky."

who are Black. He's not well known in Jackson and the southern end of the state where most of them live. He had the endorsement of Rep. Bennie Thompson, the state's only Black member of Congress, almost immediately after announcing his campaign (the last Democrat who ran did not).

Black and low-income voters would gain much from Medicaid expansion and Presley's plan to cut Mississippi's regressive 7% grocery tax. Having suffered with a Republican leading the state a decade ago, they'd have a champion as governor as legislative and congressional districts are redrawn in response to the census this time around.

Even more broadly, a Presley

type of injustice, unfairness, or social inequality cannot, in good faith, stand up against the moral weight of "All men are created equal." Jefferson's words were a deep commitment to human equality. They were ultimately used by future men and women to oppose slavery, justify the right of women to vote, end segregation and fight income inequality. Despite Jefferson's understanding that oppressed people will always need to be vindicated, as an oppressor and slave owner, he reminds us how America started and remains a nation filled with shameless hypocrisy.

The Supreme Court's recent ruling in favor of striking down affirmative action and the consideration of race in college admissions is another example of self-contradiction, this time by Justice Clarence Thomas. While Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Ketanji Brown Jackson both benefitted from affirmative action, Justice Brown Jackson voted to uphold it, and Justice Thomas voted to strike it down. In the 1970s, Yale

Without they ways we hold it up, the sky would come crashing down on us. We hold up the sky but we are marginalized and it will take more than a century for us holding up half the sky, to get the equality we deserve. As long as women are marginalized, our nation misses out on its purpose. And it's not just women in general, it's Black women, Latinx women, Indigenous women. It's those who are marginalized by class. American exceptionalism is a bald-faced lie, a horrible illusion, when those who hold up the sky are systematically ignored. WI

victory and his economic proposals might begin to shift what's been a historical migration pattern for Blacks out of the state up the Mississippi River and westward to California. When I was a young organizer in Mississippi in the 1990s, a mentor who had helped build the state's public health clinics during the Kennedy and Johnson years told me that there were more Black doctors who'd been born in Mississippi living in Los Angeles County than in the entire state of Mississippi.

No state can thrive indefinitely letting its best and brightest look for opportunity elsewhere. Mississippi may decide to turn off that spigot in November. WI

University followed an affirmative action policy to increase minority college admissions and achieve a goal of 10% minority enrollment. In 1971, Clarence Thomas was admitted to Yale's Law School as part of its affirmative action program.

Thomas later became chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where he spoke of the importance of affirmative action. Thomas told fellow staffers at the EEOC that "God only knows where I would be today" if not for the legal principles of equal employment measures such as affirmative action that are critical to minorities and women in this society." Thomas continued, "These laws and their proper application are all that stand between the first 17 years of my life and the second 17 years." Both Jefferson and Thomas were self-centered men at times, but the contrast is clear. At least Thomas Jefferson gave future generations something to work with, while Clarence Thomas chose to take it away.

WILLIAMS from Page 31

country has never been colorblind. Given the lengthy history of state-sponsored race-based preferences in America, to say that anyone is now victimized if a college considers whether that legacy of discrimination has unequally advantaged its applicants fails to acknowledge the well documented "intergenerational transmission of inequality" that still plagues our citizenry. … History speaks."

I have heard repeatedly from observers, "We knew this decision was likely and coming, but is no

MORIAL from Page 31

recommendations have been ignored, and concerned citizens are going to have to put some muscle into their principles if this nation is to survive," Young wrote. "The Kerner Commission recommended, among other things, greater concern by private citizens, and it's good to note that at a time when many private groups are simply throwing up their hands and refusing to become involved, at least one national organization has devised an imaginative new program.

JACKSON from Page 31

lation of the Constitution. With the leadership of Lyndon Johnson and Dr. Martin Luther King, the Congress passed legislation guaranteeing equal rights and the right to vote. Schools were ordered to integrate; public institutions were required to take affirmative action to ensure equal access and equal rights.

Then 10 years ago, the Supreme Court in the Shelby case, in a decision made by a slim majority of conservative justices, gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. This was one piece of a fierce reaction to the progress made. The Republican Party, beginning with Richard Nixon's Southern strategy, grounded its revival on the politics of white resentment, abandoning its previous commitments to civil rights and voting rights. Today, Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nominee — compete to lead the reaction — what DeSantis now calls the "war on

less a gut-punch." Trump asked Black folks, "What do you have to lose?" The Trump Supreme Court gave us the answer!

Since its adoption, affirmative action has been labelled by those who oppose it as a crutch for the unqualified and unworthy. The acceptance of this label is the stated reason for its pathological rejection by Clarence Thomas. My experience in the Federal sector has shown me that the removal of artificial impediments by affirmative action has produced a level of competition which is unacceptable to many whites who have grown

That national organization was the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the imaginative new program was the National Committee for Commitment to Brotherhood, formed to support the work of the National Urban League, NAACP, and Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The first "To Be Equal" to be published after Young's death was authored by Harold R. Sims, who served as the National Urban League's acting executive director until the appointment of Vernon E. Jordan. Appropriately, it was a tribute to Young headlined "Na-

woke," which has featured systematic efforts to suppress the vote, ban books, distort the teaching of history in public schools, and bring an end to affirmative action.

Once more a conservative majority on the Supreme Court is poised to rule on the next stage of the reaction — the responsibility of colleges to take affirmative action to ensure diversity in their student bodies. Having diverse student bodies — with students of different races, genders, religions, regions — is a self-evident benefit to education — and to the country. The claim is that this somehow destroys a "merit-based" admissions process, but colleges all construct their student bodies, giving preference to alumni, to the wealthy, to the athletic, to those with special talents. It is preposterous to suggest that ensuring racial diversity is the one thing that discriminates against others.

What the freed slaves learned under segregation, what Blacks learned in the civil rights movement, what must be remembered today is that freedom and equal

accustomed to a lack of substantive professional opposition.

The "guilt" of watching Black civil rights youth being brutalized is long gone. Instead of encouraging reconciliation, ignoring the physical and psychological brutality inflicted upon Blacks and other persons of color has replaced it.

When allowed to occur, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have been shown to benefit all who participate and a remedy to all who understand its purpose. Instead, the Court has opened the "back door" to our past social ills and pre-civil rights status quo. WI

tion Mourns A Great Leader."

"Whitney Young was a man who transcended the boundaries of race, nationality, and ideology," Sims wrote. "He was a man who formed a human bridge between the rich and the poor, the white and the black, the conservative and the liberal. Labels simply don't apply to such a universal man."

Each of Young's successors has continued to publish "To Be Equal," and it has been my honor to uphold the tradition as he intended it to be: "The voice of Black America." WI

justice under the law requires constant struggle. The forces of privilege are always powerful. The reaction can always play on racial fears. We celebrate Juneteenth and Dr. King's birthday as markers in that struggle, but not as the final victory. Another reaction is underway. To overcome it will require more education, more organizing, more struggle. We know from our history that progress is possible — but only if citizens of conscience are prepared to demand it. WI

Once more a conservative majority on the Supreme Court is poised to rule on the next stage of the reaction — the responsibility of colleges to take affirmative action to ensure diversity in their student bodies. Having diverse student bodies