The Washington Informer - May 8, 2024

Moms and Movements: How DMV Mothers Share Activism With Their Children

By Sam P.K. Collins and Kayla Benjamin WI Staff Writer and WI Climate & Environment Reporter

Throughout history, Black mothers balanced their responsibilities at home with their obligations to community.

Oftentimes, as seen in the case of Ida B. Wells and other Black female professionals of the 19th and 20th centuries, those worlds often collided, which compelled colleagues and detractors alike to question whether women could in fact do it all.

Despite the hurdles, women of color, particularly those in the District,

continue to carry on this tradition to this very day.

For many mothers, like Titania L. Best, there’s no choice to make between her children and her community. It's just a matter of how to provide the best possible example of grassroots activism to her young ones.

“My children and I work together in our activism,” said Best, a 34-yearold Northwest mother of three who organizes District families around the accumulation of resources and their collective healing.

Earlier this year, she and her son

MOMS Page 48

Jeter’s Dozen: Despite Trials, Ward 8 Mother of 12 Celebrates Triumphs and Her Children This Mother’s Day

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

While statistics indicate two parents raising one child in the District can be a tough and costly task, Christina Jeter, a Congress Heights resident, has faced the joys and challenges that come with raising 12 children on her own. Despite trials such as the tragic loss of her son who was incarcerated in October 2023, Jeter and her family will be celebrating many triumphs this Mother’s Day season.

“I have seven girls and five boys,”Jeter, 58, told The Informer. “It was my pleasure and my joy. I was born and raised in the city. Having children was my way of having the love that I didn’t get when I was child.”

Raising a child in the District can be expensive, according to a September 2023, post on LendingTree. com, which revealed that the cost is about $30,097

MPD Shuts Down GWU Encampment in the Early Morning Hours

Student Protesters Vow to Return, Question Campus Political Climate

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

Just hours before sunrise on Wednesday, May 8, legions of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers raided and shut JETER'S DOZEN Page 48

down an encampment that student activists set up on the campus of George Washington University (GWU) in solidarity with the millions of Palestinians who’ve been killed or displaced by the Israeali

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

After the tragic fatal shooting of 3-year-old Ty’ah Settles on Friday, May 3, politicians, local leaders, and dozens of pastors came together at the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Seventh District to offer powerful prayers and community comfort on Tuesday, May 7.

“We shouldn't be standing here today,” said MPD Chief Pamela Smith, whose voice broke with emotions. “It was troubling for me all weekend. This is why we have the faith advisory council: to evoke our presence in this space… We want the family to know how much we love them and how much we are going to support them.”

In a press release on Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the District must work to-

VIGIL Page 40

5Jaren Hill Lockridge with her children, Stefan, Jhene and Jheni. (Courtesy Photo)

5 George Washington University students say despite MPD shutting down their encampment, they will still stand in solidarity with the millions of Palestinians who’ve been killed or displaced by the Israeli government.(WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032

Phone: 202 561-4100

Fax: 202 574-3785

news@washingtoninformer.com

www.washingtoninformer.com

PUBLISHER

Denise Rolark Barnes

STAFF

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

wi hot topics

Diversity Dilemma: Kim Godwin’s

COMPILED BY STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER

Exit from ABC Sparks Debate on Black Leadership in Television News

Kim Godwin, a trailblazing figure as the president of ABC News and the first Black woman to lead a major network news division, has unexpectedly resigned, leaving a significant void in the ongoing struggle for diversity in media leadership.

Godwin’s departure, a surprising turn of events, comes on the heels of Disney’s recent appointment of a veteran executive to oversee ABC News, a move that effectively diminished her authority within the organization. Despite having recently extended her contract, Godwin’s exit raised urgent questions about the representation of Black leaders in television news.

In an earlier statement, Godwin expressed optimism for the future.

“There is more work to be done. Now let’s get to it,” Godwin said.

She emphasized the value of putting her family

first in a memo to staff that the Wall Street Journal was able to obtain. She described her departure as a challenging but necessary decision.

“Anyone who’s passionate about what we do knows there’s no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision,” Godwin wrote. “But after considerable reflection, I’m certain it’s the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what’s most important for me and my family.”

Significant difficulties existed during Godwin's time at ABC News, including a notable incident involving two daytime television hosts and internal conflicts within the network. Despite these formidable obstacles, Debra O'Connell, the executive appointed above Godwin, acknowledged, and praised her substantial contributions to the network.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com. WI

Biden Urges Order as Arrests and Chaos Rise at Pro-Palestinian College Protests Nationwide

President Joe Biden, in his first remarks since April 22, addressed the escalating pro-Palestinian demonstrations on American college campuses in a strongly-worded speech where he noted that there’s a delicate balance between dissent and disorder in a democratic society.

“Dissent is essential for democracy,” Biden asserted, “but dissent must never lead to disorder.”

Biden’s comments come amid protests nationwide, with more than 1,900 arrests reported. The long-running conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, which has recently intensified due to violence in the occupied territories, has fueled the demonstrations.

The spark for the latest round of conflict was an attack by Hamas, Gaza’s militant government, on Israel on October 7, 2023 resulting in nearly 1,200 deaths, marking the most significant single killing of Jews since the Holocaust. According to data from the Hamas-run Health Ministry, in retaliation, Israel, under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declared war on Hamas, sparking an invasion that has claimed over 34,000 Palestinian lives.

The president stressed that while peaceful protest is protected, violence and destruction are not.

“Destroying property is not a peaceful protest,” he asserted.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com. WI

Airbnb Introduces “Icons” Extraordinary Experiences with Celebrities and Cultural Legends

Airbnb is inviting customers to stay overnight in the bedroom where the late pop superstar Prince composed his groundbreaking tracks. Patrons are even invited to enjoy a private tour of the Purple Rain house, which is filled with the icon’s keepsakes.

“Listen and dance to special songs -- go crazy for rare Prince tracks ... for the first time, celebrate the life and music of our friend and The Revolution’s legendary frontman, Prince,” the company boasts. “Wear your finest purple fits, and when you step into history, feel free to unleash your royal rockstar. The popular online marketplace for lodging and

tourism experiences announced the launch of a groundbreaking new category called “Icons.” The category will offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences hosted by renowned figures from music, film, television, art, sports, and more.

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky announced that icons will transport participants into worlds they’ve only dreamed of inhabiting.

“Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination—until now,” he stated. “As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world.”

Prince’s home is just one among the initial 11 “Icons” unveiled by Airbnb.

Read more on

washingtoninformer.com.

WI

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

5Prince (Courtesy File Photo)

Lee's Flower Shop Gears up for Busy Mother's Day Season

By D.R. Barnes WI Staff Writer

Stacie Lee Banks and the team at Lee’s Flower Shop are working around the clock to fulfill walk-in and online orders during one of their busiest times of the year.

Mother’s Day is just days away on Sunday, May 12. However, the team is also preparing special arrangements for graduations this weekend at Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia. They are also geared up to fulfill the continuous orders for corsages and boutonnieres, the traditional prom season accessory, which is also in demand.

“It’s a very busy season for us,” said Lee Banks, the third-generation co-owner of the 79-year-old flower shop located at 1026 U Street, N.W., in the historic Shaw neighborhood.

In addition to adding staff, Lee Banks and her sister, Kristie Lee Jones, said they are focused on selecting the right flowers and plants to have on hand for customers.

“Trying to pick those things that people will like is quite a challenge, but we do it every year, and every year, it sneaks up on us,” Lee Banks said.

MOTHER’S DAY CONSUMER SPENDING REMAINS HIGH

Flowers and cards rank highest among the gifts mothers receive on the holiday created in their honor more than 100 years ago in 1904. The day became a national holiday, celebrated on the second Sunday in May when President Woodrow Wilson signed Mother's Day into law in 1914. Mother’s Day has also become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending.

According to the National Retail Foundation, Americans are expected to spend $33.5 billion on Mother’s Day this year, which amounts to approximately $254 per person. That includes about 152 million cards purchased and millions of brunches or dinners spent at a favorite restaurant.

Early on, carnations were the standard for Mother’s Day. Mothers wore red carnations if their mother was living and white if she was deceased.

At Lee’s, carnations have fallen out of favor, Lee Banks said. “People think

of them as being inexpensive, but we still order them for the churches that still give them out.”

Speaking of traditions, “corsages used to be a big thing on Mother’s Day,” Lee Banks said, “and we used to get a lot of orders for them. But trends change, and today, I can’t identify one thing that takes precedence over another, except for the uptick of online orders.”

A FLOWER THAT’S NEVER OUT OF STYLE

Banks told The Informer roses rank the highest among the flowers ordered for Mother’s Day.

“It’s a traditional flower that never goes out of style,” she explained.

A survey conducted by the Pantone Color Institute honoring the shades of motherhood defined feelings of motherhood by color. The survey said, “Green represents the protective nature of mothers, while yellow alludes to their optimistic outlook towards life and for their children. Pink captures their compassionate and nurturing side, and red focuses on their passion and empowerment drive. At the same time, they are always calm and patient, which is represented by the color blue.”

With all the shades to symbolize feelings, Lee Banks’ orders vary for Mother’s Day arrangements. She said customers will spend anywhere from $100 to $125 on a Mother’s Day arrangement.

Ironically, Banks, the mother of two adult daughters and a 4-month-old grandchild, said she does not receive flowers for Mother’s Day, but it’s not a concern for her. Their doors are open on Mother’s Day. She and her daughter, Samarah Banks, who operates their Union Station store, spend the day together, ensuring everyone gets their flowers.

“As a florist, our customers are our priority,” she said.

REFLECTING ON A MOTHER’S LOVE, LEGACY

As her mother operates the U Street store, and she manages the bustling Union Station location, Banks told The Informer this Mother’s Day season is particularly special, as she gets to

share it not only with her mom, but also her baby girl Khloe.

“My first Mother's Day is really special to me because I have my daughter in the shop with me. And so there'll be three generations in the shop– my mother, me and my daughter. That's gonna be exciting because we all started off very young and the flower shop and she can literally start at four months. So I think that's beautiful,” Banks told The Informer.

Banks said she’s learned a lot about balancing motherhood and business by watching her mom.

“Having an entrepreneur, business owner, boss lady as a mom is really awesome to me, and I aspire to be just like her,” Banks said. “She's just taught me so much about business– everything I know, honestly, I owe it to her.”

Passing down tricks of the trade from generation to generation, such as staying on top of holidays and trends, is important to the Lee’s Flower Shop family.

“It's a couple of things that my great grandmother passed down

also celebrating graduations, proms and more.

to my grandfather and my grandmother, which they passed to my mother and she passed down to me,” Banks explained. “One of those things, most importantly, is to pay all bills on time… pay

your vendors on time, keep the relationships pure. And another thing, treat everyone with respect, you never know who you're talking to.”

WI

5Stacie Lee Banks, president and co-owner of Lee’s Flower Shop, said Mother’s Day is one of the busiest times of the year, with people not only wanting gifts for mom, but

(Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

AROUND THE REGION

MAY 9

1800 – Abolitionist John Brown, who led the slave revolt at Harper's Ferry in 1859, is born in Torrington, Connecticut.

1899 – Inventor John Albert Burr patents one of the first rotary-blade lawn mowers.

2010 – Famed singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne dies in New York City of congestive heart failure at 92.

MAY 10

1837 – P.B.S. Pinchback, the first African American to become governor of a U.S. state, is born in Macon, Georgia.

1950 – Baseball great Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to be featured on the cover of Life magazine.

1994 – Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Af rica's first Black president.

MAY 11

1895 – William Still, "the Dean" of African Amer ican composers and the first to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, is born in Woodville, Mississippi.

1933 – Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Is lam, is born in New York City.

MAY 12

MAY 9 - 15, 2024

Jones no-hits the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 at Wrigley Field, becoming the first African American in Major League Baseball history to pitch a no-hitter.

MAY 13

1888 – The South American nation of Brazil formally abolishes slavery.

1914 – Boxing great Joe Louis, "The Brown Bomber," is born in La Fayette, Alabama.

1950 – Music legend Stevie Wonder is born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan.

1985 – A police helicopter drops a bomb on a Philadelphia row house occupied by MOVE, a Black liberation group founded by John Africa, during a standoff. The explosion killed 11 MOVE members and destroyed 65 neighborhood houses.

MAY 14

1961 – A bus containing the first group of Freedom Riders is bombed and burned by segregationists outside Anniston, Alabama. The occupants escaped the bus before it burst into flames, but was then attacked by a surrounding mob.

MAY 15

1820 – The U.S. Congress declares the foreign slave trade an act of piracy punishable by death.

WI

1955 – Chicago Cubs pitcher Sam "Toothpick"

NELSON MANDELLA

AROUND THE REGION

view

P INT

BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

Reggie Bush, a former NFL player and Super Bowl champion, has officially been returned his Heisman trophy. The Heisman Trust made this decision due to the “enormous changes in the college football landscape.” Bush had previously forfeited his Heisman Trophy in 2010 due to severe NCAA sanctions against him and the University of Southern California. What is your opinion on this news?

VISONI RIMSON / WOODBRIDGE, VA.

So happy for him!

TARIYA SANDERS / FLINT, MICH.

Great! As he should!

L. INUNGU / WASHINGTON, D.C.

ANTOINETTE JOHN / COLUMBIA, S.C.

It only took almost 20 years, but I’m glad he got it back.

Notice it took a white man, Johnny Manziel, to speak out to get his trophy back. Johnny went on a campaign a couple of weeks ago on several outlets, speaking on the issue and hinting that the Bush situation had racist undertones. Thank you, Johnny, for doing the right thing and speaking up when so many players are quiet.

LOUIS SWAN / LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

Sad! It shouldn’t have ever been taken in the first place. His best years of having it are gone and can never be replaced.

Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

AROUND THE REGION

The Collins Council Report Key Developments in May 7, 2024 Legislative Meeting

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

In this edition of The Washington Informer’s Collins Council Report, the D.C. Council covered a lot of ground in the realms of housing, the environment, economic development and health. D.C. Councilmember Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7) didn’t participate in the hearing because he was undergoing in-patient physical therapy.

The following are a few bills that the council deliberated on throughout much of Tuesday, May 7.

HEALTHCARE SYSTEM STANDARDS AND PRACTICES

UNDERGO A REVAMP

The council unanimously approved, on its second reading, legislation that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) introduced to modernize the local healthcare system, align it with current professional standards and environments, and streamline administrative practices. This development, more than a decade in the making, took place in a post-pandemic healthcare environment where health professional licensing boards couldn’t fill vacancies and healthcare professionals struggled to navigate labyrinthic labor practices.

At the behest of DC Health, the legislation, titled the Health Occupation Revision General Amendment Act of 2024, reduces the number of health professional licensing boards from 19 to 12, via the merging and repealing of the boards and membership changes within these entities.

Affected boards include the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy, the professions under which would be transferred to the Board of Professional Counseling.

The number of board members on the Board of Nursing would also be increased from 11 to 13. The legislation clarified that the board regulates nursing education and nursing assistive personnel education programs.

Meanwhile, the Board of Occupational Therapy, Board of Physical Therapy, and Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology would also be consolidated under the newly formed Board of Rehabilitative Therapies.

Other elements of the legislation include the first-ever general guidelines for telehealth services provided by licensed healthcare professionals and updates to scopes of practice, licensure and registration intended to increase transparency, patient safety and efficacy.

D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson (I-At large), chair

of the council’s Committee on Health, told The Informer that the legislation should address the challenges that healthcare professionals often encounter.

“I hope it would streamline processes for licensure and licensure renewal and streamline the process for disciplinary processes and investigations regarding a particular provider,” Henderson said, later pointing out what she’s heard from healthcare professionals in council testimony.

THE COUNCIL STRIKES ANOTHER BLOW TO RACIAL COVENANTS

On its first reading, the D.C. Council unanimously approved the Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act. This bill not only nullifies racially restrictive covenants that have been imposed on District homes, but allows current homeowners to eliminate covenants restricting home ownership on the basis of race, color, national origin, and religion.

“With this establishment of a process to address covenants… there’s an elevation of the issue of Black homeownership in the country,” Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (I-At-large) said.

REPORT Page 9

5After the council unanimously approved legislation modernizing the local healthcare system, Councilmember Christina Henderson, chair of the council’s Committee on Health, said that the legislation should address the challenges that healthcare professionals often encounter. (WI File Photo)

REPORT from Page 8

A QUESTION OF SELF-CERTIFICATION FOR CERTAIN RENT SUPPLEMENT VOUCHER APPLICANTS

On its second reading, the D.C. Council approved, with a 11-1 vote, legislation that not only allows homeless and undocumented applicants for rent supplement vouchers to self-certify eligibility, but prohibits the D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA) from looking into their immigration status, prior arrests or convictions, or pending criminal matters.

D.C. Councilmember Matt Frumin (D-Ward 3) was the sole “no” vote.

The council later reversed a veto that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser previously issued for the bill, titled the Local Rent Supplement Program Eligibility Temporary Amendment Act of 2024. On this go-around, Frumin voted “no” and Councilmember Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5) voted “present.”

THE COUNCIL MULLS OVER COMPLEXITIES OF PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS

On its second reading, the council unanimously approved the Revised Labor Agreement Cost Threshold Amendment Act of 2024 with D.C. Councilmember

Trayon White (D-Ward 8) voting “present.”

This legislation lowers the cost threshold for the required use of project labor agreements (PLAs) on construction contracts from $75 million to $50 million.

D.C. Councilmembers Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5) and Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) successfully introduced amendments addressing fiscal impact and representation of workers from historically marginalized backgrounds on construction projects.

Nadeau’s amendment mitigates the fiscal impact by excluding five projects already in the FY 20262031 capital improvement plan that cost $50-$75 million.

Parker’s amendment requires the submission of a plan outlining how expenditures on construction projects support CBEs and equity impact enterprises. It also requires a diversity plan detailing outreach and recruitment efforts to connect members of historically marginalized groups to employment and apprenticeship opportunities on construction projects.

“The CBE law is a different freestanding policy but the PLA law cites and references CBEs and first source,” Parker said. “The amendment is an effort to hold unions [that are under] PLAs accountable to conducting outreach and supporting our local CBEs. I’ve talked with local union leaders and they are supportive of this amendment.”

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

WI

AROUND THE REGION

Are

You

Ready

for the

June 4, 2024 Primary Election?

Primary Election: June 4, 2024

Hours: 7:00 am – 8:00 pm

Early Voting: May 26 – June 2, 2024

Hours: 8:30 am – 7:00 pm

Early Vote Centers are closed May 27, 2024 for Memorial Day.

What Voters Need to Know:

• For the June 4, 2024 Primary Election, all voters registered with one of the major parties (Democratic, Republican, or DC Statehood Green) will be mailed a ballot.

• Voted ballots can be returned to a Mail Ballot Drop Box, via US Postal Service, or to any Vote Center.

• Locations for Vote Centers and Mail Ballot Drop Boxes are available at www.dcboe.org

• Ballot tracking via BallotTrax is available at www.dcboe.org

• If voting in person, you can cast your ballot at any Vote Center, regardless of your residential address.

Qualified non-citizen DC residents may vote in local elections. Specifically, non-citizen DC residents may vote in elections for Mayor, Attorney General, members of the DC Council, members of the State Board of Education, and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners. They may also vote on initiative, referendum, recall, and charter amendment measures. To learn more, visit www.dcboe.org/noncitizenvoter.

5The D.C. Council unanimously approved the Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act, which not only nullifies racially restrictive covenants, but allows current homeowners to eliminate covenants restricting home ownership on the basis of race, color, national origin, and religion. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie attested to the importance of this bill from personal experience.

(WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)

AROUND THE REGION

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others.”

The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) partnered with the Community of Hope AME Church for Souls to the Polls on May 5. Buses filled with voters drove from the church to polling sites directly after Sunday service. Pictured: Community of Hope AME Church Pastor Tony Lee, Rev. Bill Lee, and NCBCP CEO Melanie Campbell. (Cleveland Nelson/The Washington Informer)

AROUND THE REGION

Three Key Environmental Issues on D.C.’s Budget Chopping Block

Can D.C. Spare Any Change for Climate Change?

By Kayla Benjamin WI Climate & Environment Reporter

Three weeks ago, Mayor Muriel Bowser posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, in celebration of Earth Day.

“Let’s keep Washington, D.C. a leader in sustainability and continue building a greener future together,” the post’s caption reads.

Her administration has repeatedly affirmed that the District should be a leader among cities— not just in the U.S., but globally—when it comes to climate. In November, Bowser flew to Qatar for an annual United Nations climate change. While she was there, the city released a long-awaited plan detailing how the city would meet its goal of being carbon-free by 2045.

But residents focused on environmental and transportation issues have for years argued that the mayor’s proposed budget doesn’t match her rhetoric on environmental leadership. More than 80 people signed up to testify at the budget oversight hearing for the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), D.C. Water and the D.C. Green Bank on April 29.

Chris Weiss, head of the DC Environmental Network, said during the hearing that the administration has used DOEE and environmental programs “as an ATM,” taking money for the general budget out of dedicated funding sources established by law.

“Funds are swept that have been promised to benefit District utility ratepayers, our communities, our rivers and parks, and our efforts to save the planet and protect residents from the ever-worsening impacts of the climate crisis,” Chris Weiss, head of the DC Environmental Network, said during the hearing. “These sweeps happen to us each budget cycle, whether or not there are budget shortfalls.”

But this year in particular, many city programs across the board face uncertain futures due to revenue

5Bill Washburn, NAACP DC’s Climate Justice Chair, speaks in support of the Healthy Homes Act among a group of advocates who gathered on the steps of the Wilson Building March 12, three weeks before the D.C. Council passed the bill. (Kayla Benjamin/The Washington Informer)

shortfalls. Here are three of the environmental priorities the Informer is watching as the Council continues to deliberate over a final budget.

SAFE, EFFICIENT, AFFORDABLE OPTIONS FOR GETTING AROUND WITHOUT A CAR

Bowser’s budget proposal would deal heavy blows to city residents’ options for moving around the city without a car. In addition to being helpful to the 1 in 3 District residents who don’t own a car, providing these options reduces traffic deaths, road congestion, toxic air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

One proposed casualty is the District-run DC Circulator System, which the mayor’s budget would cut entirely. During a budget oversight hearing on April 11, the D.C. Department of Transportation’s acting director, Sharon Kershbaum, offered vague assurances from the Department of Transportation about “augmented Metrobus services.”

Kershbaum also announced during that hearing that long-awaited design changes to Connecticut Avenue NW would no longer include bike lanes. It’s a hotly contested issue within Ward 3: Bowser had committed to add-

ing bike lanes along the high crash corridor in 2021, but walked it back two years later.

In 2015, Bowser launched the Vision Zero Project, an initiative that aimed to bring the District’s traffic fatalities down to zero by 2024. Instead, the city has seen traffic deaths rise, reaching a high mark last year with 53 people killed in crashes. An auditor’s report last year found that the program’s failure stemmed from a lack of oversight and funding.

The D.C. Council created a dedicated Vision Zero Fund, which is supposed to be financed by surplus money collected from traffic citations. But the mayor’s proposal this year, as in previous years, sweeps that money back into the general budget—leaving several traffic safety laws passed by the Council unfunded.

“What [Bowser] is telling us she stands for is that she’s comfortable with putting lives at risk,” said Jeremiah Lowery, advocacy director for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. “This is the year 2024, for which the mayor stated she wanted to have zero traffic deaths and serious injuries. And then, the year she wanted that, she's now rolling back funding for transportation safety measures. As the kids say: make it make sense.”

Read more on washingtoninformer.com. WI

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Prince George’s County Senate Updates

Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

The last stretch of Maryland’s primary elections remains a tight contest with high stakes between Democrats Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Congressman David Trone, and is only becoming more heated. With the U.S. Senate nearly deadlocked with 48 Democrats, three Independents who caucus with them, and 49 Republicans, Maryland may be responsible for sending the tie-breaking vote to Washington’s upper chamber.

It is likely that former Governor Larry Hogan (R) will emerge from the Republican primary, as he was leading 69% to 9% in an April poll. Hogan is also currently leading both of the likely Democratic nominees in polling.

Early voting is underway and the Maryland primary is on Tuesday, May 14.

HUNDREDS OF BLACK WOMEN LEADERS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF ALSOBROOKS

In the last polls conducted in early April, Trone led Alsobrooks by 3% and 19% respectively. While former Laurel City Councilmember Martin Mitchell said he felt Trone is “the best candidate,” due to “being active and traveling to all corners of Maryland,” in recent weeks, concerns over the Congressman’s campaigning style have led to outrage and organized opposition.

Trone called some of Alsobrooks’ Prince George’s endorsers as “low-level,” drawing concern from Congressman Glenn Ivey (D- District 4).

"I was a little surprised to hear a comment like that,” he said. “Some people think Congress is a high-level office.”

A television ad supporting Trone featured Prince George’s Councilmember Ed Burroughs (D- District 8) stating that “the U.S. Senate is no place for training wheels,” leading to over 600 Black women leaders including former Democratic National Committeewoman Donna Brazile signing onto a letter calling the ad divisive, misogynistic, and racist. The ad has since been updated to remove the quote.

“We are also personally offended by the recent ads released by the Trone U. S. Senate Campaign unjustly targeting Angela Alsobrooks, a highly esteemed U.S. Senate candidate and Black woman. The ads stating that Ms. Alsobrooks is not qualified to run for the

U.S. Senate and that she ‘needs training wheels’ is not only disparaging and dismissive but also echoes tones of misogyny and racism,” the April 29 letter explains.

The letter called for “unfounded and negative attacks by the Trone Senate Campaign,” to immediately stop.

“It is a clear attempt to delegitimize the voices of those who believe in Angela Alsobrooks’ vision for representing Maryland in the U.S. Senate.”

The Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, a member of the Board of Directors on Delta for Women in Action, was one of the women who signed onto this letter.

“[Alsorbooks] has a track record of building public schools, working to ensure economic development opportunities for communities of color as well as Marylanders in rural and coastal areas. She has an understanding of women's rights and the importance of healthcare, as she has built new hospital sites in her county,” Arline-Bradley explained. “The biggest issue is turn out and the opportunity to ensure the voice of women and people of color is brought to the table. This is about making history and leveraging the moment for representation.”

Arline-Bradley also noted that the Maryland delegation, which has been composed solely of men since 2016, needs to add a woman.

Several prominent Prince Georgians, including Life After Release founder Qiana Johnson and In A Minute Cafe chef Steven Wilson,

have come out to support Alsobrooks in recent days. However, others, including Angela Taylor, cited hypocrisy in supporting Alsobrooks while many Democrats did not support former U.S. Rep Donna Edwards’ 2016 run for the U.S. Senate against then-Congressman Chris Van Hollen.

WI

GETTING VOTERS TO THE POLLS

A nine-day Souls to the Polls effort was organized by the Rev. Tony Lee, pastor of Community of Hope AME Church, to increase turnout across the state, in partnership with the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP).

“I am excited to join forces with our Maryland Unity Coalition, to launch the next phase of the NCBCP’s Unity ’24 National Campaign in the State of Maryland. Maryland is the 4th State where we have launched our campaign, including Florida, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania,” said NCBCP President Melanie L. Campbell. “The 2024 presidential election will determine who will hold the power to protect our rights, freedoms and democracy and Maryland is key to what the outcome will be.”

May 14 is Election Day, and Marylanders can register to vote and drop off their mailed ballots at election sites on Election Day. WI

Richard

5 Prince Georgians such as Don Boswell from Bowie, Maryland went to the polls during Early Voting, in spite of the rainy weather. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

5 Campaign signs take up the grass areas leading up to the polls as Early Voting is underway. (Anthony Tilghman/ The Washington Informer)

Prince George’s County Local Updates

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

COUNTY COUNCIL PASSES JUVENILE CURFEW ZONE BILL

The County Council passed a bill, introduced by Councilmember Edward Burroughs (D- District 8), allowing the creation of additional juvenile curfew zones. These zones can be created by business owners who obtain a letter of support from their respective councilmember and then apply for the curfew zone with the county’s police department.

The curfew would be from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. in said zones.

“I think that the public should be reassured that this is going to be something that helps protect them, that helps protect young people, and doesn’t create records for your average kid who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and really should just be sent home,” said Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D- District 5). "We want to quickly allow other commercial areas in the county to apply for a curfew zone if they feel it’s needed. We want to make sure we’re in partnership with the business community, law enforcement, and the residents of our county who have all been strong supporters of these measures.”

The council bill follows the implementation of a youth curfew at the National Harbor after a fight with a large group of spectators broke out among local teens last month. Currently, youth ages 16 and undr are required to have a chaperone at the National Harbor from 5p.m. to 6 a.m. on Fridays and weekends.

The Council is also pursuing another countywide curfew bill, expected to be voted on before the summer break. WI

SOLID STATE BATTERY FACILITY OPENS IN BELTSVILLE

With a packed house that included Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D)

and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D), ION Storage Systems announced plans to begin manufacturing batteries at their Beltsville location, one of the largest commissioned solid-state battery manufacturing facilities in the country.

The site is located adjacent to the company’s headquarters and is expected to begin manufacturing 1 megawatt-hour (MHw) of battery cells this year and 10MWh by early 2025. The company’s long-term goal is to produce 500MWh of capacity by 2028. For comparison, one MHw is enough to power the average home for just over a month.

“The world is increasingly reliant on batteries for our cars, personal and medical devices, for a more resilient power grid and for national defense. Traditional Li-ION batteries simply haven’t been up to the task,” said ION Storage Systems CEO Ricky Hanna.

“From the outset, our goal has been to develop an advanced solid-state battery that delivers enhanced power, reliability, and safety, all while being scalable in Production.”

Rep. Ivey noted that the commissioning of the facility in Beltsville is a major step “forward for ION Storage Systems in safe green battery technology.”

I am proud that this company is born from the [research and development] of our flagship state school, the University of Maryland at College Park. Federal Grants from ARPA-E in the Department of Energy ensure that we give our warfighters made-in-America technology, which prevents adversaries from undercutting our national security capabilities,” Ivey explained.

The congressman also explained that such developments can help prevent and combat child and slave labor.

“This technology also helps to stop the use of child and slave labor across the world in the mining of nickel and cobalt which are the predominant components of old portable battery technology,” Ivey continued. “I commend ION in their innovation and look forward to more jobs generated and more green advances right here in the heart of my congressional district.” WI

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

5 Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Glenn Ivey with the team at the newly-built Ion Software solid state battery production plant in Beltsville, Maryland. (Courtesy Photo/Congressman Glenn Ivey)

BUSINESS

By James Wright / WI Staff Writer

D.C. RESIDENTS LAUNCH TEQUILA BRAND

Three District residents recently announced the launch of Vascano Tequila, which offers a unique and multifunctional spirit that embodies the intersectional identities of its founders, Vernon Leftwich, Adanna Mbanugo, and Samantha Johnson.

The founders identify as African American, queer and in the case of Mbanugo and Johnson, female.

In addition to making money, the goal of the business is to redefine the spirits industry with Vascano’s commitment to community, diversity and celebration. The three co-owners are longtime friends who share a love of tequila and wanted to try a venture in that space.

“Tequila is our common ground—it’s the ‘yes’ that brings us together,” said Leftwich, who

briefs

serves as the business manager. “We wanted to create something that not only celebrated our diverse backgrounds but also brought people together in harmony.”

Leftwich said the brand’s logo is inspired by the West African symbol Akoma Ntoso, meaning “Linked Hearts,” and reflects their vision of unity and understanding within communities.

The co-owners had a previous business venture—Cultural Claw—that served as a nationwide bar crawl that fostered the combination of food service and street art as a testament to community building.

“We always believed in the power of bringing people together,” said Mbanugo, Content and Events manager for Vascano Tequila. “With Vascano, we’re continuing that mission by offering a product that not only tastes great but also represents our values.”

5

Samantha

Leftwich, 32, is a graduate of the District’s McKinley Tech High School and Florida A&M University. Johnson, 33, is also a graduate of McKinley Tech. Mbango, 32, is a graduate of Elizabeth Seton

High School and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Vascano Tequila participated in the pre-accelerator program sponsored by Distill Ventures through spirits global giant Diageo. Distill currently on view: Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place a special installation & guided tour

Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome Tuesday - Sunday Tickets at www.tudorplace.org

Events DC Tourism and Large Events Grant Program Request for Proposals (RFP)

BONFIRE BID# 24-S-995-044

The Washington Events and Sports Authority t/a Events DC is seeking proposals from qualified organizations for its fiscal year 2024 Tourism and Large Events Grant Program.

Interested parties can view a copy of the RFP by accessing Events DC’s e-procurement website at https://eventsdc. Bonfire hub.com.

Key Dates

RFP Release Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Pre-Response Information Sessions: Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 10:00 AM EDT (in-person) Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 6:00 PM EDT (virtual)

Questions must be received by: Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 11:59 PM EDT

RFP Proposals Due: Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 11:59 PM EDT

Grant Award Announcement: Monday, July 1, 2024

Primary Contact:

Name: Gerald Green

Email: ggreen@eventsdc.com / Phone: 202-249-3028

Ventures, the world's first independent drinks accelerator devoted to building and scaling future drink brands, has invested in Vascano Tequila as a part of its commitment to supporting entrepreneurs in historically disadvantaged communities.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Distill Ventures and Diageo,” said Johnson, marketing and creative director of Vascano Tequila. “Their support has allowed us to turn our vision into reality and share Vascano Tequila with the world.”

The tequila is available on Vascano’s website and there are plans to sell the product in select stores in the District and Maryland. WI

CONGRESSMEN

INTRODUCE HEIRS PROPERTY ACT, BILL TO HELP BLACK FARMERS

U.S. Reps. Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-Georgia) and Don Davis (D-North Carolina), members of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture, recently introduced The Heirs Education and Investment to Resolve Succession (HEIRS) of Property Act.

The bill would help families by providing legal services that help them resolve heirs’ property issues, which could take months or years, so that they can start using their land for agriculture production.

“In order to make sure America continues to produce the highest quality, most affordable food and fiber, we have to support the family farmers who are the backbone of our agriculture industry,” said Bishop. “When there is no clear title of land ownership, it makes farmland vulnerable to predatory land speculators, which has cost families—and our country—millions of acres of lost farmland over the last century. It affects all agricultural producers but has hit Black farmers particularly hard. This bill will make sure that there are community resources available to families to help them navigate heirs’ property legal issues so they can keep family land in agriculture from generation to generation.”

Davis said, “the HEIRS Property Act makes it easier for local non-profit organizations, who provide the necessary legal expertise,

BUSINESS Page 15

Adanna Mbanugo,

Johnson, and Vernon Leftwich are the co-owners of Vascano Tequila in the District. (Courtesy Photo/Vascano Tequila)

to connect and work with heirs in their fight to bring the land back to agriculture use.”

The HEIRS Property Act would amend existing law to direct the U.S. Agriculture Secretary to work with nonprofit organizations to provide pro bono legal or accounting services in resolving ownership and succession of farmland for underserved limited resource or socially disadvantaged heirs. WI

TRADE MISSION TO SOUTH KOREA SEEKS TO FOSTER ECONOMIC COLLABORATION

The Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (PGCEDC) is organizing a trade mission to foster economic collaboration and explore business opportunities in South Korea,

focusing on Cheonan City and Seoul.

The initiative seeks to strengthen ties between the county and its South Korean counterparts.

This is one of many efforts by PGCEDC to build relationships with international communities.

Recently, PGCEDC and the City of Bowie teamed up to welcome a delegation of government officials and business leaders from Senegal to learn about local government and business opportunities.

On May 14, the PGCEDC is hosting an Informational Session leading up to the trade mission at Innovation Station Business Incubator in Largo, Maryland from 4-6 p.m.

The session will provide details on the trip which is scheduled from Sept. 21- 29.

For more information, call 301583-4650.

WI

@JamesWrightJr10

5Recently, the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (PGCEDC) and the City of Bowie teamed up to welcome a delegation of government officials and business leaders from Senegal to learn about local government and business opportunities. (Courtesy Photo/ PGCEDC, Facebook)

Soliciting Comments

The District Dept. of Transportation and Ward 8 non-profit Building Bridges Across the River are proposing to construct the 11th Street Bridge Park, a new community driven civic space that would utilize existing foundations in the Anacostia River adjacent to the 11th Street Bridges. The Bridge Park will be constructed with equal navigational clearances and the piers will align with the existing 11th Street Bridges. The U.S. Coast Guard is soliciting comments on the proposal. A copy of Public Notice D05PN-05-2024, which describes the proposal in detail, can be obtained by calling (571) 607-3770 or by viewing at https://www.navcen.uscg. gov/public-notices-for-bridges-active-by-district?district=5&subdistrict=n. Comments should be forwarded to the address in the notice no later than May 15, 2024

Mother’s Day is Coming!

By Aimee D. Griffin, Esq.

As an estate planning attorney, I have the privilege of supporting moms who are caring for their children. Irrespective of the ages of our children, we care. Ideally, we plan so that we can be a blessing during our lifetime as well as after we are no longer physically here, we have planted values and valuables to build up our heirs’ future. While we are anxious when our children are minors to nominate who will raise them if we are unable, we are also anxious about being able to support our children as they raise their children and our ability to serve as grandchildren. As mothers the responsibility of caring doesn’t end.

Caring for our mothers is another reality that many adults face. We know that we have a commandment to “honor or mother”. It is not easy to know what to do or how to manage. As your parents age we often see a decline in capacity. There is a challenge between the natural pace of aging and the concerns that aging is advancing in such a way that our loved one is not able to care for themselves sufficiently. The progression is sometimes slow and the supports that are necessary are introduced in time. However, there are times when an accident or an illness creates a need that is a stark life change.

The change in ability often results in the change of roles between a parent and the child. Through the services we provide, we come into the family dynamics when the roles are being restructured. Many parents are struggling with the feeling that their child or children are now providing rules that feel as if the parent’s independence is being threatened. Many parents struggle with the “new normal”. There are many older adults who are experiencing depression because of the changes that they are experiencing. One of the words of advice that we provide as an office is to be proactive in planning. We all want to be able to mandate and plan how we want to live our lives. We don’t have the control that we would like. All adults should have in place the legal authorizations necessary for someone to support us in our incapacity. This would include a power of attorney for financial matters as well as a power of attorney for health care decisions. The ability to name trusted people who understand your values and your goals is an important consideration to have peace of mind.

The legal challenges that are created with inadequate planning can be quite daunting. Without power of attorney for financial and/or healthcare decision making, if someone was unable to make decisions for him or herself then a legal guardianship proceeding would be required. Any requirement for the court to be involved with life decisions is challenging and cumbersome. It relies on people that do not have personal relationships to make decisions. That is very intrusive. However, there is no choice when there is no planning.

Mother’s Day is reminder to think through relationships that we have and hold dear. It doesn’t matter if the people that we care about are family members through legal or biological relationships or simply related by love. Think about the way in which we can support the health and well-being of your family. Take precautionary measures to show your loved ones that you care whether you are the parent or loving your parents.

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq.,

The Griffin Firm, PLLC https://www.lifeandlegacy.law/ (855) 574-8481 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW Suite 440 Washington DC 20015 1401 Mercantile Lane, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1010 Arlington VA 22201

President Biden honors Black leaders with Presidential Medal of Freedom NATIONAL

By Stacy M. Brown and Ashleigh Fields WI Senior Writer and WI Contributing Writer

Today, Black Americans, who spent their lives working toward justice for all, will climb the ranks of history.

On Friday, May 3, in the White House East Room, where the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed, President Joe Biden will highlight the work of Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC); Juneteenth advocate Opal Lee the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech writer Clarence B. Jones; and the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi, Medgar Evers, who was brutally murdered at his home.

Clyburn has a storied career in politics where he has ushered in new policies like the Affordable Connectivity Program which ignited rural broad-

band and access to internet for millions. He’s uplifted efforts toward the long ranging preservation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as a graduate of South Carolina State University and has afforded many students the opportunity to engage in the job boom for clean energy through the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

“Words cannot express the profound honor and gratitude I feel upon receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This recognition is not only a testament to my work, but also to the countless individuals who have supported my journey; the giants who fought alongside me for justice, equity, and the pursuit of progress; and the support of my loving family,” said Rep. Clyburn.

When elected, he became South Carolina’s first Black congressman

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA)

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE  PROPOSED POLICY CHANGE TO 2024 ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN  AND ADMISSIONS AND CONTINUED OCCUPANCY POLICY

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is providing notice of a Public Hearing and Comment Period to solicit comments on the agency’s proposed policy change to its 2024 Administrative Plan and Admissions and Occupancy Policy (ACOP).

To request a copy of the proposed Administrative Plan or ACOP changes, please call 771-240-4377, send an email to publiccomments@dchousing.org, or download from the DCHA website at www.dchousing.org/AdminPlan.

The Public Hearing will take place online at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21. To join the live event, please visit https://www.dchousing.org/PublicHearing at that date and time, and when prompted enter 2316 709 3926 and webinar password tdPvMefh957. This event will also be live streamed at DC Housing Authority’s Facebook page.

Comments

Written comments regarding the proposed policy change to its 2024 Administrative Plan and ACOP will be accepted through 11:59 p.m., Saturday, June 3.

since George W. Murray in 1893. The election came after he experienced the 1969 Charleston Hospital strike addressing the inequity of Black healthcare workers and the wake of the Orangeburg massacre, where police killed three protesting students at South Carolina State. As he receives this recognition he graciously looks back on a life geared towards political reform and a calling to fight injustice.

I have learned that we all have roles to play in making the greatness of this democracy accessible for everyone,” he explained. “I look forward to continuing my efforts to bend the arc of histo-

ry towards justice and proving myself worthy of this incredible honor.”

CELEBRATING OPAL LEE

Lee, like Clyburn, has spent a long time fighting for justice and contends that the work toward shaping a better nation isn’t done. At 97 years old, Lee is just now seeing the fruits of her labor come into fruition. For years, she walked door to door in Fort Worth, Texas promoting the importance of Juneteenth, a day of remembrance for the formerly enslaved.

Email your comments to publiccomments@dchousing.org.    Alternatively, you can mail comments to:

District of Columbia Housing Authority  Office of the General Counsel  Attn: General Counsel  300 7th Street, SW, 10th Floor Washington, DC 20024

Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation

DCHA strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. It is the policy of DCHA that all agency-sponsored public meetings and events are accessible to people with disabilities. DCHA is committed to providing equal access to events for all participants & residents with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, or assistance in participating in a meeting or event due to a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact our ADA/504 Program Office at 202-535-1000 or at ADA504@dchousing.org with your complete request. Every reasonable effort will be made to meet your request.

If you need a sign language interpreter or foreign language interpretation or translation, please contact our Office of Customer Engagement at 202-535-1000 or go to www.dchousing.org/language. Please allow at least 5 business days to make the necessary arrangements.

Annually, Lee took the 2.5 mile walk to represent the 2.5 years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach cities in Texas. At 89, she conducted a four month symbolic walk from Fort Worth, to Washington, D.C. hoping to plead her case for a federal holiday to former president Barack Obama. However, her life’s mission would be fulfilled exactly four years later in 2021 when President Biden signed a formal bill instating a day of reminisce nationwide.

The continuous toil of yearly celebrations as community informant earned Lee the affectionate title, “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”

JONES COLLABORATES AND ENCOURAGES

An attorney, Jones has been a peaceful partner of legends with a stoic semblance of a battle not long forgotten. King once described him as, “a man of sound judgment, deep insights, great dedication and great integrity,” after he was admitted to the New York bar.

The two knew each other well and advised each other often. Jones represented King during his 1960 tax fraud trial that he eventually overcame and they worked closely as advocates of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

In 1962, Jones inspired King to make a statement to John F. Kennedy in lieu of the Cuban Missile Crisis, writing that his "status as a leader requires that you not be silent about an event and issues so decisive to the world."

One year later, Jones would influence King’s impactful words again as a draft writer of the 1968, “I Have a Dream Speech” during the March on Washington.

Decades have gone by with Jones uplifting and educating the next generation at delivering speeches at college campuses, and local non-profit entities.

REMEMBERING MEDGAR EVERS

The White House described one of the three posthumous recipients of the presidential medal of freedom, Evers, as someone who, “fought for his country in World War II and returned home to lead the fight against segregation in Mississippi.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

WI

5U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, House Majority Whip, South Carolina - 6th Congressional District, who was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 3, speaks at an event in Bowie State in 2022. (WI File Photo)

Biden Hails 175,000 New Jobs, Urges Continued Economic Resilience

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

In April, employers in the United States added 175,000 jobs, signaling a slower but steady pace of labor market growth.

According to the latest Labor Department report, this is the 27th consecutive month the unemployment rate has remained below 4%.

The slight uptick in the unemployment rate to 3.9% contrasts with previous periods of low unemployment. Notably, the rate has been sustained at historically low levels, comparable to those recorded during low-unemployment periods between 1967 and 1970 and 1951 and 1953.

Following a robust start to the year, April’s job growth represents a cooldown, with the smallest increase in half a year. Average hourly wage growth also moderated to $34.75, up 3.9% from the previous year. Despite this, wages have consistently outpaced inflation since May of the prior year,

marking a significant shift after years of lagging behind.

“The great American comeback continues,” stated President Joe Biden in response to the data while emphasizing the creation of over 15 million jobs since he took office. “When I took office, I inherited an economy on the brink, with the worst economic crisis in a century… Now we are seeing that plan in action, with well over 15 million jobs created since I took office, working-age women employed at a record high rate, wages rising faster than prices, and unemployment below 4% for a record 27 months in a row.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries echoed Biden’s sentiments and highlighted the positive trends in the job market.

“The April Jobs Report showed another month of consistent job creation by the Biden-Harris administration,” Jeffries stated. “Wages are up, unemployment remains near historic lows, and the American economy is con-

tinuing to grow at a steady pace.”

Both leaders acknowledged the ongoing work required to ensure widespread economic prosperity, contrasting their approach with that of congressional Republicans.

“While House Democrats are working to build on this economic progress, House Republicans are continuing to push Donald Trump’s extreme MAGA agenda to benefit the wealthy, well-off, and well-connected,” Jeffries asserted.

The healthcare and social assistance sectors saw the most substantial job growth, reflecting ongoing demand for services in the post-pandemic economy. Health care added 56,000 jobs, with notable gains in ambulatory health services, hospitals, and nursing and residential care facilities. Social assistance, including social work and counseling, also experienced an increase of 23,000 jobs.

Biden said the April job report provides insight into the “resilience of the American economy.” WI

Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase

How to Start or Set Up Your Small Business for Success

For many, owning a business is a symbol of the American dream. It can be exciting to imagine becoming your own boss, working for yourself and offering employment to others – all helping build financial security for your family and community.

Building a successful business requires a solid plan and lots of help along the way, however, and many budding entrepreneurs soon discover that having a great idea is just the beginning of their small business journey.

Mikal Quarles, head of community business strategies for Chase Business Banking, shares tips for setting up a small business, what to do, what not to do, and what to watch out for when starting your entrepreneurship journey.

1. Before even starting your small business, what are the top considerations for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Entrepreneurs run the gamut from someone with a side gig, to someone jumping into the deep end with a business acquisition. Here are a few things that I feel apply to any entrepreneur:

• Passion does not convert to currency but value does. Make sure to confirm there is a demand for what you are interested in doing and a need that hasn’t been met.

• Everyone doesn’t want to be a CEO. Some entrepreneurs like the freedom of being paid for services rendered. We need to create different swim lanes so business owners understand their journey and how to create milestones along the way.

• Your credit is the business’ credit. There is no other place else to look to gain understanding on how business responsibilities will be managed.

• There is so much support out there, don’t take this journey by yourself. Join an industry association, chamber or other resource group. Connect with others hav-

Chicago to Los Angeles I couldn’t get to my mailbox without turning on my GPS. Just think of your business plan as your GPS.

3. What are some pitfalls for entrepreneurs and small business owners to avoid when starting their business?

ing similar challenges and remember that “Iron Sharpens Iron.”

2. Where should entrepreneurs begin to make their small business idea a reality?

Deciding to start a small business can be an exciting time. Aspiring entrepreneurs should set themselves up for success by having a solid plan before taking the leap. A good business plan proves your idea is viable and helps you set important goals that reduce risks and avoid potential pitfalls. Here are some questions you should ask yourself before you get started:

• Why do I want to start this business? What’s my reasoning or inspiration?

• How does my business stand out from the competition?

• What is my unique value proposition?

• Who are my target customers? How can I reach them?

• Who is already on my management team? What gaps do I need to fill?

• How can my business make a profit? How soon will it break even? When I moved my family from

There are many pitfalls that entrepreneurs can get caught in when starting a business. The most common reasons businesses fail are due to lack of capital, lack of market impact or need, unresearched pricing (too high or low), explosive growth that drains your capital and stiff competition.

To avoid these, you should have a plan to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and a team of trusted advisors to provide expertise. All business owners should have a CPA/bookkeeper, attorney, insurance broker and a business banker they can rely on. Lastly, pivot when you see the markets have changed.

4. How can small businesses prepare for future growth?

We have talked a lot about planning but the best way to prepare for future growth is to plan for it. Growth can happen organically, through strategic partnerships or acquisitions, or through increased marketing efforts but usually doesn’t happen by accident. You have to be intentional about your growth plans for your business and take the steps to set you and your business up properly for success. Part of planning for growth is securing the capital you need to fuel the growth when you are ready. Often that means securing financing when you don’t need it so you have access to it when

you do. But don’t forget the most critical aspect of growth…your people. Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you and trust that as you expand they will prove it!

5. What are some of the resources available to help support aspiring and current small business owners with their business needs?

There are a lot of resources – both in person and online – a business owner can tap into to help them understand trends and to see around corners. For example, business owners can head to Chase.com/Business to see a range of free articles, courses and tools that gear business owners with everything they need to help start, run and grow their busi-

ness. I also lead a consulting program for entrepreneurs, where business owners can receive oneon-one coaching from an experienced senior business consultant. We now offer the program in 21 U.S. cities and have mentored over 5,000 minority business owners since 2021. Launching your business can be the first step toward a bright financial future, but all entrepreneurs need a great team and a great plan to make that success possible.

If you’re hoping to start your own business, start planning today, and don’t hesitate to reach out to your local financial institution to get the help you need to make it happen.

5Mikal Quarles, Head of Community Business Strategies for Chase Business Banking

We’re proud to support the people, businesses and neighborhoods of Greater D.C. for over 50 years. Together, we’re creating a stronger, more inclusive economy for generations to come.

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

5Minister of Infrastructure Jimmy Gasore speaks during the signing ceremony as Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for Roads and Transport takes notes. (Courtesy Photo)

BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Rwanda, Kenya Agree to Extend Railway Network

Rwanda has agreed to partner with Kenya alongside Uganda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to extend the railway network. This was announced following the signing of a joint communique on Friday, May 3, The New Times, Rwanda’s largest daily newspaper, reported the following day.

The move will see the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extend from Kenya before being developed all through to Uganda and eventually to Rwanda.

As part of the working framework, the five countries will also be seeking to source funds for the development of the vast SGR line.

“This historic move seeks to enable joint resource mobilization, expedite the completion of the construction of the remaining SGR sections from Naivasha in Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and DRC, and develop a roadmap that will fast-track its implementation,” Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for Roads and Transport, said in an X (formerly known as Twitter) post.

The communique to extend the SGR was signed by ministers of transport and infrastructure at the Meetings of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) in Nairobi, Kenya.

The NCIP is a multilateral development initiative established in 2013 to speed up growth in the region through improvement of infrastructure for ease of movement of people, goods and services.

“The meeting, further, sought to harmonize the planning and development of inland water transport infrastructure in order to provide seamless multimodal transport services and speed up the review of the Tripartite Agreement on water transport on Lake Victoria,” Murkomen noted.

As per the signed agreement, the five countries will finalize the contracts by the end of this month.

“As a country, we seek to leverage private sector partnerships in the extension of our SGR line in an effort to, not only ensure seamless cross-border movement of goods and people, but also create special economic zones along the corridor that will transform areas with stop stations into economic hubs,” he said. WI

5Troops representing some 36 participating nations march during the parade to mark the opening of the 39th staging of Exercise TradeWinds. (Courtesy Photo/Shanna More)

With the participation of more than 1200 troops from 36 different nations, Exercise TradeWinds 2024 (EXTW24) officially kicked off in Barbados on Saturday, May 4, marking its 39th year, Barbados Today reported on May 5.

The annual military exercise is being hosted by the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) and the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) with an aim to enhance interoperability and readiness among allied forces, an immediate goal of ensuring security for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

During the opening ceremony, held at the Paragon Base in Christ Church, BDF’s Chief of Staff, Commodore Errington Shurland spoke on the dual focus of EXTW24.

“Exercise TradeWinds is a clear demonstration of enhanced cooperation and readiness among partner nations in safeguarding the Caribbean region against evolving threats,” he said. “Indeed, the value of Exercise TradeWinds has been realized time and time again and this year’s exercise is particularly timely in assisting us in our preparation for the hosting of the International Cricket Council T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup.”

Shurland reiterated the importance of the exercise in bolstering the region’s capacity to manage and respond effectively to any threats that may arise during such large-scale international events and encouraged participants to make the most of their training experience.

SOUTHCOM’s Director of Exercises and Coalition Affairs Kevin Bostick also motivated soldiers to maximize their involvement in EXTW24 by returning to their respective countries of service and teaching their teammates what they’ve learned. WI

Live Boldly - May 2024 Message from Department of Aging and Community Living

Dear Seniors,

Happy Older Americans Month! May is a special time dedicated to honoring the invaluable contributions our cherished seniors have made to the vibrant fabric of our District community. It is a moment to reflect on the journey of aging, embrace achievements, and acknowledge the unique challenges life may bring.

This year’s theme, "Powered by Connection," shines a spotlight on the profound impact of meaningful relationships and social bonds on our overall well-being. We recognize the vital role that connectedness plays in fostering independence and ensuring a comfortable aging experience for all older adults,

combatting feelings of isolation and loneliness.

At DACL, our daily mission revolves around ensuring that every member of our community can age with extreme pride and comfort in familiar surroundings. "Powered by Connection" is not just the theme for Older American’s Month this year; it is truly ingrained in our daily commitment to serve you Through genuine connection, we strive to enhance your experience of our programs and services, ensuring that every day is a testament to our dedication to what matters most to you.

We remain steadfast in our reach to DC’s seniors through various channels, be it in person, virtually, or through social media, but it does not have to stop there. We invite you also to utilize the DACL mobile application (app). This app offers our seniors direct access to our services and programming, providing a convenient platform for you to reach out to us whenever you need assistance. Simply go to your mobile device’s app store and type in DACL. Once our app appears, select download to access a free and user-friendly tool that will keep you connected to DACL anytime, anywhere.

While we celebrate our seniors every day, this month holds special significance as we intensify our efforts to recognize and appreciate the Older Americans in the District. Collaborating with our lead agencies and senior wellness centers, we have created a diverse calendar of events that includes activities from fashion shows to technology classes. We look forward to you joining us! If you have any questions about Older Americans

Month, please feel free to give us a call at 202-724-5626.

As this exciting month concludes, I invite you to Mayor Bowser’s Annual “Senior Fest,” a joyous occasion hosted in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation. Join us for a day of exciting entertainment, health resources, delicious food, and more. This year’s “Senior Fest” will be held at the University of the District of Columbia (4200 Connecticut Ave. NW), on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, from 10:00 am- 3:00 pm.

We look forward to your presence at the festivities throughout Older Americans Month! Use this month as a time for you to revel in your accomplishments and embrace the journey of aging with boldness and grace. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Warmest regards,

Charon P.W. Hines Director, DACL

While we celebrate our seniors every day, this month holds special significance as we intensify our efforts to recognize and appreciate the Older Americans in the District.

Collaborating with our lead agencies and senior wellness centers, we have created a diverse calendar of events that includes activities from fashion shows to technology classes.

DIRECTOR

CHARON P.W. HINES

HEALTH

Black Amputation Rates are High, Knowing Your Risk Can Lower It

By Jennifer Porter Gore Word In Black

This article was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation's leading Black news publishers (of which The Washington Informer is a member).

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common cardiovascular dis-

ease that leads to some 400 amputations performed each day in the United States. It is a serious medical condition, prevalent in the Black community, that can also lead to stroke, heart attacks and, in some cases, death.

Yet a recent survey has found that while millions of Americans have cardiovascular disease or diabetes, very few are aware of peripheral artery disease, and even

5 People with high blood pressure, as well as diabetics and former smokers, are all at risk for peripheral artery disease, a vascular disorder that often leads to amputation. (Courtesy Photo/ ProStock Studios-Getty Images, Word in Black)

fewer have ever had a discussion about it with a medical professional.

FREE GROCERIES FOR DC SENIORS!

PAD causes blockage in the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs and affects more than 12 million Americans. Leading risk factors for PAD are the common chronic health conditions that disproportionately impact underserved communities.

“These new insights are particularly concerning among those most at risk and come at a time when a staggering 1 in 20 Americans over 50 years of age experience PAD,” said Dr. George D. Dangas, president of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions, and a professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

The PAD Pulse Alliance Survey, which came out in February, polled 2,000 Americans to learn about their level of awareness of disease symptoms, risk factors, and overall doctor-patient communications around PAD.

The facts tell the story.

• Nearly 70% of Americans are not familiar with PAD and its risks.

• Nearly all of the survey respondents (91%) would dismiss limb pain as just part of getting older. But leg pain when walking that stops with rest is one of the first symptoms of PAD.

• Over half (53%) of respondents would wait more than a week with ongoing leg pain before calling their doctor.

• Nearly eight in 10 Black and Hispanic patients never had a doctor or healthcare provider talk with them about PAD.

• Despite 71% of Black adults having one or more risk factors for PAD or knowing someone with one or more risk factors, 65% report they are at little to no risk at all for developing PAD.

• Three-quarters of Hispanic adults have one or more risk factors for PAD or know someone with one or more risk factors but 70% think they are not at risk for developing PAD.

The top three risk factors for PAD are diabetes, high blood pressure, and use of tobacco products — health risks that occur in the Black community at disproportionately high rates compared to their white counterparts

“We believe that exposure to more distressed circumstances and more access-to-care barriers increases your risk of getting the disease and also getting detected later for the disease,” says Dr. Kim G. Smolderen, an associate professor of medicine and psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. “There is a lot of unawareness that is still happening not only in the general public, but also in the medical community that needs to be addressed.”

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

WI

EARTH OUR Mothering with Mother Earth

By Kayla Benjamin WI Climate & Environment Reporter

Some of my most treasured memories with my mom have taken place in nature, from family trips to the beach to sledding in the backyard. Outdoor spaces provide opportunities for connection and learning; for joy and reflection; for awe and peace.

This Mother’s Day, I’m feeling especially grateful to my mom—who loves to hike and takes beautiful nature photos—for instilling in me a deep love for the natural world.

Our planet feeds, clothes, shelters and calms us; no wonder we so often think of it as “Mother Earth.” Join us in celebrating moms and Mother Nature in the DMV with this collection of photos pulled from community submissions, previous Washington Informer reporting and Belonging: The Black Americans in Nature Photography Project. WI

5 Kailasa Aqeel and her daughter Saa Joy, at Common Good City Farm for a community event and fall festival. (Courtesy Photo)

5 Alfie Chambers and Matilda Machioli-Chambers at Soldiers Delight in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Benjamin Israel/Taking Nature Black & U.S. Forest Service, Belonging Project)

5 Elaine Tutman and Fred Tutman at Jones Farm, a piece of land that the family has owned since 1925 and passed down through four generations of mothers and daughters. (Myron Fields/Taking Nature Black & U.S. Forest Service, Belonging Project)

5 Lora Nunn with her two children, Faris (left) and King during a riverboat tour with the Anacostia Watershed Society May 2. (Courtesy Photo)& U.S. Forest Service, Belonging Project)

5 As part of a river cleanup guided by Living Classrooms, Sheree Pendleton paddles along the Potomac with children Olivia Grace and Hannah Bell during a family day at Kingman and Heritage Islands October 2023. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

EDUCATION

DMV Students Grow Native Plant Gardens in New “Wild Visions” Contest

By Kayla Benjamin WI Climate & Environment Reporter

Déja Daniel had never planted a garden before. Then, just a few days before Earth Day last month, the Howard University senior found herself helping to situate 150 native plants in the ground on a single afternoon.

“I was just like, ‘oh my gosh, I don't know what I'm getting into,’” Daniel said. “But it really inspired me to want to plant my own garden when I have my own family and my own home.”

The new native plant garden in Marvin Gaye Greening Center came to fruition because Daniel, as president of Howard service organization Revolt, Inc., had signed the group up for the first-ever Wild Visions Habitat Creation Challenge. Hosted by Garden for Wildlife, a company spun off from the National Wildlife Federation, the contest provided 11 DMV-area student groups with free native plants with which to create gardens across the region.

“Every single one of these gar-

dens provides habitat to pollinators—to birds, to bees—but also to humans who really, really deeply need to be in connection with nature,” said Rosalie Bull, Garden for Wildlife’s campus engagement lead and the main coordinator for the Wild Visions initiative.

Garden for Wildlife sells native plants, and donates a plant to a community project for each one sold. As recipients of these donations, student groups from the University of Maryland and Howard, Georgetown, American, Catholic, George Washington and Gallaudet universities planted 10 gardens, totaling more than 5,000 square feet. The plantings took place over the last two weeks of April, culminating with an awards ceremony called “The Plantys.”

PEOPLE-SCALE SOLUTIONS FOR PLANETARY PROBLEMS

Native plants play a huge role in addressing the crisis of biodiversity loss facing our planet:

they provide badly needed food and homes for animal species that have seen their populations decimated as a result of climate change, pollution and human development of natural habitats. They also require less water to grow than other plants and don’t need chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

In North America alone, we’ve lost about 3 billion songbirds. Pollinator species, like honey bees and butterflies, have also experienced sharp declines—a trend that threatens agriculture and food systems. Animals provide around 80% of all the pollination needed for crops grown worldwide.

Even in urban environments, humans can benefit from functioning ecosystems. More spiders, for example, means fewer mosquitos.

“We've heard people who hear ‘wildlife’ and think [of] rats or cockroaches, and I would say, rats and cockroaches are the things that have adapted to the world that we've created: the world of concrete and trash and air pollution,” Bull said.

She said there’s no way to eliminate such insects, which “can survive nuclear warfare,” but emphasized that there are ways humans can help make the world more

Even in urban environments, humans can benefit from functioning ecosystems. More spiders, for example, means fewer mosquitos.

welcoming to other creatures.

“If we make the world more habitable to insects and spiders and bunnies and wolves and foxes and birds, and all the things that deserve to share the world with us, we will have a functioning ecosystem with the kind of checks and balances that make annoying creatures less populous.”

Bull hopes to run the Wild Visions contest annually, and potentially grow to other metro areas. She sees the program as an opportunity to cultivate not just plants

but also “eco-agency,” or a sense that individuals and groups can respond to environmental crises in ways that make a difference. Individuals can plant native species “yard by yard,” she said, and research has shown that adding more native vegetation is a powerful strategy for preventing further species loss.

“Our skies are quieter; there's less living things around us,” Bull said. “We actually have to take action now to keep a future where we have biodiversity. But this doesn't have to be a sad or terrifying thing: it's really an invitation for us to get excited and creative and collective about the way that we go about Earth care.”

THE ENVIRONMENT IS WHERE WE LIVE, TOO

Daniel said that while she, Bull and fellow HU Revolt member Faith Shepherd were planting the garden, a neighbor spotted them working at the Marvin Gaye Greening Center and joined in the effort.

“She decided to come and volunteer because she had mentioned how she's always taking from the garden, because they

WILD VISIONS Page 25

5A butterfly lands on some goldenrod, one of the flowers native to the D.C. area that DMV student groups planted as part of the first Wild Visions Habitat Creation Challenge hosted by Garden for Wildlife. (Courtesy Photo/Trisha Singh, Garden for Wildlife)

also have a farmers market every weekend,” Daniel recalled. “And so she was like, ‘It's time for me to actually grow something in the garden.’”

Getting to work with a resident of the neighborhood was “an amazing full circle moment,” Daniel said, and it represented why she wanted to create the “Resilient Roots Garden.”

Several other student groups had planted their gardens on campus, but Garden for Wildlife had also identified some other locations and community organizations interested in partnering on the project. In addition to allowing the group to avoid going through Howard’s administration (the university recently dismantled its student-run community garden on campus), Daniel said bringing the donated plants to grow at the Greening Center allowed HU Revolt to pursue its

mission of serving Black communities throughout the District.

“I was just thinking, ‘Yes, this is a great partnership,’ because [the Greening Center] has a need, and we can fulfill it through our organization,” she said.

Researchers have repeatedly found that connection to nature and exposure to green space is associated with public health benefits, including reduced crime rates, lower blood pressure and decreased illness and mortality generally. Publicly accessible gardens create spaces for people to connect with the land and with other people.

“There's a way to deal with the planetary crisis, the biodiversity crisis, that creates fear and isolation and inaction,” Bull said.

“And then there is a way to greet it as an invitation to creativity and to community care. And we really tried in Wild Visions to make it the latter.” WI

5Howard students Déja Daniel (left) and Faith Shepherd, during planting day for “Revolt’s Resilient Roots Garden” at Marvin Gaye Greening Center April 20. (Courtesy Photo, Garden for Wildlife)

As Primary Elections Begin in the DMV, Voters are Encouraged to First Do Their Homework

The election cycle is now in full swing, with primary elections for Maryland, the District and Virginia scheduled, on Tuesdays, May 14, June 4, and June 18, respectively. Anyone 18 or older should be registered to vote and besides voting on primary election day, there are several other ways to cast your ballot with either in-person early voting or mail-in voting. Deadlines vary depending on where you’re registered. However, before you vote – and we certainly hope that you are committed to doing just that – we strongly encourage readers to be proactive and do your homework.

That’s right, you have homework pending, particularly if you intend to make informed choices when you fill out your ballot.

In recent weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in election advertisements on television, in print or online media and on the radio.

Smiling faces of everyday people are now bombarding Smart TV screens, sharing personal testimonies about the candidate of their choice that include reasons why you too should get on board. The goal is to convince undecided voters to believe what they see and hear.

For other voters, it’s not adver-

tisements on which they rely for information about the candidates or issues but the numbers as reported in polls. Some voters simply follow the crowd, so whoever’s leading becomes the person they support. Alternatively, some voters prefer to support the underdog and give their vote to him or her. However, because we’re not told who was polled, one never knows if they’re jumping on a bandwagon that will ultimately be in their best interest or not.

Finally, there are voters who rely on public endorsements which come from their favorite people, especially celebrities or athletes, from

As Campus Protests Against War in Gaza Increase, Care Must be Taken to Avoid Kent State Massacre

College campuses across America have become highly polarized hotbeds as students protest the war in Gaza. But historically this is nothing new in our nation’s history.

Fortunately, recent events have yet to escalate to the scale of major student protests that were recorded during the late 1960s and early 1970s against the Vietnam War or the 1980s against South African apartheid. But allowing these protests to become fodder for politicians hoping to secure a foothold in the upcoming elections, or moving to bring police onto college campuses too soon or with unreasonable force could turn today’s protests into mirror images of past tragedies.

The Kent State Massacre, when National Guard soldiers took aim at students on May 4, 1970, immediately comes to mind. The shootings took place during a rally as students voiced their opposition to America expanding its involvement in Vietnam. In just 13 seconds, 28 soldiers fired off nearly 70 rounds, killing four and wounding nine other students.

In the end, over 4 million students engaged in peaceful, organized walkouts at hundreds of colleges, universities and high schools. In a subsequent trial against several of the Kent State shooters who were accused and later acquitted of depriving students of their civil rights, the judge– in accessing the actions taken by the National Guard– said: “such use of force is, and was, deplorable.”

College campuses have long served as breeding grounds for student activism during which young adults exercised their rights of free speech with peaceful protests. Most recent examples have included mass protests against the Iraq War and following the murder of George Floyd, as well as the student participants that were part of the Occupy Wall Street movement – mostly limited to off-campus actions.

So far, given the reported skirmishes that have erupted between students on both sides of the aisle, and even with local police being called in to break up on campus tent encampments and to arrest students who refuse to comply with orders from various college administrations, the protests have remained mostly peaceful.

But this could change if the number of participants multiplies too quickly or if the participation of insurgents – those who are professional protesters unaffiliated with the universities where demonstrations are occurring – are allowed to overshadow the peaceful actions of students and possibly influence their decisions.

Just days ago, at Columbia University, protesters were removed and arrested by police after youth took over a building with some of the students now facing expulsion, forcing the institution to cancel its large commencement ceremony to be replaced with smaller ones.

Meanwhile, and on a more pos-

well-respected media outlets, from high profile organizations and businesses – even from current or former politicians.

But there’s still a problem. In each of the methods we’ve mentioned above, there’s still little or no evidence of voters doing their homework. What do you know about the candidates? What are the essential elements of their campaign? If they’re running for reelection, how have they voted on issues that matter to you in the past? And finally, rhetoric aside, who do you trust and believe in the most?

Every American has “skin in the game.” And given the sacrifices made by men and women dating back to at least the Civil War, there’s just no excuse for not voting.

When Congress passed the 19th amendment on June 4, 1919, and ratified it on Aug. 18, 1920, women were finally granted the right to vote in America.

itive note, the University of Michigan successfully held its massive graduation ceremonies at Michigan Stadium, despite disturbances led by pro-Palestinian supporters.

College administrators, for now, can at least celebrate the fact that classes will soon end for the summer, allowing tempers to cool and hopefully, for politicians to sit down in negotiations and find a way to end the conflict in Gaza.

If not, when fall classes resume, and with the general election then just a few months away, college campuses could erupt in ways we have not seen since Kent State– and that would be tragic on all accounts.

WI

The 14th Amendment (1868) granted African Americans the right to citizenship. However, this did not always translate into the ability to vote. The 15th amendment (1870) was intended to combat efforts by states to keep Blacks from voting through means that included poll taxes, literacy tests, fraud and intimidation.

In 1915, the Supreme Court struck down the “grandfather clause” – another way that states kept Blacks from voting which said you could not vote unless your grandfather had voted – an impossibility for most of those whose ancestors were slaves.

During the 1950s and 1960s,

thousands of brave men, women and children protested, marched, were beaten, arrested and even died while working toward voter equality.

In 1964, the 24th Amendment was ratified which prohibited the use of poll taxes. And in 1965, the Voting Rights Act directed the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the right to vote for African Americans.

Young adults, who could be drafted for war but not allowed to vote, were finally guaranteed the vote under the 26th amendment (1971) which established a nationally standardized minimum age of 18 for participation in state and local elections. It’s easy to grumble and complain about the services available to those who live in your community. And who hasn’t found fault with their local commissioner, mayor, representative in Congress – even with the president? Maybe it’s the way schools in your district are funded that cause your blood pressure to rise.

Perhaps it’s the laws that govern police officers in your city or county. Grumble all you want but voting is the way we make our opinions known. Voting is the way we keep the train on the track or force it to veer left or right.

Yes, there remain efforts to suppress the vote for people of color, returning citizens and a host of others. That’s when we need to say, as Fannie Lou Hammer once declared, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

The primary elections are almost upon us. Do the right thing –VOTE! WI

It was so nice to see Michelle Obama on the cover of last week’s Washington Informer. I wish we could see the Obamas publicly more, but I’ll take what I can get! Forever the First Lady!

Louise Shar Washington, D.C.

I’m very proud of the hard-fought progress we continue to make in the city, specifically in Southeast D.C. I always knew there would be a day when the investment would come into our community. We have a long way to go, but I’m proud of the accomplishments from the government to the local business side.

Martin Ferrel Washington, D.C.

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

Cleaner Transportation Fuels Can Save Lives

I experienced labored breathing. Of course, my physician said I had a mild case of asthma.

One of the biggest challenges in communities of color are higher rates of asthma and respiratory-related illnesses. I know this firsthand from growing up in the inner city of Buffalo. My family lived near NYS Route 33, the Kensington Expressway and so did my grandma, one of my uncles and at least one aunt. As a kid I snored really bad and at times,

My younger brother had a more serious case of asthma. He carried an inhaler and had hospital visits when his asthma flared uncontrollably. I would not learn until after college the role that transportation and the environment built around my community had on my health and that of my family and friends.

My elementary school was within walking distance of my home, but there was a school bus depot near-

by as well as a few factories which contributed to the poor air quality in my neighborhood. From 6th grade to 8th grade, I rode a diesel school bus to the other side of town. According to a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), little did I know that the pollution on that yellow school bus was worse than the air behind it.

We also lived near a shopping center and park we loved to play at. However, we didn't realize that the delivery trucks, park vehicles and some of the diesel-fueled cars

in the area were making me and others sick. Perhaps that's why so many people were carrying around oxygen machines and inhalers, and diagnosed with lupus and COPD in certain neighborhoods.

As the CEO of Greater Washington Region Clean Cities, my office partners with Clean Fuels Alliance America to host the Environmental Justice Community Forum Series to discuss the Trinity Study, which effectively documents the positive impact of using biodiesel instead of diesel on public health. The find-

Nation's Growing Racial and Gender Wealth Gaps Need Policy Reform

As the November general election nears, many economic analysts have publicly pondered why so many likely voters are not impressed with reports that point to more hiring, or economic growth. But if these experts spoke with hardworking Americans, they'd understand why so many are disgruntled.

The idea to create a new Buckhead City finally died in the Georgia state legislature. And rightfully so. Democratic members of Atlanta's state delegation never favored allowing the affluent, majority-white neighborhood of Buckhead to secede from the city of Atlanta. It became a measure long opposed by the city's business

A wealth of new research spells out stark wealth and income disparities that reflect a far different economic dynamic: people who work full-time, but find it difficult to get ahead financially. Race and ethnicity remain nagging factors. But emerging gender and occupational trends play a large role as well.

A late March update of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank's ongoing research on wealth inequalities offers several eye-opening data points:

• Overall, women had only 68 cents in wealth for every dollar held by their male peers.

• When data was filtered by race/ethnicity, never-married Black women and never-married Hispanic women had 8 cents and 14 cents, respectively, of the wealth of white males.

• Never-married Black women, never-married Hispanic women and never-married mothers of any race or ethnicity were the most financially stressed. They had very low levels of wealth to fall back on

in an emergency, or to invest in financial stability and mobility.

• Each of the never-married groups is in the bottom third of the wealth distribution for U.S. households.

But low racial and gender wealth is inextricably tied to income.

An Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) report highlighted the inequities in full-time workers' pay.

"Equal pay for equal work has been the law of the land for more than a half-century, yet wom-

ings state that lives will be saved by using biodiesel fuels in medium to heavy-duty vehicles.

There are over 2,000,000 diesel vehicles on the road, pumping pollution into the air, and wreaking havoc on the public. In California, over 40% of the big trucks are using biodiesel, contributing to better health outcomes, especially in environmental justice communities. Let's do more to use cleaner fuels in trucks, warehouses, marine and agricultural vehicles throughout the U.S. Doing so will save lives! WI

en still cannot get fair treatment when it comes to employment and earnings," noted Jamila K. Taylor, IWPR president and CEO. "And it's worse for women of color, who face rampant racial discrimination in the workforce in addition to ongoing pay inequities."

The report, "The 2023 Weekly Wage Gap by Race, Ethnicity and Occupation," explores how these three factors are intertwined. In 2023 overall, according to IWPR,

leaders, while many of the city's Black residents strongly believed it was racially motivated.

The proposed Buckhead City ended when 10 Republican state lawmakers broke ranks, joining with Democrats in rejecting the measure. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who forged a close working relationship with Democratic Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, also questioned the legality and practicality of Buckhead City. Kemp's chief lawyer, executive counsel David Dove, sent a memo attacking

the de-annexation plan.

Dove wrote that the split could wreck the ability of all Georgia cities to borrow money, based on bond markets fearing that cities could default on their debts if they broke into pieces.

"If we jerk the heart out of the city of Atlanta, which is Buckhead, I know our capital city will die," said Frank Ginn, a Republican state senator.

Buckhead, known for its highend shopping and several famous residents, has a median household

income of $109,774 compared to $68,806 in the rest of the city.

Residents and other proponents who supported the de-annexation measure claimed the city was not doing enough to fight crime and provide services despite Buckhead making up 40% of Atlanta's tax revenue and less than 20% of the city's population.

The reasons for justifying such a move will never overcome the racial symbolism of having a wealthy white neighborhood separate itself from a majority-Black city. It be-

comes another version of white flight. Once the reality check ran its course, both sides realized they needed each other.

"Constitutionally, it's not possible to divide the city of Atlanta, with its schools, with its debt obligations," said Sen. Jason Esteves, who represents a section of Buckhead.

Practical arguments against the cityhood measure involved whether a new Buckhead City would

CROWELL

Charlene Crowell

Guest Columnist

David W. Marshall

Antoine M. Thompson

Guest Columnist

Guest Columnist

The Selective Prosecution of Marilyn Mosby

held criminally liable for breaking the law, as the criminal justice system discriminated against them by choosing to prosecute.”

Black people have always known about selective prosecution, but lately it has been more blatant than any we've seen in recent years. Many people think things have gotten better, but in many areas, nothing could be a longer way from the truth.

“Selective prosecution in jurisprudence is a procedural defense in which those convicted argue that they should not be

This is certainly true in the case of Marilyn Mosby. She did as more than 700 people in Baltimore alone did while she served as state's attorney. She borrowed funds during COVID from her own retirement fund!

Her "sin" was convicting police for unprincipled acts while on duty. If you're Black, you know it happens because it has more likely than not hap-

pened to you or someone you know. I would, however, argue that my brother who was a parish sheriff, my nephew who is a current state trooper or any of my relatives in law enforcement would ever be in that category as most people in law enforcement.

Unfortunately, Marilyn Mosby, a brilliant young woman who believed in justice and worked to make that clear, ran into a roadblock. As one who understands what she and her young daughters have gone through, the fact that the orange man worked to convict her while he was committing real

crimes, I'm supporting her by seeking a pardon for her.

She's scheduled to be sentenced May 23, so several of her friends and I who know about her great work, are seeking a presidential pardon. I'm, therefore, asking you to go to the website about her case, read the true story, sign the petition for the pardon, and forward the website to all of your friends and relatives and ask them to do the same. The site is www.justiceformarilynmosby.com.

Additionally, I'm asking you to call the White House on 202/456-1111

We Can't Afford to Let Anyone Swiftboat Us on Bidenomics

"The truth is that the U.S. economy is a remarkable success story. Don't let anyone tell you that it isn't." – Paul Krugman

Earlier this year, the National Urban League launched our D3 initiative to Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, and Defeat Poverty. The initiative to combat

poverty emphasizes a comprehensive strategy centered on increasing access and equity across several critical areas, recognizing poverty as a significant national issue that jeopardizes the future prosperity of the United States.

The plan includes expanding access to quality education and financial services, making childcare and healthcare more affordable, and addressing the high costs associated with higher education. It aims to improve social safety nets and create affordable

housing while advocating for the decriminalization of poverty and fair pay through living wages. This initiative targets the root causes of poverty, particularly in communities of color, and views the eradication of poverty as crucial for the nation's moral and economic health.

We prioritize these issues, because we know that there are political forces whose agenda conflicts with our progress and our continued work to keep building on progress and fighting for equity

wherever and whenever it is necessary.

As we reported in the 2024 State of Black America, which featured a progress report on the Biden-Harris administration:

"When President Biden took office in January 2021, the Black unemployment rate was 9.2%. As of January 2024, that number is 5.2%.

Through a series of bills investing in America's infrastructure, workforce, technological advantage, and climate, the administration has cre-

on one of the following days — Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday — and simply ask President Biden to pardon Marilyn. Marilyn's had her life totally disrupted because she dared to prosecute people who committed crimes, and save those who were accused, but did not commit crimes.

I've met so many people who were the recipients of her good work to bring justice to deserving people. It's now time for us to work on her behalf. We must get this done by May 15, so

Page 50

Reducing Asthma's Burden Means Addressing Pollution, Climate, and Barriers to Care Guest

"Please Kyla, stop running, you can't run like the other children. You have to worry about your asthma."

That's what Kyla Peck's aunt who babysat for her would tell her growing up.

This week is World Asthma Day. As we look at Kyla's story, it is worth remembering that her

story is all too familiar among the 27 million people living with asthma in the U.S. (about one in 12 Americans) — especially those living in cities like Chicago, where Kyla is from.

Kyla says, "My mother has told me about the countless experiences she has had with me in the hospital from an early age. One of the most memorable moments of me being in the hospital for my asthma came more recently. I was home in Chicago from college, maybe 20 years old, and I had a

really, really bad asthma attack. I was hospitalized for maybe about 12 hours. Then I received the bill. Even after insurance paid their part, I owed about $500. I was in college; I had no money. It was my first experience dealing with the healthcare system knowing that I'd have to pay for my own care. It was stressful, not only having to navigate the asthma attack but having to learn to navigate my own financial situation living with this illness."

A 2020 survey by Lurie Chil-

dren's Hospital of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Public Health found that 16% of Chicago families have a child who had been diagnosed with asthma. That is well above both the 11% rate across Illinois and 12% rate nationwide.

Life in Chicago comes with exposure to an extraordinary number of asthma's causes and triggers. Like in other large cities, emissions from gas-powered vehicles contribute heavily to overall air pollution. Chicago is a national crossroads of

ated opportunities for generations of Black Americans to prosper."

Simply put, by all economic metrics, Bidenomics is working. It is working for our communities, and it is working for all of America.

Progress works on a continuum and progress requires active participation, that is why our D3 initiative also calls upon every citizen to stand up and defend democracy.

commercial transport by rail, road and airplane.

There is historically no shortage of power plant and industrial pollution, including fine particulate matter. Ground-level ozone, a major respiratory irritant, is a problem in the region (ozone is formed when certain industrial pollutants interact with the air). And the northern Midwest and Great Lakes region are heavily impacted by the smoke from Canadian

WILLIAMS

Marc H. Morial

Ben Jealous

Guest Columnist

E. Faye Williams

Columnist

LIFESTYLE

WASHINGTON INFORMER WEEKEND CHECKLIST

WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

Things To Do, DMV!

By Jada Ingleton WI Contributing Writer

Check out a handful of the many events happening in the DMV this weekend, filled with star-studded appearances and appreciation for arts and culture.

Learn about Willow Smith’s debut book “Black Shield Maiden,” or enjoy a movie at the newly returned Potomac series on the National Harbor Waterfront.

Friday welcomes a night of musicality and comedy with the Kennedy String Quartet’s rendition of hip-hop followed by a stand-up comedic performance from George Lopez.

Keep your high spirits going with back-to-back festivals on Saturday: the 18th Calvert Arts Festival and 2024 AAPI Festival.

For more celebrity sightings, jon Stephanie Mills and Jeffrey Osborne at the Theater at MGM National Harbor, or celebrate Mother’s Day with soul singers PJ Morton and MAJOR.

To follow all the fun, don’t forget to check out the Washington Informer Calendar, and remember, there’s always something happening in the DMV to keep your spirit-- and social life-- lit.

THURSDAY, MAY 9

Willow Smith Discusses Black Shield Maiden

7 p.m.- 9 p.m. | $32.00+ Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St NW, Washington, D.C., 20001

MahoganyBooks is thrilled to host singer, songwriter, and activist Willow Smith as she discusses her debut book “Black Shield Maiden,” a riveting science fiction fantasy novel

steeped in African roots and Viking lore.

Hosted at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, the evening will include a powerful exchange with conversation host Alex Elle.

Movies on the Potomac 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Free National Harbor Waterfront, 150 National Plaza, Oxon Hill, MD 20745

Pack your chairs, grab food to go from one of the delicious dining establishments, and meet at the Plaza’s big screen for free fun.

National Harbor is bringing back its popular free movies on the Potomac series from May 2 through Sept. 29. Date night movies are shown every Thursday at 7 p.m. and family night movies will be shown every Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Plaza Screen on the waterfront.

Dine in one of 30+ restaurants before the movie or order take-out from one of the many establishments at the Harbor for a fun outdoor experience that all ages can enjoy.

FRIDAY, MAY 10

Candlelight: Best of Hip-Hop on Strings @ Miracle Theatre 6:30 p.m. | $68.50 Miracle Theatre, 535 8th Street SE, Washington, D.C., 20003

Get your tickets now to discover the music of Hip-Hop on Strings at Miracle Theatre under the gentle glow of candlelight. Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Washington D.C.

Performed by the Kennedy String Quartet, enjoy the sounds of “Gangsta's Paradise” by Coolio, “Like It” by

5National Harbor’s Movies on the Potomac series runs May 2 to Sept. 29. Thursday nights feature date night movies at 7pm, Sunday nights feature family friendly films at 6pm. (Courtesy Photo)

Cardi B, and more. The performance will also feature medleys of several well-known rap artists including Jay-Z, Outkast, 2Pac and Dr. Dre.

George Lopez: ALLLRIIIIGHHTTT! Comedy Tour

7 p.m. | $39.50+ Kennedy Center, 2700 F St NW, Washington, D.C., 20566

George Lopez’s illustrious and multi-faceted career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, and late-night television. The comedian has broken ground for Latino comics by embracing his ethnicity, confronting racial stereotypes, and fighting for his community on and off the stage.

On Friday, May 10, the Kennedy Center welcomes the beloved comedian for a stop on his ALLLRIIIIGHHTTT! Comedy Tour.

SATURDAY, MAY 11

18th Calvert Arts Festival

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Free, $20 fee for alcoholic beverages

All Saints Episcopal Church, 100 Lower Marlboro Rd, Sunderland, MD 20689

The Calvert Arts Festival began in 2007 to bring together southern Maryland artisans, wineries, food purveyors and entertainers to this quality juried event. Local brewers are now added to the mix, held annually on the second Saturday of May.

Stroll All Saints’ lovely campus and inside its Parish Hall for quality arti-

san offerings. The event includes live entertainment, a silent auction and children’s crafts or walk the labyrinth, tour the historic church, and relax and enjoy the music.

Free admission and parking. Fee ($20) for wristband and tasting glass for alcoholic beverages. Proceeds benefit community charities.

2024 AAPI Festival Noon- 5 p.m. | Free The Chrysalis at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods, 10431 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044

Don't miss out on this opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich heritage and diversity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

County Executive Calvin Ball, in partnership with the Inner Arbor Trust, is hosting the third annual AAPI Festival, celebrating the vibrant cultures, traditions, and contributions of the AAPI community in Howard County and beyond. Indulge in a free celebration filled with fun, entertainment, and cultural enrichment for the whole family.

Look forward to live performances, food trucks, vendors and community engagement that showcases the diversity of AAPI cultures and educates attendants on important issues, organizations, and resources supporting them.

SUNDAY, MAY 12

Stephanie Mills & Jeffrey Osborne

8 p.m. | $172.00+

The Theater at MGM National Harbor, 101 MGM National Avenue Oxon Hill, MD 20745

The Theater at MGM National Harbor will present singer and songwriter Stephanie Mills with former drummer and lead singer of L.T.D., Jeffrey Osborne for a riveting live performance.

Complimentary parking is available on a first come, first serve basis. The Theater is located adjacent to the Conservatory.

An R&B Mother's Day Celebration with PJ Morton and MAJOR. 8 p.m. - Midnight | $69.00+ Kennedy Center, 2700 F St NW, Washington, D.C., 20566

Hip-hop icon and founding Kennedy Center Hip-Hop Culture Council Member MC Lyte presents a special Mother's Day celebration with five-time Grammy-winning soul singer, songwriter, performer, and producer PJ Morton and Grammy-, Soul Train-, and NAACP Image Award-nominated soul singer and multi-hyphenate MAJOR.

These two legendary artists will host a one-night-only performance in the Concert Hall honoring mothers and mother figures. WI

our communities do too

As America’s #1 business lender, we’re invested in local economies with over $40 billion in business loans. Our commitment includes providing funding to under-resourced business owners and supporting entrepreneurs with the tools and resources to help them make every move matter.

What would you like the power to do?® See how we support businesses at bankofamerica.com/washingtondc My teammates work closely with entrepreneurs here in the DMV We are here to help them start and grow their business, so they can continue to create jobs and keep our community strong.

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

LIFESTYLE

Duke Ellington’s Sacred Compositions Wrap Months-Long Celebration of D.C.’s Native Son

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

Since October, the Kennedy Center has treated audiences to a series of concerts displaying the range of Duke Ellington’s music, and on April 29, the actual date Ellington was born, was the finale performance

“Cyrus Chestnut: Duke Ellington Sacred Concert.”

The evening offered several selections from Ellington’s full three-part “Sacred Concerts” performances and faith music from other composers.

For this Kennedy Center scenario there was a small trio led by pianist, composer, music director Cyrus

Chestnut, with Rodney Whitaker on bass and Carl Allen on drums. The full ensemble for the evening also included a jazz orchestra conducted by Chestnut, a choir conducted by Malcolm Merriweather, vocal soloists, and tap dancer Brinae Ali.

Ellington’s “Sacred Concert” opened with “In the Beginning God”

MUSICAL MINDS

FAME JAZZ BAND PROGRAM

sung with dynamic strength by bass vocalist Martin Hargrove. He sounded like the commanding voice of

Following Hargrove, was a jaunty,

almost New Orleans brass style song, “Tell Me It’s the Truth” sung by soloist Kim Harley. The lyrics ask for straight honesty from the heavenly source.

Next was soloist Rasul A-Salaam in a spoken word approach, backed by Merriweather conducting the Ellington Sacred Concert Chorus. They performed “Will You Be There.” It’s that question about whether your name will be called when it is your time. That song went right into “Ain’t But the One,” a reminder that there is only one presence that is the source of one’s strength.

“Sacred Concert” Interpreted Through Dance

Dancer and choreographer Ali, came to the stage tapping to “David (Brinae) Danced Before the Lord with All Her Might,” adapting the title for the evening’s female dancer. Originally performed by tap dancer Bunny Briggs in 1965, Ali was powerful in her interpretation of this sacred Ellington composition. To say the audience was “wowed” is an understatement.

Other selections performed during the “Sacred Concert” were songs Ellington composed to uplift his people. Some of the other songs performed for this concert included “Heaven,” “Something About Believing,” and “It’s Freedom.”

Perhaps one of the best known songs performed in the “Sacred Concert” is “Come Sunday” which was originally on Ellington’s album “Black, Brown and Beige” (1958). Harley, once again, was the soloist. Her moving contralto performance

allowed audiences to feel the importance of looking forward to Sunday after toiling hard the other days of the week.

Ellington Led By His Faith Ellington’s “Sacred Concerts" were performed as three separate concerts between the mid-1960s to mid1970s. That was when civil rights was at the forefront of national concerns. Assassinations of national leaders traumatized Blacks and white Americans alike.

Ellington’s health was beginning to fail in the early 1970s. The handling of this precious selection of music presented by music director Chestnut and conductor Merriweather reminds audiences that Ellington was committed to inspiring his people to keep their eyes on the prize.

This concert was the finale for the “Ellington 125,” the Kennedy Center’s tribute to the extraordinary pianist, composer, and bandleader from Washington, D.C. A classically trained pianist, Chestnut has collaborated with many musical artists during his career. He is currently a master instructor in jazz piano and improvisation at Howard University. Chestnut opened the evening by acknowledging his mother who was in the audience. He then shared words of wisdom and support from his late father.

“He said ‘Son, I could have left you an inheritance… But I felt if I got you to music, you’d be all right.’” Chestnut has definitely done “all right” and he will continue to give audiences his best because of his spirit-filled approach to music. WI

5Cyrus Chestnut, pianist, composer, music director and educator directed the “Cyrus Chestnut: Duke Ellington Sacred Concert” held recently at the Kennedy Center. The performance was the finale for the “Ellington 125” series that began in October. (Courtesy Photo/ Jati Lindsay)

District Exotic Jetcars Offers a Fun-Filled, Empowering, Luxurious Nautical Experience

By Micha Green WI Managing Editor

During the COVID-19 pandemic, entrepreneur Nakornsri Sintaisong found comfort, respite and relief on the water, and now she’s giving those in the DMV area an opportunity to tap into aquatic-fun through her new venture District Exotic Jetcars.

Sintaisong explained she wanted an energy shift. First, she joined Freedom Boat Club and got her boating license. She said her time riding boats as a captain built her confidence as she sailed along the water. She then purchased a Porsche 992, and became a member of Fast Lane Drive, an exotic car club in the District.

“I wanted people to experience what I've experienced, the thrill and the confidence that I gained connecting with nature. You just feel so inspired,” Sintaisong said.

District Exotic Jetcars was born out of the mission to offer people an opportunity to live their best lives. A luxury watercraft experience, District Exotic Jetcars provides the opulence of a yacht, vibes of a boat, and the thrill of a supercar and jet ski all at once.

A federal government contracting partner, Sintaisong teamed up with her business partner Tom Gill, to create the splendid sports cars with a nautical twist. District Exotic Jetcars officially opened for business on May 5 at the Hamptons Landing Marina in Woodbridge, Virginia.

“ We strategically selected this location because there’s no wake zone so you can go as fast as you want,” she explained. “So people can freely, really experience the thrill of it.

GATHERING ON LUXURIOUS WATERCRAFTS: EXPERIENCE THEIR POWER, LEAVE EMPOWERED

With her involvement in groups like Freedom Boat Club and Fast Lane Drive, Sintaisong is no stranger to the District’s aquatic and exotic car lovers— a tight-knit community that is about building networks, meeting new friends and giving back to charities, according to Clement Connor.

“It’s honestly such an amazing group here. D.C.’s the fastest growing chapter in the planet,” said Connor, CEO and founder of Fast Lane Drive at an event previewing District Exotic Jetcars on April 6. “D.C. is such a strong community.”

Now, Sintaisong is expanding beyond the sports car and boating community and offering all people an opportunity to enjoy the luxury experience that is District Exotic Jetcars.

The fleet alone encourages people to tap into their inner power and strength.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com. WI

We are excited to announce the 2024 fun-filled and unique summer program for rising 7-12 graders who are interested in improving their musicianship, exploring music composition, recording and production, and learning about music careers.

MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

All workshops will be conducted Monday - Friday 9am - 4:30pm.

FAME @ University of Maryland School of Music, College Park, Maryland

Music Technology Workshop - Middle School

Instrumental Music Workshop - Middle School

Instrumental Music Workshop - High School July 8 - 12, 2024

Music Technology Workshop - High School July 29 - Aug 2, 2024

FAME @ Harmony Hall Arts Center, Fort Washington, Maryland

Music Technology Bootcamp – Intermediate July 15 - 19, 2024

Music Technology Bootcamp - Advanced July 22 - 26, 2024

REGISTER HERE

The following workshops are conducted in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Music and the MNCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County.

5Nakornsri Sintaisong, is founder and CEO of District Exotic Jetcars, a luxury watercraft experience. (Courtesy Photo/District Exotic Jetcars)

Review: Leslie Odom, Jr. Delivers a Fine Evening of Music at Strathmore

Leslie Odom, Jr., the Tony-and-Grammy-winning singer and actor, delivered an exceptional evening of music at the Strathmore Music Hall on Friday, May 3. The audience was captivated by every note of Odom’s voice.

Odom began his set with the classic “Fly Me to the Moon,” showcasing his confidence as a performer by singing offstage, and then walking on to applause. There was no voice-over announcement—just a man, his quartet, a stage, and an appreciative audience. Odom’s musical theater experience propelled his voice to hit every level inside of the Strathmore venue.

The multitalented Odom performed other familiar standards like “Moody’s Mood,” “Autumn Leaves,” and “Change is Gonna Come.” The latter classic he sang in the film “One Night in Miami,” in which Odom played the role of Sam Cooke, who is best known for that song.

Accompanied by a very talented quartet, Odom’s group included Chris Cadenhead on piano, Steve Walker on guitar, Eric England on bass, and Gene Coye on drums. Each musician was able to shine with solos. Further, Odom performed a few songs with either Cadenhead, his pianist or Walker, his guitarist.

A few days before coming to the D.C. area, Odom was nominated for several Tony awards for acting in and executive producing the play “Purlie Victorious,” and on May 3, he gave a winning performance for the audience at Strathmore.

WI

5Singer, actor and Tony-and-Grammy winner Leslie Odom Jr. sang classics and musical theater tunes at Strathmore Music Hall. (Courtesy Photo)

Get Caught Reading is a campaign to promote the fun of reading books!

The Get Caught Reading organization provides posters to schools and libraries that show Olympic stars, entertainment stars and even popular book characters reading for fun.

Can you get caught reading this month?

Circle the kinds of books you like to

Scrambled Book Titles

Unscramble the

Circle the places where you like to read.

Silly Book Puns

Finish

When I settle I like something

To rest my That’s why to read Is in my cozy It’s quiet And that The place Is at my

Draw a picture of your favorite kind of book in your favorite place.

Look at one page of the newspaper. Circle every word you can read in red. Pretty soon your newspaper page will be black and white and red all over—just like the riddle!

Then give to a friend or family member to read each article

Reading is It makes Especially In the shade Far from I read wearing Because it Reading on

My favorite And they scare. That’s why bright light When reading

I like to read They’re really But I kick While relaxing

When I read, I try to sit My mom “Please don’t But it’s hard because I on our u

© 2024 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Je Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 40 No. 24

by Lotta Money by A. Stronaut by Abby Cadabera by Duncan Under by U. Turner

LIFESTYLE

review wi book

Books on Mothers and Motherhood by Various Authors

c.2024, Various publishers

$20-29

Various page counts

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

Everybody's had one at least once in their lives. Some people get two or more, while others don't currently have any. Whatever your situation, this is a good time to read about mothers and being somebody's mom, so why not try one of these great books … These days, science has a lot to do with being a mother and "I Cannot Control Everything Forever" by Emily C. Bloom (St. Martin's Press, $29) takes things a bit farther. When Bloom wanted to become pregnant, she had to rely on science and when her daughter was born with congenital deafness and was later diagnosed with other maladies, she relied on science again. This is a beautiful book, perfect for mothers who've been "there."

Sometimes, just trying to be someone's mom isn't easy. In "Inconceivable" by Valerie Bauman (Union Square, $27.99), you'll read about the author's encounters with the sperm donor market, the costs both physically and economically, and what the experts say about this unregulated industry.

On the flip side, anyone who's taking a different, alternative route to motherhood may like "Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood" by Gretchen Sisson (St. Martin's Press, $29). It's a look at the women who give birth but must let go of their children, and what it's like from that side of the adoption.

To understand motherhood in America today, read "Broken: Transforming Child Protective Services" by Jessica Pryce (Amistad, $28.99). This book is an investigation into what the author says is a biased system that "disproportionately" targets mothers of color in America and that wreaks havoc on Black families, including separation. It's an eye-opening tale that will chill the blood of any parent, anywhere.

On a totally lighter note, if you grew up reading about Evil Stepmothers in fairy tales, then you should look for "The Book of Mothers" by Carrie Mullins (St. Martin's Press, $29), This interesting book takes a look at 15 classic novels featuring maternal figures you'll recognize. From Austin to Alcott, Woolf to Walker and 11 other authors in between, this is a fun book but also a serious peek at what literature has had to say about mothers and how it's shaped American motherhood.

And finally, if you've had one of those weeks and you need to laugh, look for "Momma Cusses" by TikTok'er Gwenna Laithland (St. Martin's Essentials, $20). It's a funny, sardonic but dead-on look at being a mother, from a point of view of someone who has kids and knows how to raise them — sometimes, with patience. Bonus: some of the advice is serious stuff that you'll ultimately be glad you've read.

And if this isn't enough for you or the mom or mother-to-be you know, then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian. They know what you'll need, whether it's advice for getting pregnant, staying pregnant, or exploring pregnancy; words of wisdom for the mom of a newborn or a new adult; or just good reads for relaxing because you deserve it. Every mother does. WI

horoscopes

ARIES The beginning of the week is the perfect time to muse about your wildest dreams and then share them with loved ones and friends. Connecting over these major goals can help you sharpen your focus on what you want to achieve while boosting your bond. Later, the cosmos shores up your determination to dive into an ambitious fitness plan that you've been mulling over. The more research you can do before forging ahead, the better the results you'll get. Lucky Numbers: 13, 14, 32

TAURUS At the start of the week, you could find yourself itching for change, even going so far as to overhaul an entire project for an upcoming trip or personal undertaking. Trust that instinct! Later, you'll be fantasizing about enjoying plenty of lighthearted, flirtatious time with your significant other or someone who has the potential to become a long-term partner. Your best bet for making your dreams a reality is shrugging off any instinct to land on concrete plans and allowing magical moments to play out organically. This breezy approach sets the stage for even more sparks to fly. Lucky Numbers: 15, 25, 33

GEMINI At the week's start, you might feel like laying low and being a homebody. You'll want to prioritize quality one-on-one time with relatives and friends while putting mental energy toward beautifying your home. These low-key activities \may feel foreign but they can be restorative for your soul and relationships. Later, you could experience irritation but want to hold yourself back from expressing it. Talking about it in a measured way could be more productive. Lucky Numbers: 5, 17, 26

CANCER You'll have a burst of motivation to research new ways to promote work/life balance. Think big, then dive into information gathering to get the details that can help you create a plan. Later, the cosmos stimulates your need for intellectual sparks with your partner. Enjoying an activity that gets your wheels turning, like seeing a thought-provoking documentary, reading an engrossing book, or heading out on a weekend getaway, can bring you even closer. Lucky Numbers: 5, 25, 36

LEO You could be connecting with your partner on a flirtatious, and intellectual level early in the week. Opening up to one another about big-picture wishes can feel energizing. The more you can cheer one another on the more fireworks you'll set off! Later, you go after whatever you feel drawn to. If you want to propose a large-scale project or take on more responsibilities in your current position, you have the energy and focus to make it happen now. Lucky Numbers: 20, 31, 33

VIRGO You'll be feeling more magnetic early in the week. You can take advantage of this moment by amplifying your self-care routine (think treating yourself to a massage or a new type of yoga) in a way that feels good to your heart and body. It's also natural to crave more time with your partner or a potential partner. Express your desires, then go for it! Later, you'll have even more drive to pursue professional goals. Believing in the power of manifestation can be effective. Lucky Numbers: 29, 50, 58

LIBRA At the beginning of the week, you'll have a burning desire to switch things up in the bedroom or pursue a fantasy you've kept under wraps. Owning your needs has you feeling empowered. Later, you want to press pause on your packed agenda in order to spend more time reflecting personal goals and recharging. Though you could feel torn, give yourself this well-deserved time-out. Plant the seeds that will have you feeling vital in the weeks ahead. Lucky Numbers: 18, 19, 35

SCORPIO You could find it's easier to pinpoint a way to pursue your big picture professional goals on a more regular, day-today basis at the start of the week. Tweaking your schedule ever so slightly in this direction could make for major success. Later, you can expect your calendar to be packed with events, networking opportunities, lunches, and other social commitments. Although you'll want to RSVP yes to just about everything that comes your way, figuring out which invites are the most pertinent can keep you feeling happy and healthy as you navigate a busy time. Lucky Numbers: 8, 22, 45

SAGITTARIUS Early in the week, sharing joyful, carefree moments with your loved ones is your priority. You'll feel like sharing exactly what's in your heart and you should. Being forthcoming now can boost your confidence and help make your relationships stronger. Later, you'd do well to work with colleagues on a detail-oriented project. Allowing everyone to have their say can set up a group win, while your contribution could earn you well-deserved recognition. Lucky Numbers: 11, 20, 22

CAPRICORN You'd do well to have that conversation with your lover or someone you've been seeing early in the week. As long as you're being true to your needs while acknowledging your partner's position, you'll be productive. Later, that ambitious game plan you've been mulling over, like adopting a new business model or attending a career-building conference, could very well take center stage. You'll have the positive outlook and energy to throw yourself into every moment along the way. Just double-check that all the details sit right with you before you make your initial move. Lucky Numbers: 3, 5, 17

AQUARIUS Working with colleagues on a major project can prove rewarding at the beginning of the week. From brainstorming to working through the details, it feels like everyone's in sync. However, later, you might struggle to get on the same page as your significant other and feel a bit aggravated. Instead of keeping your lips sealed, reflect on the roots of why you feel the way you do. Then do your best to open up about it. Going this route can feel like a major relief. Lucky Numbers: 18, 21, 50

PISCES Connecting with coworkers during a group social event could prove intellectually-stimulating and boost your collegial bonds. Plus, creative ideas that arise from your conversations could end up being the foundation of a lucrative team effort. Later, you'll be motivated to work toward joint goals with your significant other or a dear friend. Serving as one another's accountability buddy can help you realize that you're stronger when you collaborate. Lucky Numbers: 11, 34, 36

SPORTS

Jackson-Reed Captures Its First State Chess Championship

By Ed Hill

WI Contributing Writer

The District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) held its Seventh Annual State High School chess championships on Saturday, May 4 at the Office of State Superintendent of Education headquarters (OSSE) in Northeast, D.C.

There were five schools, Georgetown Day, Maret, The SEED School, Jackson-Reed High School and two-

time defending champion Sidwell Friends High School in competition.

The competition was fierce, with all eyes on Sidwell Friends. In the end, it came down to Jackson-Reed coming away with its first-ever championship, defeating Sidwell Friends.

"We are just elated that we have won the state championship," said Patrice Arrington, the director of Athletics at Jackson Reed. "Our sponsor, Mr. Patrick Moore has done a fantastic job of preparing the chess club for competi-

tion. That we were able to defeat Sidwell Friends, the two-time champion, making it even more gratifying."

Moore, who also teaches at Jackson Reed, has been instrumental in the program's rise.

"I am very proud of the team and how they have worked hard to im

prove their skills in the game of chess," said Moore.

We encourage others to come out and join in this competition which is growing."

Chess has quickly gained popularity in the District, nationally and internationally.

Thanh Can of Jackson-Reed placed first overall in the competition. Can's teammate, Zack Benski, who finished fourth overall, was a recent member of the DCSAA Ultimate Frisbee Championship team.

Horace Fletcher, a former teacher in District of Columbia Public Schools and a chess enthusiast, attended the championship and left impressed.

"I was able to start a program years ago on the elementary school level," Fletcher, who learned to play the game at an early age, told The Informer. "I was very impressed with the organization of the event. ."

He also shared the benefits of learning chess at an early age.

"There are so many plusses for the young people who participate. They learn life skills, planning and looking ahead to their future. It is very encouraging to see this in the system,” Fletcher said.

The DCSAA will hold its first ever middle school championship this Saturday at the same location beginning at 10 am.

5Jackson-Reed High School in Northwest, D.C. defeated Sidwell Friends in the Seventh Annual State High School chess championships on May 4. (Courtesy Photo)

CAPTURE the moment

5Philip Pannell received an award from the 11th St. Bridge Park for decades of service to the Anacostia river, park and community. (JaMon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

5Don’t Mute DC co-founder Ronald Moten addresses the crowd during the 10th Annual Anacostia River Festival. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

5Festival goers watch the Junk Yard Band performance at the 10th Annual Anacostia River Festival. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

4The 10th Annual Anacostia River Festival was held at Anacostia Park on May 4 to celebrate the preservation and cleaning of the river. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

4Festival goers dance to the music of the Junk Yard Band at the 10th Annual Anacostia River Festival. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

5Award recipients stand in front of a rendering of the future appearance of the 11th Street Bridge Park. (JaMon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

RELIGION

A Pre-Mothers Day Tea Honors a Unique Class of Church Ladies

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

The Bishop’s Chapel in Upper Marlboro, Maryland was adorned with fine china and crystal and sterling silverware, as 120 ladies gathered for the Pre-Mother’s Day Tea, hosted by Friendship Church Outreach Ministry.

“The Lord has opened the door for women to be in leadership. We are not to be behind the man but to be beside him to work together,” said Bishop Bonnie Hunter, pastor emeritus and founder of Friendship Church Outreach Ministry in Chapel Oaks, Maryland. “As a female bishop I am a spiritual mother to many sons and daughters to

VIGIL from Page 1

gether to ensure young people are safe.

“Let me say how tragic an incident like this is, and I feel like a broken record when I say that because, unfortunately, I’ve had to talk to you about children who should be with us,” said Bowser. “Parents, community, police – we are all hyper-focused on making sure kids are where they’re supposed to be, and kids who have guns are in the place that they’re supposed to be.”

In what became a rally, march and

help them to become more than what God wants them to be.”

Hunter’s daughter, Lady Shonita Roy, president of the Women’s Ministry, Hunter’s daughter, said the event was not only to highlight mothers, but to celebrate all the women and mother figures who help shape the church community and beyond.

“We wanted to celebrate the women who are important to us as well as women who had not birthed a child but are mother figures,” said Roy, wife to the church’s pastor the Rev. Dameion Roy.

While the event celebrated women, Pastor Roy noted that male participation was key in honoring the ladies during the event.

vigil Tuesday evening, D.C. Councilmember Trayon White spoke to the community about the District’s challenges with continued violence, particularly affecting youth.

“Friday was a hard day in the District. D.C. police say that Friday morning, a 17-year-old was shot as she sat in a classroom at Dunbar High School by some shooting in the streets,” White said, before noting that evening young Ty’ah was fatally shot in Garfield Heights as she sat in an SUV on Har-

“It was important for the teenage and adult males to escort the women and to teach them to fellowship with one another in the love of Christ,” he said.

Friendship Church Outreach Ministry is affiliated with Bibleway Temple Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like other Pentecos-

ford Street SE.”

On Friday morning, gunfire erupted outside of Dunbar in Northwest, shattering windows and striking a young lady in the head, according to police records. D.C. Police announced that Saki Frost, 17, and Azhari Graves, 18, were both arrested and charged as adults for the Dunbar shooting. They were held without bond.

The search for toddler Ty’ah’s killer is ongoing.

Ward 8 Activist Phil Pannell said

tal Churches, the house of worship places a significant value on order, traditions and roles such as “church mothers.”

Bishop James Jordan, pastor of Refreshing Springs Church of God in Christ, said: “The church mother, next to the pastor, is the next most important job in the church.’

despite candlelight vigils, teddy bear memorials, and decades of community meetings, nothing is changing.

”There is a no snitching code in our community, and it is killing people,” Pannell said.

White emphasized there’s no space for a snitching code when it comes to the death of a toddler.

“The chief said something about snitching, but there is no policy in the community regarding a 3-year-old girl,” White said.

The ministers walked two blocks from the Seventh District to a light post adorned with red heart balloons and flowers as several pastors prayed while many hugged the toddler’s parents.

“Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust in the Lord with all thine heart,” prayed the Rev. Wanda Thompson. “Even when you don't understand, just hold on. Let us get fired up and say what can I do? Because we know that everybody can do something.”

Councilmember White said the violence has to stop.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “My spirit has been grieving ever since Friday night.” WI

“Mother Jean Smith is the Mother of Refreshing Springs,” Jordan continued.

Mothers of the church are like the mothers in the home. Those women have certain responsibilities to the minister and to the women, a very strategic part of the ministry.’

“You want mothers who are seasoned with experience. You want someone who has a softer side. The mothers are a very vital part of the church,” Jordan told The Informer.

Mother Lolita J. Perkins, president of the Mothers Board of the Church of God in Christ, said in a statement, “The primary responsibility of the church mother is to help build the women’s ministry through the utilization of auxiliaries, units, evangelism, and prayer ministry. ‘

“Everybody respected my mother, Annie Morgan, she was a church mother and mother of 18 children,” said Geraldine Morgan Capehart, who lives in the area.

With seven children and 20 grands, Mother Anita Gaston, is well-known in local church circles from the Church of God in Christ, to the Bible Way Temple Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As a church mother, Gaston, 74, told The Informer she works hard to set a positive example.

“I just try to be an example to people– men and women,” she said. WI

5 Lady Shonita Roy at the Friendship Church Outreach Ministry Pre-Mother’s Day Tea on Saturday, May 4 at the Bishop’s Chapel in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. (Courtesy Photo/Friendship Church Outreach Ministry)

5 Politicians, local leaders, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and dozens of pastors come together to offer powerful prayers and community comfort on Tuesday, May 7. (Hamil Harris/The Washington Informer)

5th annual Black Women Lead conference was held at the Conrad Hotel in Washington, D.C., last month. The conference room was filled with intelligent, prolific, scholars, creatives, world changers, movers and shakers, entrepreneurs from all over the world, something we don't see every day here in the District of Columbia. It was a room full of welldressed and successful millennials! What a joy to be invited as part of the press team.

This conference came together to uplift, pivot, transform, inspire, revolutionize, educate and encourage participants to allow themselves to be honest and develop a safe place for whatever may be their problem.

Speakers helped to dispel some fears about mental health. One topic of particular interest to me was teen suicide, as speakers shared how suicide is the No. 1 killer among our teens. That was followed by a message for those of who may be suffering through pain with a broken heart.

Dynamic speakers also covered topics for moms and families, ranging from startup businesses to those who are thriving — panelists covered all bases.

Coordinated by millennials, marketed to millennial by millennials — it was so refreshing and different. It gave the room quite a different feel.

My favorites were the communications panels. I am a journalist,

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Black Women Lead the religion corner

and my master's degree is in the field of communications. Keeping with my educational background, this column has been running 20 years, and my radio show 15 years.

Panel participants ranged from Joy Reid, host of MSNBC's "The Reid Out"; Stacey Abrams; Symone Sanders-Townsend, host of MSNBC's "The Weekend"; and Alexi McCammond, an NBC/ MSNBC contributor and reporter for Axios who covered Joe Biden's presidential campaign in 2019 and 2020.

Fashion Fair CEO Desiree Rogers, who served as President Obama's social secretary, was the lead spokesperson on an entrepreneurs panel, urging people to support Black businesses. She shared with the audience about her new role as co-CEO of Fashion Fair, a company founded by Eunice Johnson with more than 50 years of history, and Black Opal, a 30-year-old cosmetic company for African-American women.

Blessed to meet Rogers at the right time, I invited her to be my radio show guest for Mother's Day this weekend. She agreed, and on Friday, May 10 at 6 p.m., listeners from Radio One's Spirit 1340 WYCB will hear more of Desiree Rogers' story. She will be sharing with listeners that Fashion Fair is back on the market and on a national scale.

You can buy Fashion Fair at select Macy's department stores and

Sephora stores. Go to the Fashion Fair website and Google your zip code to find the nearest place to buy Fashion Fair makeup and skin care products. For Black Opal, she told participants to go to CVS and Walmart websites to find the closest location.

Black Women Lead was a tremendous conference, and it was definitely a success. I'm thankful for the media/press pass extended to me and my team, especially the president of the D.C. Democratic Women's Club, Ms. Valca Valentine.

I'm excited and eagerly awaiting the 2025 conference.

WI

This conference came together to uplift, pivot, transform, inspire, revolutionize, educate and encourage participants to allow themselves to be honest and develop a safe place for whatever may be their problem.

MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC

ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, Family Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Act, Retaliation, Severance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts, Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge

The

RELIGION

Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org

The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 Fax : 202-338-4958

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

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

Worship 10:30 am

zoom.us/;/2028828331

Study: Wednesday 7:00pm

Every First Sunday "Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ."

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

“Changing Lives On Purpose “

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mary’s Episcopal Church Promised

Baptist Church

Dr. Kendrick E. Curry

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 000394

Pedro Estevez Nunez aka Pedro Estevez Decedent

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

Dallibeth Estevez Checo, whose address is 2348 Mystic Shore Dr., Cedar Hill, TX 75104, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Pedro Estevez Nunez aka Pedro Estevez who died on July 9, 2012 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Dallibeth Estevez Checo

2348 Mystic Shore Dr. Cedar Hill, TX 75104

Personal Representative

TRUE

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2024 ADM 000395

Charles Henry Simms Decedent

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

Joyce Francine Simms and Lisa Bell, whose addresses are 613 K Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 & 7111 Sheffield Dr., Temple Hills, MD 20748, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Charles Henry Simms who died on October 27, 2023 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Joyce

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 000152

Robert Daniel Jeter Decedent

Enrico A. McCleary II, Esq. 324 Main Street, PO Box 1256 Laurel, Maryland 20725

Attorney

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

Christina Teresa Jeter, whose address is 1841 Tobias Drive SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Robert Daniel Jeter who died on 10/27/2023 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Christina Teresa Jeter 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 000109

Doris M. Brooks Decedent

Darrel S. Parker, Esq. 1822 11th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

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

Darrel S. Parker, Esq., whose address is 1822 11th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Doris M. Brooks who died on November 8, 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 (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Darrel S. Parker, Esq. 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

2024 ADM 000410

William Lawrence Bush, Jr. Decedent

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

Mary J. Glenn, whose address is 472 Burns Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of William Lawrence Bush, Jr. who died on 11/11/2023 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Mary J. Glenn

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

2024 ADM 000423

Rahul Chopra Decedent

Olesya Sidorkina, Esq. (Bar No. 1034094) 2001 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301 Attorney

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

Jay Chopra, whose address is 1632 1st Ave., Apt. #21150, New York, NY 10028, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rahul Chopra who died on March 11, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Jay Chopra 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

2024 ADM 411

Joanne Johnson Decedent

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

Edward Samuel Johnson Sr., whose address is 1728 Minnesota Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joanne Johnson who died on January 23, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Edward Samuel Johnson Sr. 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

2024 ADM 000396

Wygenia O. Ferguson Decedent

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

Cheryl English, whose address is 247 14th St. SE, Unit A Washington, DC 20003, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Wygenia O. Ferguson who died on March 3, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Cheryl English 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

2024 ADM 000392

Oliver O. Johnson aka Oliver Odell Johnson Decedent

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

Joan Rebecca Johnson, whose address is 23 Underwood Place, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Oliver O. Johnson aka Oliver Odell Johnson who died on February 25, 2021 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Joan Rebecca Johnson 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 890

Roberta L. Johnson aka Roberta Lee Johnson Decedent

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

Lauren E. Shine-Johnson, whose address is 1260 E. 26th Ave., Columbus OH 43211, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Roberta L. Johnson aka Roberta Lee Johnson who died on May 4, 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 11/3/2024. 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 11/3/2024, 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: 5/3/2024

Lauren E. Shine-Johnson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION

2024 NRT 000015

Clifford Thomas Name of Deceased Settlor

NOTICE OF EXISTENCE OF REVOCABLE TRUST

Clifford Thomas whose address was 6222 North Dakota Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20011 created a revocable trust on October 24th, 2012, which remained in existence on the date of his death on December 2nd, 2020, and Meauvell E. Tate, whose address is 7413 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012, is the currently acting trustee, hereinafter the Trustee. Communications to the Trust should be mailed or directed to Meauvell E. Tate at 7413 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012.

The Trust is subject to claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expense of the deceased settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the deceased settlor’s residuary probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances.

Claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors are barred as against the Trustee and the trust property unless presented to the Trustee at the address provided herein on or before 10/25/2024 (6 month after the date of the first publication of this notice.) An action to contest the validity of this trust must be commenced by the earliest of (1), 12/2/2021 (One year from date of death of deceased settlor) (2) 10/25/2024, 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice) or (3) Ninety days after the Trustee sends the person a copy of the trust instrument and a notice informing the person of the trust’s existence, of the Trustee’s name and address, and of the time allowed for commencing a proceeding.

The Trustee may proceed to distribute the trust property in accordance with the terms of the trust before the expiration of the time within which an action must be commenced unless the Trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding contesting the validity of the trust or the Trustee has received notice from a potential contestant who thereafter commences a judicial proceeding within sixty days after notification.

This Notice must be mailed postmarked within 15 days of its first publication to each heir and qualified beneficiary of the trust and any other person who would be an interested person within the meaning of D.C. Code 20-101(d).

Date of First Publication: 4/25/2024

Meauvell E. Tate Signature of Trustee

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 000976

Fatima Hardcastle aka Fatima El Bal Decedent

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

Zoubida Altayib, whose address is 631 Peace Chance Drive, Havre de Grace, MD 21078, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Fatima Hardcastle aka Fatima El Bal who died on March 31, 2022 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2024. 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 10/25/2024, 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: 4/25/2024

Zoubida Altayib

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION

2024 NRT 16

Michael W. Fletcher Name of Deceased Settlor

NOTICE OF EXISTENCE OF REVOCABLE TRUST

Michael W. Fletcher whose address was 1800 Sudbury Road NW, Washington, DC 20012 created a revocable trust on March 17, 2023, which remained in existence on the date of his death on 11/22/2023, and Quindella Fletcher, whose address is 1800 Sudbury Road NW, Washington, DC 20012, is the currently acting trustee, hereinafter the Trustee. Communications to the Trust should be mailed or directed to Quindella Fletcher at 1800 Sudbury Road NW, Washington, DC 20012.

The Trust is subject to claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expense of the deceased settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the deceased settlor’s residuary probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances.

Claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors are barred as against the Trustee and the trust property unless presented to the Trustee at the address provided herein on or before 10/25/2024 (6 month after the date of the first publication of this notice.) An action to contest the validity of this trust must be commenced by the earliest of (1), 11/22/2024 (One year from date of death of deceased settlor) (2) 10/25/2024, 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice) or (3) Ninety days after the Trustee sends the person a copy of the trust instrument and a notice informing the person of the trust’s existence, of the Trustee’s name and address, and of the time allowed for commencing a proceeding.

The Trustee may proceed to distribute the trust property in accordance with the terms of the trust before the expiration of the time within which an action must be commenced unless the Trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding contesting the validity of the trust or the Trustee has received notice from a potential contestant who thereafter commences a judicial proceeding within sixty days after notification.

This Notice must be mailed postmarked within 15 days of its first publication to each heir and qualified beneficiary of the trust and any other person who would be an interested person within the meaning of D.C. Code 20-101(d).

Date of First Publication: 4/25/2024

Quindella Fletcher Signature of Trustee

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 000459

Estate of Emma L. Wilson aka Emma Louise Peterson Green Wilson

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Kimberly G. Anderson for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives.

Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: 4/25/2024

Aimee D. Griffin 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 FEP 000037

August 15, 2022

Date of Death

Juliet Wei Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Peter Wei whose address is 235 Route 209, Port Jervis, NY 12771 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Juliet Wei, deceased, by the Surrogates’s Court for Orange County, State of New York, on December 18, 2023. Service of process may be made upon Wei Wu 1301 Delaware Ave., SW N501, Washington, DC 20024 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 1311 Delaware Ave., SW Unit S439, Washington, DC 20024. 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: 5/2/2024

Peter Wei Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 000418

Cynthia Malvina Reid Bruton Decedent

Steve Larson-Jackson 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

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

Vincent Cedric Bruton, whose address is 604 Halifax Place, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Cynthia Malvina Reid Bruton who died on 3/7/2024 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 11/2/2024. 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 11/2/2024, 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: 5/2/2024

Vincent Cedric Bruton 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

2024 FEP 000039

February 25, 2024

Date of Death

Frank Peace, Jr. aka F. J. Peace Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Veronica L. Haney-Singleton whose address is 1402 Haney Branch Road, Summerville, SC 29486 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Frank Peace, Jr. aka F. J. Peace, deceased, by the Probate Court for Berkeley County, State of South Carolina, on March 7, 2024. Service of process may be made upon James H. Bennett 601 Allison Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 1418 Van Buren Street, NW, Washington, DC 20018. 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: 05/02/2024

Veronica L. Haney-Singleton 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 1123

Beatrice T. Coleman aka Beatrice Thelma Coleman Decedent

Joan M. Wilbon 1649 K Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

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

Lawrence D. Coleman and Mack Arnold Coleman, whose addresses are 811 Delafield St., NE, Washington DC 20017 and 1125 Heritage Place Apt. C, Waldorf, MD 20602, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Beatrice T. Coleman aka Beatrice Thelma Coleman who died on December 25, 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 11/2/2024. 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 11/2/2024, 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: 5/2/2024

Lawrence D. Coleman

Mack Arnold Coleman

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

2024 ADM 000429

Randell Herrion West Decedent

Melody Miles Haynes 14605 Elm St., #1219 Upper Marlboro, MD 20773

Attorney

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

Linda Ann Covington, whose address is 6935 Emerson Street, Hyattsville, MD 20784, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Randell Herrion West who died on August 10, 2022 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/2/2024. 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 11/2/2024, 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: 5/2/2024

Linda Ann Covington 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 2024 ADM 000434

Mary C. Stancil Decedent

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

Mildred E. Dunmore, whose address is 1707 Columbia Rd., NW #208, Washington, DC 20009, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary C. Stancil who died on 8/1/2004 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 11/2/2024. 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 11/2/2024, 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: 5/2/2024

Mildred E. Dunmore 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

2024 ADM 000463

Virginia L. Taylor Decedent

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

Attorney

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

Anita L. Boone, whose address is 4865 Orchard Gardens Court, White Plains, MD 20695, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Virginia L. Taylor who died on February 27, 2024 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 11/9/2024. 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 11/9/2024, 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: 5/9/2024

Anita L. Boone 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 2024 ADM 000428

Christine C. Chen aka Christine Chung-Heng Chen aka Christine Chen Decedent

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

Christian Garaud, whose address is 2939 Van Ness St., NW, Apt 1021, Washington, DC 20008, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Christine C. Chen aka Christine Chung-Heng Chen aka Christine Chen who died on March 12, 2024 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 11/9/2024. 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 11/9/2024, 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: 5/9/2024

Christian Garaud 2939 Van Ness St. NW, Apt. 1021 Washington, DC 20008

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

2024 ADM 000416

Michael Joseph Reidy, Jr. aka Michael Joseph Reidy Decedent

Lisa M. Nentwig, Esq. Dilworth Paxson LLP 1500 Market Street, Suite 3500E Philadelphia, PA 19102

Attorney

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

Rosalie C. Werback, whose address is 4114 Davis Place NW, Apt 107, Washington, DC 20007, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Michael Joseph Reidy, Jr. aka Michael Joseph Reidy who died on 1/19/2024 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 11/9/2024. 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 11/9/2024, 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: 5/9/2024

Rosalie C. Werback 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

2024 ADM 000435

Sonalee Asim aka Sonalee Gooch aka Sonalee Jobanputra Decedent

Leanne Fryer Broyles, Esq. Frost Law 839 Bestgate Road, Suite 400 Annapolis, MD 21401 Attorney

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

Mahdi Asim, whose address is 424 Ingraham St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Sonalee Asim aka Sonalee Gooch aka Sonalee Jobanputra who died on February 17, 2024 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 11/9/2024. 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 11/9/2024, 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: 5/9/2024

Mahdi Asim 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 1107

Tina Marie Lloyd Jenkins Decedent

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

Shelbie Lloyd, whose address is 1100 Eastern Avenue, NE, Apt., 405, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Tina Marie Lloyd Jenkins who died on 4/24/2023 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 (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, sD.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before. 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, 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: 5/9/2024

Shelbie Lloyd 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

2024 ADM 000233

Alfred J. Price, Jr. Decedent

Kathy Brissette-Minus, Esq. Law Office of Kathy Brissette-Minus, LLC 9701 Apollo Dr., Suite 230 Largo, MD 20774 Attorney

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

Brandon Williams-Price, whose address is 4118 Leisure Drive, Temple Hills, MD 20748, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Alfred J. Price, Jr. who died on March 1, 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 11/9/2024. 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 11/9/2024, 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: 5/9/2024

Brandon Williams-Price Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

ENCAMPMENT from Page 1

government.

This shutdown puts an end, at least for the time being, an act of civil disobedience aimed at compelling GWU’s divestment from Israel and companies that support its government, the university’s disclosure of endowments and investments, and protection of pro-Palestinian speech on campus.

Several students, including those who agreed to speak anonymously, said the early morning raid only strengthens their resolve to protest what they call GWU’s brazen and fullblown support of Zionism.

“This makes us louder about our demands for divestment and disclosure,” one student told The Informer. “What is suspension in the face of genocide? We don’t even talk about Palestine or Israel in the classroom. We learn about journalism, ethics and the right way to do things, but it doesn’t exist. Those are the parts of the conversation that never come up.”

On Wednesday, MPD Chief Pamela Smith said the raid followed six warnings by officers. She told reporters that 33 people have been arrested, mostly for unlawful entry and assault of a police officer. A small portion have been arrested for

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2024 ADM 000453

Patricia Y. Johnson Decedent

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

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

Deidre Johnson UNK Deidre, whose address is 3209 Walbridge Place, NW, Washington, DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Patricia Y. Johnson who died on January 21, 2024 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 11/9/2024. 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 11/9/2024, 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: 5/9/2024

Deidre Johnson UNK Deidre Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

assault on a police officer. It has yet to be determined how many of those who’ve been arrested are GWU students. However, MPD officials said that some of those who were detained came from another protest group that approached the encampment from 20th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue during the raid and clashed with officers.

During that encounter, officers used pepper spray, an MPD official said. By sunrise, MPD officers closed off the portion of H Street between 20th Street and 21st Street in Northwest where University Yard, the site of the encampment, is located. No one was allowed into the area as MPD officers and staff members cleared out the space and checked for weapons and other contraband that MPD officials said they learned about in the course of an investigation that started when students erected the encampment.

The early morning raid took place just hours before D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and Smith were scheduled to speak before the U.S. House Oversight Committee about D.C.’s response to “unlawful activity and antisemitism.’ Bowser, who spoke with Congressman James Comer (R-KY), said the hearing would most likely be canceled.

Comer later confirmed that in a statement.

Bowser, who said she had also been in communication with GWU officials for several days, described the early morning raid as apolitical and a matter of public safety. Per MPD, factors that compelled the early morning action included reports of an assault on a GWU police officer, people attempting to break into buildings, encroachment on the encampment by counterprotesters, and collaboration with protesters from Columbia University in New York City.

“As tensions evolve, our community has demonstrated our values and constitutional responsibilities,” Bowser said on Wednesday. “Our responses to demonstrations are always rooted in public safety and constitutional responsibility. The chief and her team have the final word as experts.”

The GWU encampment launched on April 25 when 300 student-protesters took over GWU’s University Yard. Within a day of tents going up, GWU police officers set up a barricade around University Yard. Even though people were free to leave without consequence, several activists opted to stay inside the barricade.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

WI

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS

Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the following classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it s illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in US dollars. 800 numbers may or may not reach Canada.

MEDIABIDS MISCELLANEOUS

Become a Published Author. We want to Read Your Book! Dorrance Publishing-Trusted by Authors Since 1920 Book manuscript submissions are currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution Call for Your Free Author`s Guide 1-877-420-7280 or visit http://dorranceinfo. com/informer

Two great new offers from AT&T Wireless! Ask how to get the new iPhone 11 or Next Generation Samsung Galaxy S10e ON US with AT&T's Buy one, Give One offer. While supplies last! CALL 1-877-370-2155

Switch to DISH and get up to a $300 gift card! Plus get the Multisport pack included for a limited time! Hurry, call for details: 1-855402-3370

SAVE 67% PLUS 4 FREE BURGERS - The Favorite Feast - ONLY $49.99.     ORDER Today 1-888-318-1190 Use Code 48643VFW or www.OmahaSteaks.com/ ffmb93

Do you know your Testosterone Levels? Call 888-692-5146 and ask about our test kits and get a FREE Trial of Progene All-Natural Testosterone Supplement

Diabetes/Cholesterol/Weight Loss Bergamonte, a Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with amazing results. Call today and save 15 percent off your first bottle! 866-640-5982

ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE talking meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-421-1874

READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus s h.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today! 1-866-680-1822

Any laptop repaired just $79. Macs too. REALLY! FREE Fedex shipping! $69 extra for screen or motherboard replacement. CALL Authorized Laptop Repair Specialists 1-866437-6184

Ever Consider a Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & Increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888-420-4716

READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus s h.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today! 1-866-680-1822

Personalized holiday gifts for Everyone on your list! Save 20 percent off qualifying products from Personal Creations! To redeem this offer, visit www.PersonalCreations.com/ Beauty or Call 1-888-732-0679

Diabetes/Cholesterol/Weight Loss Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with fast acting results within 30 days. Call to hear about our special offer 866-640-5982

ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE Talking Meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-421-1874

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS. You WIN or Pay Us Nothing. Contact Disability Group, Inc. Today! BBB Accredited. Call For Your FREE Book & Consultation. 888-6495110

Attention Joint & Muscle Pain Sufferers: Clinically proven all-natural supplement helps reduce pain and enhance mobility. Call 888-760-5952 to try Hydraflexin RISK-FREE for 90 days.

HEAT YOUR HOME FOR 5¢ AN HOUR! Portable infrared iHeater heats 1000 sq. ft. Slashes your heating bills by 50%.  FREE Shipping too! Use claim code 6239 WAS $499 NOW $279 Call 1-866-784-5182

CADNET & NANI CLASSIFIED NETWORK

HEALTH & FITNESS

VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! 50 Generic Pills

SPECIAL $99.00. 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-445-5928 Hablamos Español

Dental insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400+ procedures. Real dental insurance - not just a discount plan. Get your free Information Kit with details! 1-855-526-1060 www. dental50plus.com/ads #6258

Attention oxygen therapy users! Discover oxygen therapy that moves with you with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. Free information kit. 1-866-477-9045

HOME SERVICES

Aging Roof? New Homeowner? Got Storm Damage? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888878-9091

Water damage cleanup: A small amount of water can cause major damage to your home. Our trusted professionals dry out wet areas & repair to protect your family & your home value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809. Have zip code!

Professional lawn service: Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Call now for a free quote. Ask about our first application special! 1-833-606-6777

MISCELLANEOUS

Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase* Call 1-855-948-6176 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936 Bath & shower updates in as little as 1 day!

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS

Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts available. 1-877-543-9189Change In Ad Copy - Wording & Phone #!

Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398

Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ ads

Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-479-1516

Safe Step. North America's #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855417-1306

Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation ExpertsOver $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. 833-308-1971

DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405

Diagnosed with lung cancer & 65+? You may qualify for a substantial cash award. No obligation! We've recovered millions. Let us help! Call 24/7 1-877-707-5707

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-433-8277

Replace your roof w/the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install (military, health & 1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234

Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer.) Offer ends 6/30/24. Call 1-844-501-3208

Don't let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-833-3993595

Home break-ins take less than 60 seconds. Don't wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets now for as little as 70¢/day! 1-844-591-7951

MobileHelp America's premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you're home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! Call 1-888489-3936

MID ATLANTIC COMMUNITY PAPERS ASSOCIATION CLASSIFIED NETWORK (MACNET)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Become a Published Author. We want to Read Your Book! Dorrance Publishing-Trusted by Authors Since 1920 Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution Call for Your Free Author`s Guide 1-866-482-1576 or visit dorranceinfo.com/macnet

Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material -- steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer -- up to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-855-338-4807

AUTO DONATIONS/AUTOS WANTED

Get your deduction ahead of the year-end! Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous year-end tax credit. Call Heritage for the Blind Today at 1-844-320-2804 today!

¿¡#VEHICLE REPOSSESSED#¡¿ You may be entitled to substantial money and improved credit. REPO ALERT! FREE LEGAL ADVICE 1-800-601-0808.

FINANCIAL SERVICES / PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

¿¡#RUINED CREDIT FROM CAR REPO#¡¿ REPO ALERT! You may be entitled to substantial money and improved credit. FREE LEGAL ADVICE 1-800-601-0808.

FOR SALE

Switch and save up to $250/year on your talk, text and data. No contract and no hidden fees. Unlimited talk and text with flexible data plans. Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based customer service. For more information, call 1-888-684-1169

HEALTH/MEDICAL

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-877-553-1891 www.dental50plus. com/macnet #6258

DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER and 65+?

You may qualify for a substantial cash award. NO obligation! We’ve recovered millions. Let us help!! Call 24/7, 1-866-590-5563

Stroke and Cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special offer - 5 screenings for just $149. Call 1-866-518-8391

Don’t let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-844-317-5246

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-855-465-7624 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

Safe Step. North America ’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-833-356-1954

CLASSIFIEDS

The bathroom of your dreams in as little as 1 day. Limited Time Offer - $1000 off or No Payments and No Interest for 18 months for customers who qualify. BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Call Today! 1-877-5402780

The Generac PWRcell, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services available. $0 Down Financing Option. Request a FREE, no obligation, quote today. Call 1-866-783-0292

MISCELLANEOUS

DIRECTV OVER INTERNET - Get your favorite live TV, sports and local channels. 99% signal reliability! CHOICE Package, $84.99/mo for 12 months. HBO Max and Premium Channels included for 3 mos (w/CHOICE Package or higher.) No annual contract, no hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-6296086

Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-855-224-7694

REPOSSESSED VEHICLE

You may be entitled to substantial money and improved credit. REPO ALERT! FREE LEGAL ADVICE 1-800-601-0808.

Need IRS Relief $10K - $125K+ Get Fresh Start or Forgiveness Call 1-877-705-1472 Monday through Friday 7AM-5PM PST

WANTED

BUYING CLASSIC CARS, TRUCKS, SUVs **American and Foreign** Any Condition. Buying entire car collections. $$PAYING CA$H$$ Please call 717-577-8206 KRMiller1965@yahoo.com

WANTED! MOTORCYCLES & MINI BIKES! ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Triumph, BSA, and other foreign models. $$PAYING CA$H$$ 717-5778206 KRMiller1965@yahoo.com

MARYLAND STATEWIDE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING NETWORK

MISC. FOR SALE

Get Boost Infinite! Unlimited Talk, Text and Data For Just $25/mo! The Power Of 3 5G Networks, One Low Price! Call Today and Get The Latest iPhone Every Year On Us! 855977-5719

Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator. $0 Money Down + Low Monthly Payment Options. Request a FREE Quote. Call now before the next power outage: 1-855-993-0969

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-855-337-5228 www.dental50plus. com/MDDC #6258

VEHICLES WANTED

DONATE YOUR CAR/TRUCK/RV - Lutheran Mission Society of MD Compassion Place ministries help local families with food, clothing, counseling. Tax deductible. MVA licensed #W1044. 410-228-8437 www. CompassionPlace.org

Teron, Jr. counted among those who stormed the Hospital for Sick Children Pediatric Center in Northeast in support of a mother fighting for reunification with her daughter and autonomy over her daughter’s longterm medical care.

Best told The Informer that the situation, among several, provides ample opportunity for Teron, Jr., 12, and her other children, Taniyah, 15 and Taan, 7, to gain real-world experience and find their voice as activists.

Teron, Jr., a student advocate and scholar-activist who attends the Social Justice School in Northeast, most recently came into his own as a young person speaking out against sexual abuse and assault.

As her family pursues justice and equity, Best explains how she puts systems in place to ensure that her children find their voice as young activists.

“In our household, we are a dynamic team and partners in a life journey,” Best said. “We go out as a team and do speaking engagements. If we can find a program that allows us to serve, then we will sign up and make ourselves available.”

For 15 years, Best has taken her children along on the ride as she traveled across the District, imparting wisdom and organizing with other parents around their healing and self-determination. That journey started at Training Grounds, Inc. in Southeast, where Best learned how to engage community members and serve as a liaison between residents and service providers.

These days, Best partners with the Social Justice School as a parent liaison and community engagement specialist. She will soon speak before the D.C. Public Charter School Board in support of the Social Justice School’s move to a new building. She’s also pursuing a partnership with the School of Harvest, an up-and-coming local Montessori school.

Within the greater D.C. community, Best hosts events about various topics, including motherhood, resource gaps, and bullying. She also conducts virtual empowerment sessions where mothers have candid conversations, and a monthly teen and adult open mic in collaboration with Lamond-RIggs/Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library in Northeast.

Another aspect of Best’s activism involves nature walks she goes on with men and children. During those walks, Best gets to spend time with her children while engaging participants in discussion about past trauma and how to make room for mental, spir-

itual and financial health. Best said she relishes in spending time with Taniyah, who she said is coming into her own as a teenager and encountering problems similar to what Best experienced. She said that she does her best to forge a bond with Taniyah and provide experiences and resources that she didn’t receive as a child.

Despite a barrage of adverse childhood experiences, including sexual and physical abuse at the hands of men, Best continues to persevere with what she calls greater clarity about her life’s purpose. And she does so with her children by her side and at the forefront of her mind.

“My life was designed for activism,” Best said. “I tell mothers to be patient and kind with themselves, to make peace and always seek a greater understanding… It’s not about what we’re going through but what we’re getting into. If you allow things to happen to you, then they do, but if you allow them to happen for you, then you can grow.”

ROLE MODELING AUTHENTICITY IN THE FIGHT FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

When Jaren Hill Lockridge first moved to D.C., her son Stefan was four weeks old. Now he’s a high school sophomore and he has 5-year-old twin sisters, Jhene and Jheni.

“At the beginning of my career, it was really about being the best mom I could be for my son,” Hill Lockridge said. “Now, I'm also the mother of two beautiful Black identical twin girls in Ward 8.

She said she’s learned a lot aoout motherhood over the years.

“Being a mom, being a wife, being a daughter is always in relationship to somebody else. But being a woman, being myself—it's about being who I am authentically… And showing my daughters what it means for me to be a healthy, whole woman, not in relationship to someone else, but just as myself.”

Hill Lockridge leads the Ward 8 Health Council and works to advocate for and build “place-based” food justice and environmental wellness for Ward 8. Currently, she is working with Dreaming Out Loud on plans to start up a new market on Marion Barry Avenue. Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

WI

annually.

Jeter said her job salary provided the primary finances to raise her 12 children, but she did get TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) to supplement needs at times for her family.

Although nine men have fathered Jeter’s 12 children, the entire dozen share her last name.

“I got absolutely no help from the children’s fathers with some exceptions,” she said. “None gave 100%. Some maybe gave 15%. I never asked for child support. I never turned them against their Dad.”

Jeter’s Dozen

Her eldest is Shannon Michelle, who is 43 and works as an entrepreneur in the hairstyle industry; the next oldest is Andrea Renee, a 40-year-old federal government employee. Following her is 39-year-old Tyria Paula, who also works for the federal government, and her next sibling in age is Lakia Maria, 35, a paralegal.

The eldest male child is Gary, 33, who works as a driver, while his next in line brother, David, 32, is employed. Robert, the third oldest male died while incarcerated in Victorville, California.

Anthony, 28, works as a host, as does Melvin, 25. Honors student Neshawn is a 20-year-old graduating senior at Spelman College in Atlanta, and she is followed by Christina Jeter Jr., 17, who attends Banneker High School in Northwest.

The youngest of Jeter’s clan is Chloe, a 13-year-old at the School Without Walls Frances-Stevens Middle School.

THE TRAGEDY OF ROBERT’S UNDETERMINED DEATH IN PRISON

With all her children gainfully employed or thriving as students, and Jeter’s own wins over the years, one of the most painful episodes that she still deals with is the death of one of her sons, Robert.

“Robert was charged with carjacking and armed robbery in 2011,” Jeter said. “He was not the carjacker, but he was with the person who committed the crime.”

Jeter said her son got a 12-year, nine-month sentence in 2012. While he was incarcerated, Jeter said she wrote him letters, sent him money, and visited him when she could. At the time of his death, Robert was

incarcerated at California’s USP Victorville facility. He died on October 27, 2023 at the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, California according to coroner records.

According to a report from NBC 4 News, Jeter was told by a doctor from Arrowhead that Robert had been beaten so severely his brain had swollen and hemorrhaged and liver had split. However, those injuries were not corroborated by the prison or Bureau of Prisons, and the San Bernardino County ruled his cause of death as “undetermined.”

Jeter told The Informer, she has yet to receive a definitive answer from prison officials on how or why Robert died.

“I do not have an autopsy report or a death certificate,” Jeter said. “I have tried to talk with prison officials, but they will not talk to me. I have tried working with the Bureau of Prisons, but they give me the run-around. I am still going through this experience.”

CELEBRATING WINS

While she is still grappling with Robert’s death, Jeter makes it clear that she is proud of all her children accomplishing what they may despite difficulties.

For instance, she beams when speaking of Newshawn.

“Neshawn will be graduating from Spelman with honors on May 19,” Jeter said. “She will be graduating with a degree in Economics. Her plans are to get a master’s degree in economics and eventually a Ph. D in the field.”

Jeter said early in the last decade, Neshawn won first prize in a writing competition sponsored by then first lady Michelle Obama. Her piece ran in the New York Times and is part of a published book, Jeter said.

“Because she won the contest and

her piece ran in the New York Times, the Obamas invited Neshawn to the White House so they could meet her,” she said.

Jeter said Neshawn showed academic promise early in life, so much that the principal at her elementary school, School Without Walls at Frances-Stevens, wanted to skip her from sixth grade to eighth grade. However, Jeter declined the offer.

“I did not feel comfortable with Neshawn being with those older kids,” she said. “So, the principal worked it out where Neshawn would take her AP-English and AP-Math courses with the older kids and come back with her own classmates the rest of the time.”

Jeter said Christina Jr. has shown an interest in entrepreneurship and has opened up a hairstyling business.

“Christina cuts hair for men and women,” Jeter said. “She can do the hairstyles that are popular today. Christina is also at the Honor Society at Banneker. She is interested in attending Howard University.”

Jeter said Chloe has established herself as a track competitor, running in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) meets in the 100 meters, 400 meters and 4X4 relay.

REFLECTING ON A MOTHER’S PERSEVERANCE

Jeter’s oldest daughter Shannon speaks highly of her mother.

“Being raised by Christina, it was what it was,” said Shannon, a resident of Fort Washington, Maryland, who her mom birthed at 15-yearsold.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

WI

5 Although times have not always been easy for Christina Jeter, a mother of 12, she will be celebrating her children’s wins and the joys of motherhood this Mother’s Day season.

(Courtesy Photo/Christina Jeter)

CROWELL

from Page 28

the wage gap for full-time workers by gender improved, but when race and ethnicity were factored into the analysis, a substantial wage gap grew.

The median income of white men in 2023 increased more than all other groups, but IWPR found substantial wage gaps for Latinas and Black women. Weekly median wages for Black women dropped to 65.8% in 2023, down from the previous year's 67.4%. Similarly, Latina wages fell from 2022's 61.4% to 59.2% in 2023.

The highest-paying occupations — management, business, and finance positions — brought white men a median weekly income of $1,905, according to IWPR. But these same occupations paid Black men $1,488, and Black women earned even less at $1,287 per week.

By comparison, service occupations — paying less than other occupations such as sales, construction, and transportation — paid median full-time weekly wages of $917 to white men, and $749 to Black men. Black women and Latinas earned even less in these occupations, with Black women taking home median weekly wages of $654, and Latinas earning $646.

Even compared to workers of the same race or ethnicity women continued to earn less as full-time

MARSHALL from Page 28

still send its students to Atlanta's school district. Members of both parties understood the magnitude of having Atlanta divided into two separate jurisdictions.

Despite the problems, both sides are stronger together as one city rather than becoming two broken and weak jurisdictions. It is a message of unity that took years to accept in Georgia. Still, the idea of maintaining a unified city was overruled in the case of the Louisiana state capital city. A predominantly white section of the city of Baton Rouge is now allowed to secede from the majority-Black city.

After the Louisiana Supreme Court overturned a lower court's ruling, an eastern Baton Rouge parish will now be known as the city of St. George, ending a hostile and divisive 10-year campaign that

workers. For every dollar a Black man earned Black women earned 91.6 cents. Latinas earned even less, earning 87.4 cents for every dollar earned by a Latino man.

"Tackling profound gender and racial wage gaps requires a variety of policies," states the IWPR report. "These include addressing discrimination in all aspects of employment and tackling occupational segregation and its consequences, both by improving women's access to and retention in well-paid jobs predominantly held by men and by improving earnings and job quality in undervalued jobs predominantly held by women."

A report from the Urban Institute, "How Policymakers Can Close the Wealth Gap for Black Women," asserts that any serious proposals to eliminate lingering and widespread barriers to wealth

building must address the monthly costs that deny the ability to save money: lower women's wages, child care costs, student loan payments, and unaffordable health care.

"Policies that help Black women afford rent, child care, education, and food would allow them to pursue higher-paying employment opportunities and increase their ability to afford basic expenses, save, and invest in assets," states the Urban Institute report.

To remedy these historic inequities, the Urban Institute calls for policymakers to:

• Make college more affordable.

• Ensure pay equity and support for women entrepreneurs.

• Expand access to caregiving services and affordable health care.

• Make mortgages more accessible.

WI

"Policies that help Black women afford rent, child care, education, and food would allow them to pursue higher-paying employment opportunities and increase their ability to afford basic expenses, save, and invest in assets," states the Urban Institute report.

divides wealthy white residents from poorer Black neighborhoods.

Residents and parents living in the proposed city of St. George now face the same dilemma as those residing in Buckhead: schools.

Should a new St. George school district come to pass, children will likely be forced out of their current schools because they would be unable to live in one district and attend school in another. Be careful what you ask for. There are 8,349 pupils living in the proposed St. George school district but attend school elsewhere. Where local and state

lawmakers in Georgia took into account the logistical nightmare involved in creating and running a new city, Louisiana lawmakers failed to address the realities of two cities with two school districts.

There are times when lawmakers must resist the racial pressures from within their communities,

where creating divisions becomes the quick-fix solution to social problems. This is particularly true with Republicans. The conservative school of thought will too often resist social change while tolerating social inequality. The liberal school of thought is the opposite, with the tendency to embrace social change while rejecting forms of inequality. Social inequality is the root cause of poverty.

Poverty leads to crime and underperforming schools: two issues that were driving the secession plans proposed in Georgia and Louisiana. Separation is not always the answer to complex social problems. Separation between the haves and have-nots. Separation due to fear or hate of "others." Separation due to pride and the sense of being superior. Separation based on cultural differences. Too many times, they will all have the backdrop of race. WI

Each week you’ll get news from The District of Columbia, Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Northern Virginia.

You will discover Arts and Entertainment, Social Tidbits, Religion, Sports, People’s Viewpoints, Letters to the Editor, Classified Ads and more! And best of all… No crime, no dirty gossip, just positive news and information each week, which is why…

The Washington Informer is all about you! Name

WILLIAMS from Page 29

please read the website, send it to your email list and call the White House on the first Tuesday you get my message. I've written messages to many churches to announce this to their congregations. I know there are many I didn't get to, so please share this message with your pastor or if you want me to send it, go to www.thedickgregorysociety.org or www.drefayewilliam-

MORIAL from Page 29

We know that efforts to suppress votes through intimidation, suppression, lack of access and other efforts to change the laws and make it harder are part of the strategy to keep our community from participating. In 2022 testimony to a Congressional Subcommittee studying "The Impact of Disinformation Targeted at Communities of Color" the head of the University of Texas Center for Media Engagement said: "Specific content is drafted as well as tactical behavior employed to influence minority groups. These targeted messages undermine our democracy as they work to alienate and disengage minority groups."

We see this over and over, so it shouldn't be a shock that in March

JEALOUS from Page 29

wildfires that are more common each summer.

A lot of these triggers are problems for people all over the country. Last summer, smoke pollution from wildfires in Canada blanketed much of the U.S., including Washington, D.C., where Kyla now lives.

"The impact of that wildfire smoke from Canada was significant. It was so bad, I remember I was in my car and my eyes were burning. I was driving in my car with a mask on because I couldn't breathe the air."

The wildfire smoke is expected to return this summer. It will be especially bad for residents of Chicago and others in the upper Midwest. And experts expect this fire season to be even worse than last year's because of "zombie fires" that have remained burning in Canadian forests throughout the winter under the snowpack.

Another important trigger for people living with asthma is sea-

sesq.com. There you will find every way you need to get acquainted with me and know how to reach me if you have questions or suggestions on what else I can do to provide the help Marilyn needs now or to tell me what you are willing to do that I haven't mentioned. This case has taken us to the latest civil rights movement. Please don't get left out. If you have children or grandchildren, working on this case is your opportunity to tell them you

2024 as the economy continued to grow stronger, we saw that Americans for Prosperity, the conservative think tank funded by the Koch Brothers, launched a very strategic and well-funded effort to Bidenomics and all the good news and positive outcomes for Americans from bipartisan policies that have led to the strongest post-recession recovery in U.S. history.

The sophisticated campaign led by AFP is both national and targeted in specific congressional districts, including a number of Black and Hispanic represented districts.

Millions of dollars are being spent on ads promoting a false narrative on the Biden administration's successful economic policies and to algorithmically profile voters who click on these misleading ads.

sonal allergies. One of the less discussed public health impacts of climate change is that both the length and severity of allergy season are on the rise. Among other factors, warming temperatures and higher quantities of carbon in the air contribute to various trees and plants producing more pollen and producing it for longer periods of time.

One recent study North America's pollen seasons from 1990 to 2018 found climate was a primary driver of allergy season lasting an average of 20 days longer. The same study found the concentration of pollen also went up by 21% over that time.

To mark World Asthma Day — and throughout May, which is Asthma Awareness Month — we should focus on preventing asthma attacks with the most comprehensive approach possible. That means making sure asthma medicines are in schools and co-pays for inhalers remain low — initiatives being pursued by organizations like the Respiratory Health

worked on another civil rights movement.

As Black people, we must know that the freedom we have now is because a lot of our ancestors and a few others like Viola Liuzzo worked to get us the rights we have today. Some even died. We are responsible for not only preserving those rights as Marilyn Mosby was doing, but expanding them. Don't forget to vote in every election. WI

As I said in my introduction to this year's state of Black America, "Our abiding commitment to freedom is undermined by discriminatory voter ID laws, gerrymandering, the shuttering of polling places in predominantly minority neighborhoods, limits on early voting, and reckless purging of voter rolls."

It is also undermined by divisive disinformation. We know that before any election gets here, anti-racial justice forces will push false narratives and disinformation designed to depress us and divide us in America. By every factor that matters, it is important to remember that Bidenomics Works. These "Swiftboat" tactics that target us on our phones and in our computers are a dangerous tactic we must remain vigilant about as we fight on for justice and equality. WI

Association and some members of the Illinois legislature. It means educating the public about asthma. It means tackling the climate crisis, which worsens allergy season and the prevalence of wildfires. And it means addressing all sources of air pollution from combustion engine vehicles to dirty power sources like coal and gas.

At age 14, Nathan from Skokie was one of many Illinois youth living with asthma who teamed up with the Respiratory Health Association and other groups to help pass Illinois' Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021. He said, "It affects your everyday life all the time; it's not just when you take your inhaler, you're always thinking about it and it's always affecting you."

We owe it to Nathan, Kyla and the tens of millions of children and adults in the U.S. living with asthma to solve the pressing environmental problems making their lives harder.

WI

As President Biden noted in his statement on the 25th anniversary of the Columbine massacre, the families who have lost loved ones to gun violence have only one message: Do something.

POWER OF THE BALLOT

Maryland Early Voting: May 2 - 9, 2024 MD Presidential Primary Election Day: May 14, 2024

7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PROTECT YOUR VOTE 1 2 3 4

VERIFY your Registration Status and Your Poll Location Before Election Day by calling your local Board of Elections, 1-866-MYVOTE1 (1-866-6986831) or visit.vote.org.

VERIFY the proper identification needed to vote in advance. Be sure to TAKE PROPER ID TO VOTE. To check ID requirements for your state visit:vote.org

VERIFY that YOU will be in town on Election Day – If available in your community, vote early or absentee ballot. To verify the rules in your state, call 1-866-OURVOTE (1-866-687-8683).

5 6 7

STAND YOUR GROUNDif there is a problem at the polls you have a right to cast a provisional ballot if you are certain you are a registered voter

YOU HAVE A RIGHT to file a complaint if your rights have been violated. If you need assistance call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

VOTE EARLY OR ON ELECTION DAY IN YOUR STATE. For more information go to unitycampaign.org

DON’T BE AFRAID TO REQUEST HELP from poll workers. Poll workers are there to help YOU.