The Washington Informer - November 14, 2013 by The Washington Informer

“You can’t make positive choices for the rest of your life without an environment that makes those choices easy, natural, and enjoyable.” – Deepak Chopra

Askia Muhammad Suggests Firing NFL Team Owner See Page 26 •

C e l e b r a t i n g 4 9 Ye a r s o f S e r v i c e

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Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area / Vol. 49, No. 5 Nov. 14 - Nov. 20 2013

Remembering Our Veterans! Vietnam Veteran W.T. Walley, 67, a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, shares stories with his grandson, Mykah Walley, 11, about the soldiers who he served with while in Vietnam on Veterans Day. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah

UDC Focused on Program Cuts, Accreditation By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer A year ago, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) appeared to be in big trouble. An inadequate accounting system – to which university officials reluctantly conceded in 2011 – allowed spending in

unauthorized areas – including extravagant trips abroad by then-President Allen Sessoms. Also, while UDC officials hustled to make ends meet, enrollment languished, cost-of-living increases came to a standstill and university officials’ considered slashing programs and personnel.

But only after the city refused to cough up $4 million last year to fund 25 severance packages, did the Board of Trustees get serious about a new vision: They fired Sessoms, who’d insisted the cuts were needed to steer the university toward greater operating efficiency. “We have been put in a posi-

tion by the funding mechanism to cut back on spending, and in doing so, we’ve had to look at how much flexibility we have regarding faculty and staff size and facilities costs,” Sessoms said in October 2012. This past summer, however, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson participated in a retreat with

Visit us online for daily updates and much more @ www.washingtoninformer.com. Walter Reed Development Team Named Page 12

Urban League’s Maudine Cooper Honored Page 27

UDC officials where the school’s strategic plan took center stage. During the three-day gathering, Mendelson recalled discussing the school’s plight with his council colleagues. “The view [among us] was that the university was in a bit

D.C. Sports Teams Look to Secure Fan Base Page 38

See UDC on Page 8 and on DCTV 95 & 96

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AROUND THE REGION Black Facts Page 6 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Pages 14-15 NORTHERN VIRGINIA Page 23 COMMENTARIES Pages 25-26 RELIGION Lyndia Grant’s Religion Column

John W. Franklin, left, director of partnerships and international programs at the most recent Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture keeps the legacy of his father alive. The esteemed Dr. John Hope Franklin, right, who died in 2009, was a historian, and former president of the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the Southern Historical Association. He also published From Slavery to Freedom, in 1947. /WI Archives

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Women Break the Cycle of Domestic Violence By Tia Carol Jones

law enforcement. She said they threat,” she said. had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow sense of uniformity in the way wants to see implemented are When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights for victim's families of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a viclife, and the life of their child, story, her own personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assessshe knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecof the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselstart the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiStudents who attend Middle School and Eastern High Anacostia River. /CourtesywePhoto “It seems to be Eliot-Hine a vicious cycle person can get it.” SheSchool said atrow theon thecate domestic violence, must that won't turn my family end of the day, the book will look at both sides of the coin. loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicshared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise boat, and rowed on the “It’s all about exposure, “said By Sam P.K. Collins Municipal Center. The sympo- tomed who was sentenced to six consecawareness among children in Anacostia River. Young, 32. “ It’s exposure to WI siumStaff wasWriter sponsored by the utive life terms without parole public and private schools.their She kids initially weren’t on Family and Youth Services by“The a Maryland jury for his roletoo in city feelsthrough childrenthis needexperience to be educatexcited about sitting [on] the erCenter of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in the Anacostia River.violence. [Rowing] is ed about domestic Eight students from Eliot-Hine said Aisling Casey, 19,is a sport Heightsand andEastern the National Hook- gometers,” 2002. Mildred Muhammad “We they havedon’t to stop beingseepasMiddle High Schools typically in Up of Black Women. Serve YourofCity tutor vol- DCPS. founder After the and Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor recently showcased their newly ac- athe It [has the potential] tochilcreMarlow hasskills written a book, unteer. “When theythat finally got the on ate an organization helps dren about domestic violence,” quired rowing and received opportunities for them beyond “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a the survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. water, they realized their hard the honors before an audience of parDistrict,” said Young who lives story about four generations of work and their children. Marlow has worked to break [paid] off,” said Casey, a ents, teachers, and neighborhood in Southeast. domestic violence. The book is freshman “I livedatinThe fearGeorge for six Washingyears. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, volunteers theown Anacostia ComThe between Serve inspired byather experiences, years in fear iswho a long time. It is and is partnership confident the policies she ton University lives in Ridgemunity Boathouse Southeast. and those of heringrandmother, Your City and DC Strokes, locatnot an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that wood, N.J. event Themother Nov. 2nd her and herculminated daughter. of,” she said. process. in Southeast, came together in At the awards ceremony, they ed five of rowing She weeks said every time instruction she reads Mildred Muhammad said “I plan take these policies to April aftertorepresentatives from demonstrated the sponsored by DC Strokes,shea still lo- confidently excerpts from her book, people who want to help a the Congress and implore them to local nonprofit reached out of rowing, first taking the canrowing not believe the offers words activcame process cal club that domestic violence victim must to change our laws,” Marlow said. the rowing club to help orgaout of of thehow nearby boathouse fromfor her. “Color Butterfly” ities people of Me all skill levels, barge be careful they go into “I will not stop until these polinize for D.C. students. DC and holding it over their heads as won Serve the 2007 “Best the victim's life, and understand cies classes are passed.” and Your National City, a NorthStrokes relished they walked down to the river Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jonesthecanopportunity, be reached west-based nonprofit committed bank. They then loaded it onto citing what it saw as a lack of com“I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net to enhancing the student experiwater, hopped paddled my eye first blackened andPubmy the“Before you getin,toand 'I'm going munity awareness about the Anaence in District of Columbia their way around the river in a syn- costia lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WICommunity Boathouse. In lic Schools (DCPS) with an array Elaine Davis-Nickens, presi- chronizing motion with a rowing June, the groups launched a threeof extracurricular activities. dent of the National Hook-Up instructor at the head of the barge. week summer session in conjunc“We want to introduce kids to of Black Women, said there is no Tiffany Curry watched in tion with the D.C. Department the AnacostiainRiver and the Anaconsistency the way domestic awe as her daughter Niya, 14, an of Parks and Recreation, taking costia Association,” violenceBoathouse issues are dealt with by eighth-grader at Eliot-Hine in on eight students from Rosedale said Rachel Freedman, 36, head Northeast, worked with the other novice and winter training coach students to load the barge and row Recreation Center in Northeast, at DC Strokes. “[At the beginning on the river. She said that rowing before adjusting the curriculum of the program], we point out [fa- has captured the youngster’s atten- and launching the five-week fall miliar places like the nearby] skat- tion more than any other activity session. ing rink [in relation] to the boat- and she wants her to further deA spring session begins in house. We also try to talk about velop her skills after the program March and may include a largenvironmental activism in passing ends. er group of students. Maurice – like not putting your trash in the “She found a passion for this Cooke, founder and executive distreet,” said Freedman who lives in sport in five weeks,” said Curry, rector of Serve Your City, said the Northeast. 38. “At first, she was scared of the awards ceremony and community The rowing classes, which start- water but she learned to go out enthusiasm around rowing are ed in late-September, offered stu- there without a life jacket. It made signs of what he sees as a potendents an overview of the rowing her a team player and boosted her tially sustainable program. equipment, its functions, as well as self-esteem. Now she’s looking at “[There are no reasons] why basic techniques. Serve Your City the long-term – going to college students cannot have programvolunteers drove students to the and even becoming an Olympian,” ming like this east of the river,” Anacostia Community Boathouse said Curry who lives in Southeast. L.Y. Marlow said Cooke, 42. “Our goal is to on Tuesday evenings where they Tynika Young, principal at Eltrained on ergometers, indoor iot-Hine, said the rowing program, create collaborative programming rowing machines that simulate the first of its kind for both D.C. for both schools. Eventually, kids rowing activity and strengthen public schools, has given the stu- from this program will be able muscles. Toward the end of the dents options beyond basketball to go head-to-head with the best / www.washingtoninformer.com program, the group of students and football to explore for recre- rowers in the city,” said Cooke who lives in Northeast. wi stepped onto a barge, a flat-bot- ational activities. WI Staff Writer

Students Revel in Rowing

The Washington Informer Newspaper

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER Memoriam NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is InDenise Rolark Barnes Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. published weekly on each Thursday. Wilhelmina STAFFJ. Rolark Periodicals postage paid at Washing-

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We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.

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D.C. Statehood Advocates Offer Survey Stand Up! for Democracy in D.C. Coalition, a Northwest-based advocacy group that promotes District statehood, has recently released an online survey that asks the public about issues regarding the political rights of District citizens. “We want to see whether people support D.C. statehood or not,” said Anise Jenkins, a co-leader of the organization. “It is amazing that a lot of people around the country and the world do not know that District residents do not have voting representation in the U.S. Congress even though we do pay federal taxes. This survey is a part of the educational piece that we have.” Since 1997, the nonprofit has advocated for statehood unconditionally as the District’s ultimate political status. “We do not believe in breaking down each right,” Jenkins said, alluding to incrementalism, a concept supported by D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) and DC Vote in Northwest, which argues that the best path toward statehood must be achieved by taking small steps. “We want full [American] citizenship and the only way that can be achieved is by being a state.” The survey is designed to last only three minutes, but the length is determined on one of the first questions: Do you support District statehood? “If you answer yes, you have a couple of more questions and then that is it,” said Jenkins, 64. “If you say no, then the survey will switch to another set of questions that ask the participant about issues such as voting representation, higher federal taxes, our constitutional rights as citizens and the fact that Congress controls all of the District’s local governance. We have found that many people who said no changed their minds when they found out about [the situation in] D.C.” The survey contains questions that deal with age, political affiliation, race and the home address of the participant. Jenkins said that her organization is compiling a database of survey takers and she said that the results will be released in early to mid-December. Jenkins said that her organization has conducted over 1,000 face-to-face interviews in the past and that the online survey is the next step in terms of gauging the public’s opinion. D.C. Mayor

around the region

Reta Jo Lewis is a candidate for District mayor in 2014. /Courtesy Photo

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

301.292.9141/FAX 301.292.9142/Mobile 703.819.0920 doris@mcmilloncommunications.com/www.mcmilloncommunications.com

Anise Jenkins is a leader in the District statehood movement. /Courtesy Photo

Vincent Gray’s administration has provided financial support for the survey. The organization also has a brochure that explains the political climate in the District and it answers some interesting questions. “We have had people to ask us whether the District is big enough to be a state or how will the American flag look with 51 stars,” Jenkins said with a smile. Lewis, Evans Support FOM The Friends of McMillan Park (FOM), an organization that wants McMillan Park in Northwest developed as a historical neighborhood site instead of a commercially-driven project supported by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D), has recently received the thumbs up from two candidates for District mayor. “I am with you; I will help save the park,” D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) told leaders of the organization during a meeting in the John A. Wilson Building on Oct. 24. Evans, 60,

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initially signed the Friends’ petition at his campaign kickoff event in June, noting that the Gray Administration’s plans will transform McMillan into a Crystal City-like business district. Reta Jo Lewis, who announced her candidacy for the city’s top political spot on Nov. 2, also expressed reservations with Gray’s plans. “Our government is attempting to move forward on a construction project of massive proportions at the Old McMillan Park Reservoir despite the residents asking for some green space, and at a minimum, a plan that preserves the historical heritage of the space,” said Lewis, 60. “I’m proud to say that I am signing their petition.” D.C. Council member and mayoral candidate Muriel Bowser ‡ Please set all copy in upper and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bo Consultant in 9-point (D-Ward 4) hasBeauty refused to sign the Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica To the Independent Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may petition. D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), also a mayoral candidate, said in September, that he will work with the FOM to reach its goals. wi The Washington Informer

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BUYING RECORDS

November 14 1934 – William Levi Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony (Symphony Number One) is performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. This marked the first time a classical symphony composed by an African American was performed by a major white orchestra. Dawson also gained renown as the choral director at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He died in 1990 at the age of 91.

West African nation of Nigeria. November 17 1972 – Despite massive Black voter support for the Democrat George McGovern, Republican Richard M. Nixon is elected president carrying all states except Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. The Black view of Nixon would later be vindicated when he is forced from office because of the Watergate scandal.

November 15 1897 – John Mercer Langston dies. Langston was born to a white slave-owner and an emancipated Black woman and went on to become an accomplished lawyer. He helped organize the National Black Convention in Cleveland, Ohio in 1848, mobilized Blacks to fight in the Civil War, worked in the Freedman’s Bureau; and became the first Black elected to Congress from Virginia.

November 18 1797 – Abolitionist and orator Sojourner Truth is born Isabella Baumfree in Ulster County, New York. She struggled for an end to slavery and for a woman’s right to vote. She became so well known that she even consulted with President Abraham Lincoln. 1977 – White supremacist and terrorist Robert Edward Chambliss is convicted of first degree murder in connection with the 1963 bombing of Birmingham, Alabama’s 16th Street Baptist Church. The bombing killed four little Black girls, shocked the nation and helped mobilize the civil rights movement.

November 16: 1780 – Paul Cuffee organizes a demonstration by free Blacks protesting their being taxed but prohibited from voting. Cuffee was a prominent whaling captain and businessman who organized the first integrated school in Massachusetts. In his later years he became frustrated with American racism and advocated the establishment of a free Black colony in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, which was then controlled by the British. 2001 – Agbani Darego is crowned Miss World becoming the first black African to win the coveted beauty pageant. She was from the oil-rich

November 19: 1985 – Actor Lincoln Pen-

ny, known as Stepin Fetchit, the first major black movie star, dies of pneumonia in Woodlawn Hills, California at the age of 83. Penny was harshly criticized by most major Black organizations because he made his money playing an uneducated, slow-witted, and easily frightened Black character during the 1940s and 1950s. However, the roles, which appealed to many Americans, made him a millionaire. November 20: 1867 – Howard University is founded in Washington, D.C. as a result of a Congressional order. The school goes on to become an incubator of African Americans who play major roles in social reform and Black intellectual and cultural development. 1962 – President John F. Kennedy issues an executive order barring racial discrimination in all federally financed housing. It was one of several acts, which led to the Kennedy name being highly revered by many black voters. 1976 – Gold medal winning Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes is born in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Lincoln Penny

Buying Vinyl Records from 1950 to 1986, Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, R&B, Disco, Soul, Reggae, Blues, Gospel, and record format 33 1/3, 45s, and some of the older 78s. Prefer larger collections of at least 100.

CALL JOHN @ 301-596-6201 6 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

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around the region INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY LINDEN

Viewp int Mark Shipp Washington, D.C. At this stage in the game, the Redskins need to find a way to get quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins onto the field. Griffin needs to rest his knee and the Redskins aren’t going anywhere for the postseason. There doesn’t seem to be the same cohesiveness with this year’s team and Griffin isn’t getting the protection he needs from the offensive line. At this point, I think the season is awash.

Abebi Wolfe Washington, D.C. I’m disappointed at the team’s record, and the next four games on the schedule are going to be very difficult. But I’m hopeful that they will win and turn the season around. I’m a former athlete who’s recovered from a knee injury, and I played timidly when I [initially] returned – I think that’s what [we’re seeing] with Griffin. But I believe he and the team will rally and finish the season with a winning record.

AFTER LAST YEAR’S 10-WIN, PLAYOFF SEASON, THE REDSKINS ARE 3-6 AND HAVE STRUGGLED TO RECREATE MUCH OF LAST YEAR’S MAGIC. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE STATE OF THE TEAM THIS SEASON?

Judy Robinson Washington, D.C. The Redskins are having a pretty bad season, but it shouldn’t be a surprise after the injury to Robert Griffin’s knee. Football is a team sport and a lot of the players haven’t stepped up and lightened the burden on offense for Griffin. I think it’s too late for them to turn it around, but I hope they’ll be more competitive next season. T:9.5” S:9”

Glandus Thorne Washington, D.C. While I think the Redskins have a good team, they should be playing a lot better at this point in the season. I think there are a lot of negative [off-field] distractions [such as the name controversy]. The players need to leave the distractions behind when they step on the field and just play football. They have a really good team and I’m not ready to give up on them just yet.

Charlie Perticari College Park, Md. I’ll use one word to describe the current season: disappointment. A lot was expected based on last year’s success, but with football, nothing is ever guaranteed. Many people think a team will duplicate its results from the previous season, but that doesn’t always happen – this year’s Washington Nationals team is a good example. While there have been a lot of injuries, the [Redskins] aren’t playing to their full potential. It’s possible for them to turn it around, but everything has to come together.

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of a mess and needed to get its act together,” said Mendelson, 61. “That’s why the council passed legislation a couple years ago requiring that there be a strategic plan . . . [yet] there’s been some pushing and pulling and some frustration, especially on the university’s part.” Fast-forward almost a year since Sessom’s December 2012 ouster, and UDC officials contend that although the city’s only public college has taken a step in the right direction, several programs are on the chopping block because of low enrollment – or in some cases to make up for high personnel costs as a result of over-spending by previous administrations. Among two-dozen degree programs – as well as all of the school’s athletic teams – that could face termination are early childhood education; journalism and communications; physics; sociology; chemistry; and math statistics. “We haven’t cut any programs, as the Board of Trustees hasn’t actually voted on the proposal and made a decision,” said Rachel Petty, interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “We’ve [had] hearings [that started the week of Nov. 4], so the proposal which came out of Academic Affairs and consultations that began in August with the faculty, could change based on [the public’s] or Board’s [input],” Petty said. “So a

decision won’t happen until [later], and at that point, we’ll know what’s most likely to go before the D.C. Council as a recommendation.” However, Mike Rogers, vice president for institutional advancement, said that in the event programs are cut, only a small percentage of the university’s students would be affected. “Some of the programs are being eliminated because they’re unsubscribed, meaning there’s not a whole lot of people graduating from them over the past few years,” Rogers said. “While some are being turned into minors, others will become concentrations or certificate programs. Those programs that remain, represent 90 percent of our enrollment,” he said. “So less than 10 percent of students would be affected by these eliminations, with many of them being able to participate in teach-out programs – or they could end up changing their majors.” Sean Hoggard, who received his bachelor’s degree in mass media arts in May, said he was “shocked” to learn that the journalism and communications curriculum could be eliminated. “I don’t know what to say,” said Hoggard, 23. “It’s a good program that’s well worth keeping. I heard that they were getting rid of the Theater Department, but the journalism program seemed to be doing so well,” Hoggard said. “If the journalism program ends, I think they’re going to let current students finish

UDC Interim President James E. Lyons. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

their studies, but probably won’t enroll additional students.” Rogers said that before UDC’s proposal – also touted as “Vision 2020” – reaches Council chambers next month, it will be heavily scrutinized by the 16-member Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The proposal, which addresses the economic needs of the District, also includes feedback gathered last year from more than 1,000 students, faculty and alumni. Overall, it’s designed to significantly improve the university’s curricula, student enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. Rogers said there hasn’t been a T:9.75” huge increase in UDC’s enrollment, which when S:9.25” combined with the four-year-old community college,

Rachel Petty, interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, and Elaine Crider, UDC Board of Trustees Chair. /Courtesy Photo

hovers at 6,000 students. “Some [divisions’] enrollment is slightly up and some are slightly down,” he said. “But overall, we still have [around the] same number of students we had last year.” Meanwhile, the Philadelphia-based Middle States Commission on Higher Education has expressed concerns over UDC’s operating efficiency as it prepares for re-accreditation in 2016. In order for the university’s community college – which has to achieve separate accreditation – to gain full campus branch status, UDC must prove its financial stability. Also, officials are adamantly denying rumors that cropped up shortly after Sessoms’ departure,

that the university could possibly be skidding toward closure. James Lyons, who was named interim president in March, quickly took to the school’s website to end the gossip. “The university is not in danger of closing. Operations are continuing as normal. The university is well-managed, and the top priority remains student achievement,” said Lyons, 69. He went on to state that the right-sizing plan that was mandated in May 2012 by the D.C. Council – and which shaved $8 million from the school’s budget – has ultimately provided “an opportunity to re-evaluate [UDC’s] position and purpose” in the District.

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D.C. Honors Veterans and Tuskegee Airmen

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Prior to a Monday morning wreath-laying ceremony at the African American Civil War Memorial in Northwest, the curious and the appreciative engaged four Tuskegee Airmen in conversation and picture-taking. The quartet – William Fauntroy, Jr., Ivan Ware, Edward Talbot and William L. Anderson – resplendent in red jackets – bathed in the adulation. They were honored guests of Museum Director Frank Smith as the nation paused on Veteran’s Day to show its indebtedness to military veterans. Then well over 100 people trooped across the street to the Civil War Museum where Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) presented the Congressional Medal of Honor to two of the original Tuskegee Airmen. “The Tuskegee Airmen paved the way. They integrated the military five years before President Truman signed the executive order ending segregation,” said Norton at the Nov. 11 ceremony. “They are marked by their bravery, hard work and persistence. When they came back from the Army, they insisted that they be treated like other officers. They protested, some were punished, others were discharged.” “But they demanded their rights and because they stood up, others benefitted.” The men are members of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc., East Coast Chapter, a group which honors the contributions of the black support, air and ground crews attached to the Army Air Corps during the war. Members fundraise and introduce young people to science and aviation. The Tuskegee Airmen were considered the elite of the U.S. Army Air Corps and overcame racism and discrimination to fight with distinction during World War II. As a part of the Tuskegee Experiment, pilots from the 332nd Fighter Group and other units were trained to fly at the Tuskegee Airfield in Tuskegee, Ala., in 1941. “D.C. veterans are a group apart and the Tuskegee Airmen stand apart because they succeeded where others were not allowed to try,” Norton, 76, said. “I have to give it to the Army Air Corps. They recruited men with a combination of intellectual and physical skills necessary The Washington Informer

Mayor Vincent Gray addresses guests at the Civil War Museum in Northwest during a Veterans Day ceremony that paid homage to all Vets and Tuskegee Airmen William Fauntroy, right and Major Lee Anderson. /Photo by Roy Lewis

to take on this mission. We know that from the records of protecting bombers, we know that from the calls for protection because of their extraordinary record of protecting bombers.” “We salute the Tuskegee Airmen but the D.C. Tuskegee Airmen are special. They went to war defending a democracy they didn’t know ... These were the best and the brightest.” Throughout the war, black soldiers were prohibited from being a part of any white units, marked as unfit for combat and were pushed into support positions. Anderson, 88 and a D.C. resident born in Jacksonville, Fla., spoke of the pride he feels having served. “As I stand here today, I feel deeply blessed and honored to receive this medal,” he said. “Segregation was the law of the land and African Americans were regarded as second-class citizens. The fight for equality goes back but despite its shortcomings, the U.S. is still the greatest country in the world.” “After Pearl Harbor, people felt that the African-American man was not fit to fly military aircrafts in combat. I thank those who worked hard for equality.” Anderson served as an Army Air Corps technician in the 477th Bomber Group. He was a member of the ground support crew who repaired and maintained B-25 bomber aircraft. Fauntroy, 87, brother of former D.C. Delegate Walter Fauntroy, said he dropped out of high school to join the Army. “I didn’t want to go into the Navy because I had a cousin named Cook who was a cook,”

he joked. “My mom signed for me. She didn’t think I could pass the tests. I went out to Bolling Field in 1944, a 17-yearold inducted into the Army Air Corps.” “I was a member of the Class of 1945-I,” he said. “I completed 136 hours of flying. We always say they [The Axis] quit the war because of us. It wasn’t true but that was what we said.” Fauntroy said his flight instructor, who had shot down three German planes – two on consecutive days – taught him formation flying, night flights, dogfighting and other flying maneuvers. “My exposure to the Tuskegee Airmen who came before me had a profound effect on me,” he said. Fauntroy earned a civil engineering degree from Howard University in 1960 and became the first black engineer hired by the National Capital Transportation Authority, the predecessor of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Fauntroy earned applause and cheers as he described his role as an urban planner in building the U Street Metro station, and proudly told guests that he saved cultural icons, the Lincoln Theatre and Ben’s Chili Bowl. Mayor Vincent C. Gray, 70, said it seemed like anything he said after the previous speakers would be anti-climactic. “But what a special treat it is to be with the Congresswoman and two Tuskegee Airmen,” he said. “It’s no exaggeration to say they saved our nation … They excelled at a time when the ideals of this country were not represented.” wi www.washingtoninformer.com

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Gray Approves Hines for Walter Reed Development By James Wright WI Staff Writer The mayor of the District has selected a development company that plans to transform the former Walter Reed Army Med-

ical Center site into a mixed-use development that will include exclusive retail, housing for seniors and veterans and a unique state-of-the-art science park. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D) took the advice of advisory

neighborhood commission 4B in Northwest on Nov. 5 and selected the development company partnership of Hines-Urban Atlantic-Triden of Bethesda, Md., to be the master developer of Walter Reed.

A jogger runs past the shuttered Walter Reed Army Medical Center site in Northwest. /Photo by Nancy Shia

“Moving the Walter Reed redevelopment project forward and bringing new housing and amenities and jobs to the District are among my top priorities and this team will help us to accomplish that,” said Gray, 70. “The Hines-Urban Atlantic-Triden joint venture brings a wealth of experience to the task of getting this long-awaited project done.” In 2011, the federal government shuttered the century-old Walter Reed campus in Northwest and moved most of its operations to Montgomery County, Md. Since then, Gray and his planning and economic development office have aggressively worked to put the site under the District’s jurisdiction. The 66.57 acres that’s yet to be handed over to the District from the federal government includes valuable Georgia Avenue frontage – a prime real estate location – due to the number of cars that travel along the busy corridor every day. The frontage has the potential of 3.1 million square feet for construction while the remaining 43.5 acres of the site will house federal agencies. Hines plans to rename the Walter Reed campus The Parks at Walter Reed. It will include townhouses, condos and apartments and living arrangements for seniors, veterans and, something that’s new in the District, housing for artists. A highlight of The Parks at Walter Reed is a commerce and science park that’s supported by The George Washington University in Northwest and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. Both universities will conduct research in bioscience with an emphasis on health. Hines also wants to include a Hyatt hotel and conference center on the site. On Sept. 12, Hines, along with representatives of development

12 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

The Washington Informer

Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest. /Photo by Nancy Shia

firms Roadside and Forest City presented their Walter Reed development plans to 4B commissioners and 60 residents at the Emery Recreation Center in Northwest. Chuck Waters, the senior vice president of Hines and the leader of the joint partnership’s Walter Reed project, said that a key component of The Parks at Walter Reed is a prospective upscale grocer such as Wegmans or Whole Foods. Hines has developed relationships with institutions such as CulturalDC and has also formed alliances with various restaurants and retailers that include Carolina Kitchen Bar and Grill, Cava Mezze and PetSmart. Waters, during the Sept. 12 meeting, said that Hines has a lot to offer the city and its residents through the development of the Walter Reed site. “The Parks at Walter Reed will generate 4,600 construction jobs, 1,600 permanent jobs, over $1 billion in direct investment and $37 million in new revenue to the city,” he said. “We are developing the CityCenterDC project downtown and we have the commitment and the financial resources to get this project done.”wi To read this story in its entirety, go to www.washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com

Gray Announces New Sustainability Initiatives By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer Efforts to make the District the greenest and most livable city in the nation by 2032, coupled with goals to improve the health of District residents, are key initiatives in new legislation Mayor Vincent C. Gray is undertaking to boost the Sustainable DC Plan. The Sustainable DC Act of 2013 that Gray recently submitted to the D.C. Council also aims to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions throughout the city. “Our message today is clear – sustainability is health – and our Sustainable DC Plan is about creating the healthiest, greenest, and most livable city in the nation,” Gray said during a Nov. 6 press conference at THEARC in Southeast. “District residents from Southern Avenue to Western Avenue and everywhere in between deserve to live in a healthy, sustainable, equitable and thriving city.” The District’s determination to improve air quality will particularly help residents who suffer from respiratory diseases like asthma. According to a statement from the mayor’s office, studies not only

reflect that people living in disadvantaged neighborhoods disproportionately suffer from the negative effects of air pollution, but they are more susceptible to developing asthma. Currently, about 300 children in the District who suffer from asthma are hospitalized. As a result, one of the 32 goals contained in the 127-page Plan focuses on measures to reduce their visits to city emergency rooms. Dr. Stephen Teach from the Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) accompanied Gray at the Ward 8 gathering. Teach, who heads up the Improving Pediatric Asthma Care in the District of Columbia project at CNMC, discussed asthma and how the condition affects one out of five children in the District. In doing so, he noted that the rate is far above the national average, and that asthma tends to affect young African-American boys and older African-American women. Teach described asthma, which consists of many diseases, as a genetic predisposition. “It’s one of the most chronic diseases of childhood, and children in the District of Columbia are severe-

ly infected with one of the highest rates in America,” said Teach “In addition those rates are marked by dramatic disparities in multiple domains [that include wards 7and 8], and African-American children are more likely than Caucasian children in the District to have asthma.” Teach added that African-American children, who have less access to ongoing medical care, are more likely to miss school because of asthma-related flare-ups. In the meantime, the District aims to lead by example, meaning that the city has placed emphasis on the provision of funds for special projects where agencies can help improve employees’ health by providing cleaner air, water and healthier buildings. And, to help move those projects along faster, Gray and the D.C. Council earlier this year, committed $4.5 million from the capital budget. For instance, in a pilot program that will reduce pollution and save on fuel, 90 of the Metropolitan Police Department’s new cruisers have been equipped with anti-idling devices. The legislation also earmarks funding to plant trees on school grounds and at

around the region

the Bald Eagle Recreation Center in Southwest. In addition, work is underway at the D.C. Housing Authority to design an energy plant that will power the Langston Dwellings in Northeast. Keith Anderson, director of the District’s Department of the Environment, said at the time of the Sustainable DC Plan’s release in February, that the goals earmarked

for achievement could be significant. “The potential for the Sustainable DC Plan to improve the health of our people and the quality of our environment while simultaneously growing the economy, creating jobs, and reducing social inequity is nothing short of remarkable,” Anderson said. “Sustainability is about achieving multiple benefits with every dollar spent and every action undertaken.” wi

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November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

As featured in Henderson, North Carolina in 1933, Rose’s 5-10 & 25 cent stores was a hallmark store for convenience and neighborhood shopping. Flash forward to 2013, and Roses continues to provide great products, under the same neighborhood name and values, but with a modern style.

Prince George’s County Councilman Derrick Leon Davis shares his musical talent with students at Washington New Church School in Mitchellville, Md., on Friday, Nov. 8. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

Councilman Plays the Blues

Taking center stage at the newly renovated Forestville Plaza Shopping Center at 7706 Marlboro Pike in Forestville, MD, Roses Discount Stores, a 78,000 square feet retail store, will host its official Grand Opening next Thursday, November 21st at 11am. The community will be welcomed by Roses CEO, Wilson Sawyer, the Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and many more, with exclusive gifts from Roses as well.

Derrick Leon Davis Gives Students a Lesson in Civics, the Arts By Joshua Garner WI Staff Writer @JoshuaGarnerDC

New Retail Store Brings Revitalization & Excitement To Once Vacant Forestville Plaza Shopping Center

Prince George’s County residents may have noticed some impressive renovations going on recently at the once vacant Forestville Plaza Shopping Center. The much-needed face-lift to the shopping area is thanks to Forestville’s newest community partner: Roses Discount Stores. The 78,000 square foot store, located at 7706 Marlboro Pike, will officially open its doors to the community on November 21st at 11 a.m., celebrated with a Grand Opening ceremony. Roses CEO, Wilson Sawyer will be joined by community leaders including Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III, and more as the ribbon is cut, welcoming area residents to see the newly renovated shopping center for the first time. As a thank you to the local community, the first 900 people to walk through Roses’ doors will receive exclusive gifts from Roses. To sweeten the celebration even more, all those who come to Roses throughout Grand Opening and the week that follows, will have the chance to enter the Roses sweepstakes for a chance to win their very own shopping spree at Roses. Just in time for the holidays. Roses will also be awarding the local Fisher House Foundation with a $1,000 donation, along with household goods for the families they host. What most might not know is the history of Roses, and the stores’ east coast roots which date back nearly a century. In 1915, Paul Howard Rose started his small business dreams by opening the first Roses in Henderson, NC. Offering basic household items, the chain was immediately successful and Rose began expanding his stores. By 1920, Roses could be found in Virginia, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. Following World War II, Roses’ first shopping center store opened in Norfolk, VA. The shopping center model proved even more successful, becoming the standard for Roses across the east coast. What started as one man’s dream of owning a fiveand-dime shop in rural North Carolina has blossomed into a leading full service discount chain throughout the east coast, with more than 300 stores spanning from Ohio to Florida. “Roses’ mission is simple,” says CEO Wilson Sawyer. “Provide great values to our customers and always give them great customer service.” At Roses, families get low prices on a wide array of products including health and beauty, housewares, seasonal items, electronics, stationary, home/office supplies and much more. In addition to Roses’ already low prices, the Forestville store will offer military and senior citizens discounts on Wednesdays and are working with local churches to provide congregation discounts. The shopping center has truly transformed due to the Roses renovations, what was once a vacant shopping center will now be a welcoming destination for residents to find all their basic necessities and discover really great products for their home and family. The public grand opening celebration starts promptly at 11 a.m. on November 21. For more information, visit www.Facebook.com/RosesDiscountStores or www.RosesDiscountStores.com. Roses looks forward to greeting each and every one of you next Thursday!

14 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

The Washington Informer

It’s not every day that a politician performs a jazz and blues medley at a local school. But students at the Washington New Church School in Mitchellville received a special lesson in civics and the performing arts from Prince George’s County Councilman Derrick Leon Davis (D-Dist. 6) of Mitchellville and the Bowie-based Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education (FAME). “Everybody clap!” Davis, 45, shouted from the stage to an audience of about 40 students while he tapped his foot and played his saxophone aided by his bassist Reginald Payne. “Walk Reggie, walk!” he said encouraging Payne to join him and step to the music. Davis stopped by the small private school last week to greet students and discuss the importance of civic engagement and what role music and the performing arts play in his life. “It’s [very] important that you become well-rounded with your education,” he told students. “We know what happens when we slack off and miss opportunities.” And if any elected official can teach students about the performing arts, it’s Davis. In the 1980s and ’90s, he was a saxophonist who performed with Experience Unlimited, the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band that scored a number one hit in 1988 with “Da Butt.” Though Davis no longer performs with Experience Unlimited, he continues to lend his saxophone skills to the go-go group Ayre Rayde Band and Show on occasion.

During the one-hour lesson at Washington New Church School, Davis fielded questions from students about his work as a councilman and his passion for the performing arts. “Does your music inspire you?” asked student Jordan Kinsely, 12, of Mitchellville. Davis has been a strong advocate of supporting performing arts in county schools as a way to build confidence and increase engagement in other subjects. “Music is my safe place,” he said. “When I walk out the door [in the morning] and get my cup of coffee, it’s showtime.” Ensuring that the performing arts are represented in schools is essential, said Toni Lewis, founder and executive director of FAME, who was on hand for Davis’ performance. “[Music] is natural – it helps [students] focus in other subjects,” she said. “Music is math. Once [school leaders] see how important music is in the kids’ lives, they stop cutting [programs].” Through FAME, Lewis said 1,200 students throughout the D.C. region have access to music education and instruments. “Without music and the arts, there is no culture,” she said. Administrators said the twofold lesson was well received. The school, which has about 45 students, was founded in 1970. Administrators said they plan to expand the campus in the near future. Davis toured the school and grounds during his visit. “It’s fantastic,” said Mike Gladish, the school’s principal. “This is an opportunity for us to show [Davis] what we’re about.”wi www.washingtoninformer.com

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Plans for University Town Center Make Progress By Joshua Garner WI Staff Writer @JoshuaGarnerDC A $1 billion mixed-use development in Prince George’s County that stalled during the 2008 recession is showing signs of life under legislation that could help bring a grocery store and additional tenants to the project. The Prince George’s County Council on Tuesday, Nov. 12 passed legislation that they hope will give the University Town Center (UTC) in Hyattsville a shot in the arm by providing more than $3 million in tax incentives and other funds for a planned Safeway store. The project is being developed by Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Echo Realty and would bring a 55,000 square-foot Safeway grocery store to UTC in addition to 27,000 square-feet of retail space. The development would be two-levels and include an upper-level parking garage. The project would sit near the northeast intersection of East-West Highway and American Boulevard, which is currently a large parking lot. The project could break ground as soon as the spring of 2014, said Howard Biel, senior vice president at Echo. “We believe very strongly in the location,” he said. “We have been www.washingtoninformer.com

extremely pleased by the cooperation of [Prince George’s County and the City of Hyattsville].” Biel said Echo partnered with Washington, D.C.-based developer The Bernstein Companies on the project after the property went into foreclosure in 2011. County officials said they’ve been making strides to give the development a jump start. Less than half of UTC was affected by the foreclosure. And tenants still include Kaiser Permanente, FEMA, the CDC, and the U.S. Treasury. “We are focused on that project,” said David Iannucci, deputy chief administrative officer for Economic Development and Public Infrastructure. “It has some serious challenges.” Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) has made transit-oriented developments a priority in the county as a way to decrease suburban sprawl and congestion and focus economic growth inside the beltway. University Town Center was first conceived in the early 1960s as a mixed-use transit-oriented development along East-West Highway. It was adjacent to the Mall at Prince George’s, the Prince George’s Plaza Metro Station and less than five miles from the University of Maryland, Col-

lege Park. But it wasn’t until 2006 that the development began to evolve into a mixed-use project bringing together office space, retail, and housing units. Along with a 14-screen movie theater, the Safeway was planned to be one of the development’s anchor stores. The project was the county’s first mixed-use development, but stalled during the economic recession in 2008. Besides the theater and a few smaller restaurants, large portions of the retail space and condos at UTC sat empty. Ultimately, portions of the project fell into foreclosure in 2011 before being purchased by Wells Fargo for $25 million in an auction. Greg Ten Eyck, a spokesman for Safeway, said the project initially broke ground near the recession but it soon became clear there were problems with the original developer. “We realized that the developer had some financial issues,” he said. Still, Echo Realty’s plan showed some promise, Ten Eyck said. “We would like to build a store there,” he said. “There has been some remanence of life in the project.” wi The Washington Informer

November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

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DC STREETCAR PARKING ENFORCEMENT CAMPAIGN STARTS SOON Streetcar vehicles will be on the H Street/Benning Road Corridor soon to test and train for passenger service. Cars parked outside of the lines, including illegally double-parked vehicles, will impede the streetcar, delay service along the line, and result in a ticket and/or tow for vehicles. To remind drivers of proper parking etiquette, District Department of Transportation will distribute warning tickets to improperly parked cars in the corridor during the month of November. Real ticketing will begin on December 1, 2013. For more information, visit dcstreetcar.com or call 855-413-2954.

District Department of Transportation

16 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

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business Business Exchange

Watt Denied Director Post

Many Blacks are saying “shame on” the U.S. Senate Republicans for the recent blow they dealt to President Barack Obama’s efforts to install his own nominee as regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The GOP blocked the effort to confirm North Carolina Congressional District 12 Rep. Mel Watt to the post. With Obama’s approval ratings dipping, Black voters are still “standing by both men,” saying “The Republicans will not let him have the people he needs to run the government.” Blacks are livid about the Republicans’ resistance to Watt and his qualifications. This vote doesn’t completely end the Watt nomination. The White House says it is “absolutely not” giving up on the nomination. Democrats could bring it before the Senate again. Obama administration officials still hope to convince more Senate Republicans to support Watt. Watt’s participation in the “ole boy network” is part of the problem with the nomination. However, a former African-American CEO of Fannie Mae also figures prominently into the equation. On December 21, 2004, Franklin Raines accepted what he called “early retirement” from that position while the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigators alleged accounting irregularities. Raines was accused by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, the regulating body of Fannie Mae, of abetting widespread accounting errors, which included the shifting of losses so senior executives, such as himself, could earn large bonuses. Fannie and Freddie have been “honey pots” for Raines and his predecessors to the tone of scores of billions of dollars. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) now oversees mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with combined debts and obligations totaling $6.7 trillion. It was put into government conservatorship at the start of the 2008 financial crisis and its direction and future is a subject of intense Congressional debate. During the early days of the financial crisis, the federal government took control of Fannie and Freddie. Fixing these mortgage giants remains the largest single piece of unfinished business. A change of leadership at the FHFA could have a broad impact on the mortgage market since Fannie and Freddie currently back about twothirds of new mortgages. Republicans opt for a housing finance system supported largely by private capital.

By William Reed The White House, real estate industry trade associations and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are in Watts’ corner. “Mel Watt is absolutely, totally qualified,” said Vice President Joe Biden. These groups are “alleging” blatant racism in the Republicans’ actions. The CBC said it would be the first rejection of a long-standing sitting member in good standing since 1843. CBC Chair Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) weighed in on the hot-button issue. “This has only occurred once in the history of this Congress.” No sitting member of Congress has been denied a Cabinet position since 1843. Civil rights and human rights groups – including the National Urban League – support Watt to replace FHFA’s current acting director Ed DeMarco. Many of the groups signed a joint letter citing Watt’s experience in housing finance – including 20 years as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Republicans don’t see Watt’s experience as a plus and are displeased that the White House nominated a politician to head the FHFA. The agency’s director has tremendous power over the multi-trillion-dollar companies, and Republicans don’t like the idea of a “political person” running the two companies based on their long history of being manipulated for political purposes. Many Republicans prefer DeMarco’s plans for the agency and criticize Watt’s past support for Fannie and Freddie. Republican resistance has centered on a view that the leadership of FHFA is better suited to a person with technical rather than political expertise. Most Republicans hope the president withdraws Watt’s nomination and names a technocrat instead. Conservative groups oppose Watt’s nomination because of his call for more federal involvement in the home mortgage industry. This is the second FHFA nominee that President Obama has put forward. The previous nominee was former North Carolina Banking Commissioner Joseph Smith, who withdrew his nomination in 2011.wi William Reed is publisher of “Who’s Who in Black Corporate America” and available for projects via the BaileyGroup.org www.washingtoninformer.com

NATIONAL

Sebelius under Fire from Lawmakers Health Secretary Slammed over Affordable Care Act By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer Lawmakers have continued to confront Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius with skepticism over adjustments yet to be made to President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act and its accompanying website, which have resulted in a multitude of concerns and some unexpected insurance policy cancellations. Despite the confrontations, criticism and, most importantly, the confusion over the Affordable Care Act, also dubbed “Obamacare”, Sebelius said she’s against delaying implementation of the health care law. She’s confident most Americans will eventually embrace the president’s plan. “Delaying the Affordable Care Act wouldn’t delay people’s cancer or diabetes or Parkinson,” said Sebelius, 65. “It doesn’t delay the higher cost all of us pay when uninsured Americans are left with no choice but to rely on emergency rooms for care. So, for millions of Americans, delay is not an option.” Republicans in the Senate have called into question Sebelius and the president’s credibility, noting that cancellation letters have been received by Americans with individual insurers because of the lack of – or clarity regarding – the information provided by the Administration with the new health care law that went into effect on Oct. 1. “Your main goal should have been to protect Americans, to lessen their risk and to ensure their safety,” Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) told Sebelius during a hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Nov. 7. “But, in your zeal to implement this law, not warnings, not advice, not counsel would deter you from implementing the exchanges. You’ve said America should hold you accountable, which is why I repeat my request for you to resign,” said Roberts, 77. Sebelius declined to respond to Roberts’ call for her resignation. While not as denigrating, Democrats have also questioned some aspects of the new law and its implementation. “I want it to work. I want to do what I can to help make it work,” said Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.). “But, that means you also have to. It’s a twoway street. You have to tell us what’s going on, candidly, fully, totally,” said Baucus, 71. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) also voiced concern as she used the example of a cancer patient who is worried about the potential loss of health care because of the uncertainwww.washingtoninformer.com

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Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, pictured above with President Barack Obama, faces tough questions about failures in the Affordable Care Act roll out. / Courtesy photo

ties surrounding the new law. “There [are] no words to even describe the frustration that we all have,” said Stabenow, 63. “Will (the cancer patient) or anyone else face caps on their cancer treatment? Will (the patient) or any other women be charged more than men for their coverage?” Sebelius said neither would occur. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services in Southwest Washington, D.C., said the new law puts consumers in charge of their health care. Under the law, a new Patient’s Bill of Rights gives Americans the stability and flexibility they need to make informed choices about their health, Sebelius said. The key features of the law include ending lifetime limits on coverage. Insurance companies must publicly justify any unreasonable rate hikes, and money paid toward premiums must now be spent on health care, not administrative costs, Sebelius said. Also, health plans can no longer limit or deny benefits to children under 19 due to pre-existing conditions and, if an individual has reached age 26, they still could be eligible for coverage under their parent’s plan. “Even though the insurance company could raise premiums, they couldn’t eliminate benefits or take away items that the consumer liked,” Sebelius said. Still, officials railed about the delays and the breakdown of the website in which individuals could acquire insurance. Since Oct. 1, the new HealthCare. gov website where individuals can acquire insurance has encountered problems. Error messages, trouble creating an account or even logging in has been chief among the complaints and some have said they’ve lost existing coverage

because of it. Making matters worse, officials created a virtual waiting room which only added to the confusion. Above all, the Administration also has put in jeopardy the personal information of citizens by taking the website live before security testing could fully be completed, said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). “Those who can access the website could actually find themselves at the mercy of identity thieves across the globe,” said Hatch, 79. Sebelius said there have been no such breeches in the system. Also, Obama told NBC News that he’s sorry that he didn’t keep his repeated promises that anyone who wanted to maintain their current plan could do so under the new law. The presidential apology didn’t move Republicans in the least. “If the president is truly sorry for breaking his promises to the American people, he’ll do more than just issue a half-hearted apology on television,” said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). “A great place to start would be to support the bill that would allow Americans to do what the president promised in the first place, which is to keep the plan they have and like,” said McConnell, 71. Sebelius and other Administration officials contend that all of the problems should be fixed by the end of November. “I would say there are a couple of hundred functional fixes that have been identified, and they are in priority groupings,” Sebelius said. “It’s a pretty aggressive schedule to get [through] the entire punch list.”wi The Washington Informer

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business Nation’s Housing Recovery Far from Equal With the annual holiday season approaching, many across the country will soon be celebrating with families and loved ones. Many such gatherings will toast the season and its blessings. But for families still troubled by delinquent mortgages and foreclosures, this time of year has another meaning. These consumers are wondering if they will have a home this holiday season. Although September 2013 marked the 23rd consecutive monthly drop in the nation’s foreclosures, approximately 902,000 homes remained in some state of foreclosure. Additionally, mortgage delinquencies, the omen of the likelihood of foreclosure, has troubled states and metro areas, according to new data released by CoreLogic, a leading residential property information, analytics and services provider. On the foreclosure front,

counted for almost half of all completed foreclosures nationally. Florida alone had 115,312 completed foreclosures. North Carolina (27,135), Arizona (24,269), Washington (20,547), Tennessee (19,710), Missouri (13,654) and Virginia (13,130) complete the list of the 10 highest states with completed foreclosures in this same time span. CoreLogic also analyzed foreclosures in metro areas. The five highest areas with completed foreclosures – again over the past 12 months – were Atlanta (24,309), Chicago (20,347), Tampa -St. Petersburg (15,754), Phoenix (14,821) and Orlando (12,062). Additionally, 63 percent of Georgia’s foreclosures were in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Similarly, in Arizona, 62 percent of the state’s foreclosures were in the Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale MSA. Delinquencies, mortgages that are 90 days or more in arrears, show an even broader effect. The national average of seriously delinquent mortgag-

By Charlene Crowell 51,000 foreclosures were completed in September. Since the September 2008 onset of the housing crisis, 4.6 million foreclosures have occurred nationwide. By comparing September 2012 foreclosures to those of last month, the nation saw a 39 percent decline or 448,000 fewer lost homes. But if you live in Florida, California, Texas, Michigan or Georgia – you are a resident of one of the five states with the highest number of completed foreclosures during the past 12 months. In fact, these states ac-

es stands at 5.2 percent. Yet 14 states have delinquencies above that of the national average. The states with the highest percentages of delinquencies are: Florida (11.9 percent), New Jersey (10.6 percent), Nevada (8.1 percent), New York (7.9 percent) and Maryland (7.2 percent). Similarly, the same metro areas that exceeded the national average for a percentage of seriously delinquent mortgages were the same as those with the highest number of completed foreclosures – but with one disturbing addition. Citywide in Cincinnati, one of every 729 homes is in foreclosure. In two zip codes, foreclosure rates are doubled that of the city: 45240 (one of every 304) and 45231 (one of every 334). In other words, financial recovery from the housing crisis is uneven nationwide. Many metro areas remain troubled by foreclosures, falling property values and delinquencies. These ills, in turn, fiscally handicap municipal governments from helping residents when they are most in need of assistance. As municipal tax collections dwindle, so does

the financial capability of local governments. Although historically homeownership has been a reliable method for families to build wealth, the risky and high-cost sub-prime lending that operated absent of regulation is the central reason why many communities still suffer with housing woes. Key regulations that take effect in January 2014 are intended to prevent the return of no-documentation loans while ensuring the ability to repay mortgages. In the meantime, consumers with mortgage lending or servicing problems can receive assistance from the Consume Financial Protection Bureau. Online access to mortgage complaint forms is available at www.consumerfinance.gov. In higher education discussions, many have said, “Leave no child behind”. When it comes to housing, “No family should be left behind” either. wi Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

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November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

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‘It’s About Life’ - Changing Korean American’s View of Palliative Care By Aruna Lee Special to the Informer from New America Media Eunice Kim has spent the past three years working as medical interpreter in San Francisco, where she helps Korean patients communicate with their doctors. More than once she’s found herself involved in discussions around key medical decisions for her clients. And no discussion is more difficult, she said, than when it concerns end-of-life care. “Most of the patients I’ve worked with have tended not to make decisions for themselves,” said Kim. That’s partly to do with language barriers, she explained. Many of Kim’s clients are seniors with limited English skills. But it’s also tied to a general reluctance to speak directly of one’s own or a relative’s mortality. In one instance, Kim recalls, an elderly Korean woman was asked to fill out an Advance Care Directive form – detailing what kinds of life-sustaining treatments she would or would not like administered in cases where patients are unable to communicate their wishes. The patient’s daughter took Kim aside and explained she was uncomfortable asking her mother the questions on the form. “She didn’t want to talk with her mother about her death,” Kim said, adding, “she felt like [talking about it] would somehow make it a reality.” What is Palliative Care? According to V.J. Periyakoil, MD, director of palliative care education and training at the Stanford School of Medicine, “Palliative care is for any patient diagnosed with a serious illness, like cancer or heart disease.” More than hospice, a part of palliative care that is restricted only to comfort care for those with six months or less to live, palliative medicine aims to relieve a patient’s pain and symptoms “irrespective of how long they have to live,” Periyakoil said, and can include medical treatment when appropriate. Patients, she added, can “benefit from palliative care for many years before the end of life.” Periyakoil recalled one patient who had less than six months to live. But with palliative treatment, he ultimately lived more than six years. In that time he established a college fund for his grandchildren,

got remarried and in the end died peacefully. Still, despite the obvious benefits, she noted, the fear of talking openly about death prevents patients and their families from exploring their options when it comes to palliative treatment. Periyakoil gave the example of a Korean American patient she had once treated who was in the last stages of a brain tumor. By the time he arrived at the clinic, he was already near the end. While working with the man’s family, she found that although they knew of his cancer, they never used the word. And neither did Periyakoil, who has developed a Web-based program on caring for multi-cultural older adults. “Older Korean Americans and immigrants who are less acculturated,” said Periyakoil, “need to be educated gently and respectfully about palliative care.” ‘Even Doctors’ Confuse Hospice and Palliative Care Jung Kwak teaches social welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, she has long studied Korean American attitudes regarding death and dying. Kwak said there are many different factors that can influence an individual’s attitude regarding end-of-life care, regardless of their ethnic background. For Korean Americans, she said, those can range from a person’s socioeconomic status or religious affiliation to the how much he or or she has acculturated with mainstream American culture. Individuals with lower-incomes who are less connected to mainstream culture, for example, often tend to be “less open to discussing end-of-life care issues in advance,” she said. Kwak added, however, that patients who have had previous experience with end-of-life care, for themselves or a loved one, tend to be more proactive in seeking it out. But even for those open to discussing end-of-life options, the availability of services can pose another obstacle. Gary Lee, MD, explained, “Many patients have unrecognized needs for pain and symptom management, or emotional, social and spiritual support. Lee, chief of palliative medicine at Santa

See CARE on Page 21 www.washingtoninformer.com

health CARE continued from Page 20 Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, continued, “A palliative care assessment can create awareness of these needs and can improve the patients’ and families’ quality of life.” Still, he acknowledged that getting an assessment can be tough, considering that more than half the hospitals in California do not have palliative care programs, while many doctors still see palliative treatment as akin to hospice. “Unfortunately, most patients don’t receive early palliative care. The barriers to this include misconceptions on the part of both patients and physicians that palliative care is only for patients at the very end of life and that palliative care is synonymous with hospice,” said Lee. “There are also not enough palliative care specialists to provide all the services that could be provided.” Undue Suffering Hospice Care of California in Orange County is one of the state’s few end-of-life treatment centers catering to Korean Americans. The center, founded in 2010, employs four Korean-speaking staff full time, including a Korean-speaking doctor as well as a nurse, hospice care expert and social worker. Ellen Kim, the center’s social worker, said many Koreans “don’t want to say they have cancer, or don’t want to admit their relatives or parents are in hospice care.” Moreover, a majority of decisions regarding treatment and the like are “made by the families and not by the patients themselves.” Often families make those decisions without consideration of the patient’s comfort. “I’ve seen a lot of patients who have endured undue suffering because families will often insist that life-sustaining care be prolonged,” said Kim, “which can often prolong the pain and suffering for the patient.” Kim agrees that many Koreans still lack an understanding of hospice and palliative care. Many still assume hospice is another way of speeding death. Although hospice and palliative care tries to ease the pain of the patient, many see it as giving up. Nationally Asians are dramatically underrepresented in receiving end-of -life care. A survey in 2011 by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization [www.nhpco.org/ ] shows that www.washingtoninformer.com

of the 1.6 million patients who received some form of palliative treatment that year just over two percent were Asian. “The Korean American community could benefit from a more open discussion about end-of-life issues. More knowledge would

mean being better prepared for end-of-life decision making,” Kwak stressed. She said such dialogue can also help individuals and communities better evaluate their priorities and values in life. “I think end-of-life care topics can be very important from

a spiritual and religious perspective,” she went on. “This is not just about what treatments to choose, but also reflects the core values and beliefs of a person.” Kwak often reminds her students that discussions around death and dying are really about

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November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

education briefs District of Columbia Public Schools Nation’s Report Card Results Public Schools officials are beaming over recently-released results from the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card. According to the latest bi-annual test scores involving about 400,000 fourth-grade and 350,000 eighth-grade public school students across the country, District students have made tremendous gains. From 2011 to 2013, fourthgrade reading scores jumped by five points; fourth-grade math improved by seven points; eighth-grade reading spiked by six points, and eighth-grade math results increased by five points. “D.C. is showing the nation that when you embrace higher expectations for teachers and

for students, they rise to the challenge,” said Chancellor Kaya Henderson. “This work is difficult and it takes time, but our breakthrough gains demonstrate that the reforms we have put in place are working, and our students are making great progress.”

School officials are reporting that the rate, which currently stands at 87.4 percent, is 3.8 points higher than the total sum recorded for the entire state of Maryland.

Prince George’s County Public Schools

National Achievement Semifinalist Edom Tesfa, a senior at T.C. Williams High School on King Street, counts among the more than 1,600 semifinalists in the 50th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Edom, 17, who serves as a student liaison to the Alexandria City School Board, will continue in the competition next spring, where she will vie for scholarships totaling more than $2.5 million. “I am so proud of Edom, a most conscientious and hard-working young woman,” said Margaret Walsh, executive director of Student Support Services and Policy Development. “I am confident that her dedication to her studies, combined with her many interesting extracurricular activities, will enable her to move forward in this esteemed competition.” wi

Charter School Lottery Opens Online applications for the county’s charter school lottery are being accepted through 5 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2014. However, in accordance with Department of Pupil Accounting and School Boundaries guidelines, students must obtain a valid student identification number to prevent an application from being voided. For students currently attending Prince George’s County Public Schools,

22 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

Alexandria City Public Schools

Edom Tesfa is a senior who attends T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. /Photo courtesy of Alexandria City Public Schools

the ID numbers can be located on report cards, or by parents visiting schools and conferring with registrars. Students and parents new to the system can obtain an ID number by presenting proof of residence and original birth certificates to respective boundary schools. Unless they [students] want to transfer to a different charter

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facility, students already enrolled in a county charter school will not have to reapply. For more information, call 301-952-6300 for additional details.

Montgomery County Public Schools School Groundbreaking, Graduation Rates Wheaton High School, the school system’s most highly anticipated new project, is slated to open in August 2015, with students, school officials and the community having recently participated in a festive groundbreaking ceremony. New state data has shown a significant rise in Montgomery County’s graduation rate.

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Alexandria Youth to be Supported with Master Plan

By Margaret Summers WI Contributing Writer

Approximately 13 people, representing Alexandria, Va., government agencies and nonprofit groups working with children and families, convened at the Minnie Howard Campus of T.C. Williams High School on West Braddock Road. The purpose of the Saturday, Nov. 9 meeting was to hear public review and comment about a draft City of Alexandria Children and Youth Master Plan. It was the second of three community forums scheduled this month before the plan is finalized and presented to the city’s school board and the Alexandria City Council next year for approval and implementation. The plan encompasses the city council’s vision and strategic objectives for Alexandria’s children, youth and families. “Alexandria lacked a well-coordinated blueprint for government agencies and nonprofit organizations to work together collaboratively for children and young people,” explained Ron Frazier, 59, director of the city’s Office of Youth Services, and a member of the Children, Youth and Families Collaborative Commission. “The Youth Master Plan gives us a baseline to tell us where we are, and a way to determine where [services for children] are weakest and strongest.” In 2012, the city council established the 29-member Commission, with support from the Alexandria City Public Schools, to design a plan built on the belief that all children and youth, from birth to 21, must be, among other things, physically safe and healthy; academically and vocationally successful; and emotionally secure, hopeful and resilient. The Commission chose The Forum for Youth Investment, a District-based nonprofit in Northwest that helps prepare young people for college, work and life by age 21, to guide the planning process. It also appointed a 30-member Design Team, comprised of administrative and community leaders with child and youth sector expertise. The Forum and the Commission’s Design Team compiled data and research for The Alexandria Children and Youth Well-Being Profile, the plan’s companion document which describes the current condition of the city’s young people. The Commission held Youth Master Plan meetings earlier this year attended by more than 300 adults and youth. An additional nine

Virginia Improving Economic Opportunity; and Data, Implementation and Fiscal Accountability. Accompanying strategies ensure each priority is carried out. Tim Peterson, 44, chair of the Commission, said once the Youth Master Plan begins, possibly by July

1, 2014, city agencies charged with supporting children and youth will request additional funds in their annual budgets from the city council that would help them with implementation. Nonprofit groups would request plan implementation funds in their grant proposals. “There’s no

big pot of money for implementing the plan. Existing funds and resources will be used to implement it,” Peterson said. He also said volunteers are needed to assist the Commission in the plan’s implementation.wi To read this story in its entirety, go to www.washingtoninformer.com

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Tim Peterson, chair of the Children, Youth & Families Collaborative Commission. /Photo by Travis Reddick

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meetings with 200 middle and high school students solicited their input. “Alexandria has long invested its resources into children, youth and families. The city’s children and youth are not in trouble, and that isn’t why we created the Youth Master Plan,” said Frazier. But he indicated there are areas that could be improved, among them, education. The Alexandria Children and Youth Well-Being Profile notes the city’s median income remained at around $50,000 annually, even during recent years of the nation’s economic downturn. However, there was a six-point increase in the percentage of Alexandria’s economically disadvantaged public school students between school years 20112012 and 2012-2013. In Fiscal Year 2013, 56 percent of the city’s public school students were eligible for free or reduced lunch. Additionally, the Profile says almost one-third of public school students’ families speak a language other than English in the home. “Alexandria is very diverse. We have to make sure that [economically disadvantaged] young people, and those for whom English is a second language, are receiving the resources they need to be successful in school,” said Frazier. The draft Youth Master Plan is divided into six Community Priority Areas: Supporting Social, Emotional, Intellectual and Physical Growth; Empowering and Equipping Families; Creating Caring Networks and Systems; Promoting Equity and Nurturing Cultural Connections;

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November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

Editorial

opinions/editorials

Board of Elections Plan Still Needs Work As the D.C. Board of Elections works on its proposed Precinct Boundary Efficiency Plan, the body would be wise to proceed in a deliberate and efficacious manner. The aim of the plan, we’re told, is to redraw and simplify the District’s voting districts, but at recent meetings, critics have highlighted some issues that appear to worsen rather than improve the process. Board officials say it seeks to reduce the number of polling places Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners (ANCs) have to campaign in, and ensure that candidates would be at polling stations where voters are able to vote for them. But a number of ANC officials have concerns that the Board did not conduct any grassroots outreach before choosing these new polling locations. And in addition, some have raised questions about the appropriateness of some of the proposed new locations. Voters, critics say, would have to walk longer distances – varying from eight to 14 blocks – to get to polling stations. And Shelley Tomkin, chair of the Ward 3 Democrats, said the new plan would disrupt the organization, which is arranged by precinct and has the potential to break up political communities. Tomkin said that the Board should delay implementation of the plan until 2016 and allow communities more time to comment. Commissioner Mike Silverstein (2B-06) said the plan put ease of election administration and campaigning before voter interest and pointed out that the plan would seriously inconvenience voters and cause related problems for ANC members. Commissioner Rachel Nigro (6E-04) told Board members that she strongly opposes the proposal to use the United House of Prayer as a polling place because some church members have run for local office. Her constituents, she said, have made it clear that they do not want to vote in a house of worship and have expressed their strong preference for a more neutral location, such as the Kennedy Recreation Center, Dunbar Senior High School, or even keeping the boundaries the same. Board Chair Deborah K. Nichols’ comments reflect the dichotomy. She notes that “there needs to be something in place before the 2016 election.” While the Board thinks “it would be good to have a dry run in 2014,” Nichols said the issue isn’t put to bed and said the Board may schedule another public hearing.” As the Board of Elections moves forward, the plan will only have currency if there is transparency and if the public is fully involved.

Well Done! Well-wishers from near and far gathered on Friday, Nov. 8 to honor one of the city’s finest. They came together to show Maudine Rice Cooper just how much they love and appreciate her and the considerable personal legacy she has bestowed on the District of Columbia. Cooper is wrapping up 23 years as the engine of the Greater Washington Urban League and moves into well-deserved retirement. This special lady leaves behind a robust organization that serves more than 65,000 people. Seniors, mothers, people in search of a home, those experiencing hard times and others knew they could turn to the Urban League for a hand up. Mayor Vincent Gray, elected officials, three former Urban League presidents – including uber-lawyer Vernon E. Jordan – and a constellation of admirers showered Cooper with lots and lots of love. This couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person. Cooper was a trendsetter who used her legal prowess to agitate publicly and behind-the-scenes for equality and social justice. The sumptuous retirement party at the Marriott Wardman was a fitting tribute to a passionate and dedicated woman. We’ll miss Maudine but she’s left us a solid foundation on which to continue improving this region.

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Celebrating Black Accomplishments!

The article, “Four Hundred years of History on Display,” by Stacy M. Brown is a telling example of how individuals can use their passion and love for something to captivate, educate and inspire an entire nation. There is so much to learn from our art and history, and if we don’t teach it, it won’t be taught. From the very moment Africans were brought to these shores, they produced art and artifacts that helped in the process of building this nation. But history doesn’t always mean old; history is being made today, and we need to understand it and teach it to our children. There are artists working and creating art that we should be collecting and helping them to tell our stories. Just because our history was once left out doesn’t mean it should continue to be omitted. Bernard Kinsey and his wife are shining examples of a way of thinking that we should all adopt. We should completely destroy

the myth that it takes money to be able to appreciate art and history, and start teaching that to appreciate art and history is to appreciate ourselves. Harry McNair Washington, D.C.

An Appreciative Note

I really enjoy reading The Informer each and every week. I always pick up a handful of papers from the Metro station on my way to work for others to read in my office, and everyone seems to have the same opinion. Your stories are very interesting, and they usually provide a slightly different insight into what’s happening in and around the area. Your writers seem to find the kinds of stories that people want to know about. For example, in this week’s edition, the paper featured a story about the exhibit, “The Kinsey Collection” at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore, Md. I don’t think there was any other media in this

area that informed us about the exhibit, and if it weren’t for The Informer we probably would not have known about it. This is just one example of the kind of good work I think your paper does, and I just wanted to send you a few words of appreciation. Joyce Spencer Washington, D.C.

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opinions/editorials

Guest Columnist

By Julianne Malveaux

Unmasking White Racism In 1896, Lyrics of Lowly Life, a collection of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poetry, was published. Although his poem was specifically focused on African American people, in this 21st Century, it is apropos to many. He recognizes the pain many feel about their inability to be “themselves” and if we fast-forward to today, he addresses the masks they wear because they want to hide from themselves.

The poem reads: “We wear the mask that grins and lies; That hides our cheeks and shades our eyes; This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile; And mouth with myriad subtleties. “Why should the world be over-wise; In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while; We wear the mask. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries; To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile; Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let

the world dream otherwise. We wear the mask!” Whenever I read this poem I am struck by its poignancy. It recognizes the Black folks who tap danced when they’d rather do ballet, who hid their true feelings to get ahead, who are perceived as happy while “the clay is vile.” It doesn’t take a historian to evaluate the masks that people of African descent have been forced to wear in these United States. In the early 20th Century, you could be lynched for look-

Guest Columnist

ing a White person in the eye. No matter what your status, you were expected to clear the sidewalk when a White person walked by. You weren’t supposed to scowl or protest, just to wear the mask. When Senator Barack Obama ran for president of the United States, few chose to acknowledge that he stood on the shoulders of the great civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson. Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada), now an Obama ally, had the condescending temerity to describe

a Harvard-educated Black man as “well-spoken.” Many of us who earned advanced degrees from our nation’s best institutions are stunned when we are described as “articulate.” Some of us choose to wear the mask and silently absorb the nonsense. Others are plain spoken enough to pay the price of stunted career advancement, or a reputation for being “edgy.” People wear masks daily, sometimes to reveal who they

See Malveaux on Page 45

By Lee A. Daniels

JFK: Black America’s Great White Hope Democrats’ Southern segregationist bloc and their Republican allies. Even as late as the August 1963 March on Washington, two months after he had proposed the legislation that became the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he tried to, first, dissuade the civil rights leadership from staging it, and then, to limit its scope. Yet, ordinary Black Americans never stinted in their support of him – he had won more than 70 percent of the Black vote in November 1960 – and shared the

Before assuming the presidency in 1960, John F. Kennedy barely paid attention to any Black American beyond his valet, and he intended to follow that approach during the first four of what he expected would be his eight years in office. As the Civil Rights Movement exploded across the land, he tried mightily to keep it from wrecking his mutually wary relationship with a Congress dominated by the

profound grief that transfixed most Americans that November day at the crack of the assassin’s rifle shot. But Black Americans’ sorrow was suffused by an even deeper anguish because from the bright beginning of his presidency to its violent end, John F. Kennedy was Black America’s Great White Hope. In our era of extraordinary cynicism about what politics can achieve, it may be impossible for some not alive then to understand

Guest Columnist

the faith Black Americans invested in the nation’s 35th president. Like millions of White Americans, Blacks, too, were inspired by Kennedy’s image of youthful vigor, and his promises that, after the political and cultural blandness of the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, he would “get the country moving again.” Millions of Americans were eager to believe those words had meaning. They were buoyed by the unprecedented prosperity of postwar American society; and

by the sense, which JFK himself embodied, that it was time for the young men who had come of age during World War II and had fought in it to lead (At 43, he was the youngest president in American history). Like their fellow Americans, Blacks, too, were captivated by the cool charisma of this handsome, fabulously wealthy, Irish-Catholic American and his strikingly photogenic wife. Furthermore, Black Americans

See daniels on Page 45

By James Clingman

Selling Out and Buying In During the enslavement period of Africans in America, the Meritorious Manumission Act of 1710 was enacted in Virginia. It was the legal act of freeing a slave for “good deeds,” as defined by the national public policy, and could be granted to a slave who saved the life of a White master or his property, invented something from which a slave master could make a profit, or “snitched” on a fellow slave www.washingtoninformer.com

who was planning a slave rebellion or to run away. Let’s assume that’s where the term “selling out” came from. Three hundred years later, Black folks are still dealing with sell-outs, but I think we should take a different look at this issue. Selling out is a very negative term, especially among Black folks; but for those who sell-out, it seems to be a very profitable term. Some of our prominent Black spokespersons are very well off financially because they sold out. They started out as

strong Black advocates and activists, and now they are nothing more than sycophants for various causes, political parties, businesses, and politicians. I have often been told that everyone has a number, a price they would accept to sell-out. I wonder what the number was for Marcus Garvey – I wonder if he even had a number. When I listen to his speeches and read his papers, I doubt it. The more self-reliant we are, the less apt we are to sell-out because we have our own econom-

ic independence and cannot be bought. Some of our “leaders” are known for selling us out, and we know who they are; I don’t know how they are sleeping, but I know they are eating pretty well from having done so. They rail against “the man” or criticize us, their brothers and sisters, in order to obtain their manumission. The question is: Are they really to blame for our demise? As I said, we know who they are, so I ask, “What is our role in their actions?” Are we really enablers

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for these Benedict Arnolds? This brings me to the second part of this article’s title – the buying in part. Some of us, despite knowing who the culprits are, are like Pavlov’s dog, salivating at every word they speak and hoping for a treat or some other reward because we have been so obedient to them. So who’s the real culprit in the sell-out game? The one who sell out? Or the ones who buy in? We will always be sold out if

See Clingman on Page 45

November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

opinions/editorials

Guest Columnist

By Harry Alford

HBCUs Not Attracting Top Athletes It has recently been in the press the financial woes of the Grambling State University football team. Players boycotted traveling to a game in nearby Jackson, Miss, down the road on Interstate 20. They protested the lack of funding as reflected in their locker room facilities, traveling by bus instead of airplane and missing some planned meals. The school’s response

was that yes, they are poorly funded. Budgets costs are coming from state, local and federal governments. No hope is in sight. This brings up an important and very serious question: Is it time to merge state-funded Black schools into mainstream schools? This may sound blasphemous but the times have really changed from the days when we had no alternative because of “Jim Crow” education. School segregation was not just in the southern states. Many schools in northern and Mid-

western urban areas were also segregated in a de facto manner. It was wrong and a hypocritical fact against our constitution and national charter. As time went on, we changed for the better. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were transformed from a necessity to a cultural decision promoting our heritage. Funding challenges in this nation are becoming more and more intense as citizens demand less and less taxes and better managed public budgets. One of the biggest integra-

ASKIA-AT-LARGE

tor of colleges and universities is athletics. Major schools rely on athletics, mainly football and basketball, as a revenue generator. If a school does it right, they can fund all of the athletic programs via revenue from the “gate” and television shares from those two sports. If they start to fall, some of the athletic programs (mainly female) will start to fold. It’s all about the desires of the current marketplace. The schools that produce the largest revenue are the ones who have a tradition of winning.

Those schools have strong and proud alumni who give willingly and a TV market that will give handsome revenue shares to them. Also, sports equipment and apparel manufacturers lavish the successful schools with millions of dollars in equipment and financial aid. The big programs get bigger and the weak programs suffer. HBCUs are suffering. When Tank Younger and Marion Motley broke the color

See ALFORD on Page 46

By Askia Muhammad

To Change Racist Team Name: Fire the Owner The fact that the current owner of the Washington NFL franchise refuses to even entertain the notion of decency with regard to retiring his racist team name and its logo should come as no surprise to anyone. The owners of this franchise have often behaved badly, going back to the supreme bigot, George Preston Marshall, who gave the team its odious name in the first place. Marshall, who changed the name from the “Braves” to its

current unacceptable form, liked to dress up in fake Native American garb, and he even called himself the “Big Chief.” And if anyone thinks that in the early part of the 20th century when White men dressed up in “Indian” costumes and danced around whooping and hollering with their faces painted, not knowing what they were saying, or what their antics meant, if anyone thinks such drunken antics were intended to “honor” anyone, they should think again. Those were the days when the

Ku Klux Klan was running rampant through the U.S. South, and that’s just what Marshall fashioned his team to be when he moved it from Boston to Washington – the NFL team of “The South,” embracing all the racist notions that went along with representing Confederate-land and its “lost cause” of trying to maintain slavery when they instigated the Civil War. Marshall’s was the very last team to hire a Black player, and his belligerence led teams which already had Black players to

Guest Columnist

turn their backs on keeping the Blacks they already had, or adding any new Blacks to any of the rosters until the San Francisco 49ers drafted Ollie Matson (who went on to share Rookie of the Year honors) in 1952. Marshall’s “Team of the South” would not hire a Black player for another decade. Current Washington team owner Daniel Snyder has refused to consider changing the name from “Redksins,” insisting that he considers the epithet a “badge of honor.” Scholars

however, disabuse that notion. When football fans insist they are “honoring” the bravery of Native Americans by imitating tribal dress and customs they simply don’t understand, according to Dr. C. Richard King, co-editor of Encyclopedia of Native Americans in Sports, and a professor at Washington State University. Those who believe the names are honorific are simply holding on to a “sincere fiction”

See muhammad on Page 46

By Bill Fletcher

Poor Whites are Blaming the Wrong People I read a very sad article in the Washington Post on October 29. It concerned the base of the Tea Party movement, and specifically focused on some economically distressed Whites living in Georgia. They, like many other residents of Tea Party-controlled Congressional districts, are suffering under the weight of an economy that will not get fully in gear. Who do they blame?

Obama. Who do they support? Congressional representatives who wanted to close down government. It was striking in reading this piece, and later reading something on the polarization of wealth on this planet, that these economically precarious Whites have concluded that Obama, particularly through the Affordable Healthcare Act, somehow is worsening the economy for them. If the residents of these districts were angry about the po-

26 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

larization of wealth; if they were angry that Obama has not done enough; if they were angry that corporate America was using them as a doormat, I could understand that. But to jump from their economic problems to supporting the very same people who are destroying their lives can only be understood through the prism of race. The one thing that you will not get out of me is a defense of President Obama on much of the economy or on foreign policy. But I believe in speakThe Washington Informer

ing the truth, and specifically being clear on the real source of our problems. Those White residents may not be aware that the living standard for the average working person has been declining since the mid1970s. They may not be aware that the Republican Party that calls upon them every election season has advanced economic policies that push them further into debt and poverty than ever before. They may not be aware that the global economy is shifting, and shifting against working people. They

may also be only slightly aware that the financial powerhouses will do all that they can to sway Democratic and Republican politicians in order to protect their pots of gold. Yet it is easier to see in the Black president the representative of all that they hate and fear. It is easier to see in the Black president the threat to their future since he represents the unknown. It is easier to see in the Black president the easiest target

See fletcher on Page 46 www.washingtoninformer.com

Friends and family, colleagues and Urban League staffers surround Maudine Cooper on Friday, Nov. 8 at the Marriott Wardman Hotel in Northwest. /Photo by Roy Lewis

Friends, Well-Wishers Honor Cooper By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer Carol Schwartz weaved her way through a throng of people milling at the front of the podium in a ballroom of the Marriott Wardman hotel trying to get to Maudine Cooper. Schwartz finally climbed the steps, got Cooper’s attention, hugged her hard, exchanged a few words and then the former D.C. Council member eased into the crowd. “Oh my, I’ve known her for about 35 years at least,” said Schwartz, whose stint in electoral politics began in 1974 and ended in 2008. “I was on the School Board and met her when she became Marion Barry’s chief of staff. She’s been a role model for me. I loved her feistiness and her getthe-job-done attitude.” “In those days, you didn’t see a woman as chief of staff. We’re also dear friends, have been to each other’s homes, and been out to dinner. I admire what she’s done and wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Schwartz counted among several hundred friends, family, col-

Maudine Cooper greets Adrian Dagivilh along with his mother and father, Joseph and Veronica during a tribute to Cooper, the leader of the Greater Washington Urban League on Friday, Nov. 8 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Northwest. Friends and family, staff and colleagues showed up en masse to mark Cooper’s retirement from public life. /Photo by Roy Lewis

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leagues, employees and admirers who gave Cooper a light-hearted, spirited and poignant send off at a Friday, Nov. 8 tribute marking her retirement from public life. The tribute at the hotel in Northwest, brought together Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D), Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker III, several past and present mem-

bers of the D.C. Council, and the DC Chamber’s Barbara Lang. It also attracted a panoply of business people, government officials, former Urban League leaders who included Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Hugh Price and Marc Morial, along with Urban League staff. Many who spoke joked about Cooper’s altruism, passion, straight

talk and sharp tongue. As soft piano nocturnes played in the background, guests mingled, enjoyed a variety of hors d’oeuvres, rekindled old friendships and talked about Cooper and the importance of the night. Her 40 years of public service served as a beacon that has shone through good times and bad in the city,

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people said. “I’ve known her ever since I came to the Urban League. She’s the gold standard. She’s smart, aggressive, articulate and caring,” said Jordan during an interview at the event. “She always gave me wise counsel, was very helpful in tough situations and never lost her cool. She’d summon me to the Hill when I needed to be and when she called, I answered.” Jordan, Urban League president and CEO from 1971-81 and now a partner with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, had the crowd chuckling during his brief remarks. “It is an extraordinary honor and a privilege to have been summoned, subpoenaed by Maudine Cooper to be here tonight,” he said. Jordan said while doing research at Howard University Law School library, Cooper came across a quote from Supreme Court Judge Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., which said: “Life is action and passion; therefore, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of the time, at See COOPER on Page 28

November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

LIFESTYLE COOPER continued from Page 27 peril of being judged not to have lived.” “As a lawyer, social worker and leader, she dedicated her life. The city and the Urban League were the vehicles to do that,” said Jordan, 78. “The Greater Washington Urban League was the primary vehicle to share her action and passion of the times and this nation and the city are better for it.” “I took your counsel, advice, curses and fussing and most of the time, did as you instructed. When it comes to the Urban League movement, you’re the gold standard.” Cooper, 72 and a Mississippi native, worked as a tax lawyer; college lecturer; vice president of the National Urban League; head of the DC Office of Human Rights; chief of staff for former Mayor Marion S. Barry; and then embarked upon a 23-year stint as president and CEO of the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL). Beginning in 1990, Cooper shepherded an agency that currently serves more than 65,000 clients annually. The GWUL is a 72-year-old nonprofit, community

service and civil rights organization and one of 95 affiliates of the National Urban League. The organization is one of the area’s most active social service and civil rights entities and is celebrating its 75th anniversary. GWUL provides assistance to the working poor, individuals, families, children and those in need. The Urban League provides direct services in three key areas: education, employment and training; health promotion and nutrition services; and housing and community development. It also offers scholarships to area students, summer enrichment programs and operates the Home Purchase Assistance Program for first-time home buyers. Audrey Epperson, GWUL’s director of education, employment and training, echoed other staffers’ comments about the difficulty of the 1990 transition and said Cooper grabbed the baton of leadership and took the GWUL to new heights. “When the name of the president-elect was announced, many of the League’s staff who remembered Maudine Rice Cooper from her time with the National Urban League’s D.C. office were excited

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(Left to Right) Maudine Cooper surrounded by former Urban League leaders Hugh Price, Vernon Jordan, Jr., and Marc Morial during a tribute to Cooper who took the Greater Washington Urban League to new heights. /Photo by Roy Lewis

because someone had been selected who was familiar with the Urban League movement,” said Epperson, a friend and colleague of Cooper’s for more than 20 years. Cooper began a systematic review of the agency, talked to the program managers, visited each program office and conversed and got to know the staff. “This was the beginning of her

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getting to know us and our programs,” said Epperson. “It allowed the staff the opportunity to start to get to know her.” Former Washington Post owner and publisher Don Graham sent a letter that illustrated his admiration for his friend. “I believe it was more than 20 years when we began sharing meals together as part of the Din-

ner Dialogue,” he wrote. “Though we knew each other before, it was these dinners that turned us into friends. And then it was the years of working together on DC-CAP that cemented our friendship.” “I knew you cared about success for D.C. schoolchildren before anything else. And I came to know how devoted and decent you were.” wi

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IN MEMORIAM

Remembering Al Johnson Unifics Lead Singer Struck a Chord with Fellow Musicians “Up drove the Hearse, Cadillac A crowd of people gathered round it all dressed in black And as they removed her body from the car Such pain I never knew, did fill my heart… Why, oh why, I heard her mother cry As I rushed to the scene with tears in my eyes Somebody asked, somebody asked who was the next of kin And, oohhh Lord, it was the beginning of my end.”

Broderick Rice, the King of Gospel Comedy

-The Beginning of My End, 1968

Saturday Nov Saturday, Nov. 16 16, 8pm

By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer It may not have been the group’s most successful single, but Al Johnson and the Unifics hit song, “The Beginning of My End,” reached the top 40 on the Billboard Music Charts and peaked at No. 9 on the black singles chart in 1968. It also captured the hearts of many Washingtonians who considered Johnson, a Newport News, Va., native, one of their own. Johnson, who attended Howard University, where he formed the group that featured local talent from the Metropolitan area, struck a chord with fans and fellow musicians alike with his smooth, but powerful vocals as lead singer of one of the District’s most popular recording acts. “I’ve been recalling the many times that I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege to share the microphone and the stage with Al Johnson,” said jazz and pop star Jean Carne, who worked with Johnson as well as the late Dizzy Gillespie, Phyllis Hyman, and the Temptations. “Al Johnson’s orchestral arrangements for artists like, ‘The Whispers,’ were beyond genius,” said Carne, 66. “I was a fan since, ‘The Beginning of My End,’ and our first recording together was, ‘I’m Back for More,’ which has been sampled many times and was covered beautifully by Bobby Womack,” Carne said. “Right now, I simply can’t imagine music existing without (Johnson).” Johnson, 65, who had battled multiple undisclosed illnesses for quite a while, died on Oct. 26 in Capitol Heights, Md., where he had lived for several years. Johnson’s cause of death has not been disclosed. “There were some health issues,

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Publick Playhouse 5445 Landover Rd. Cheverly 20784

Al Johnson. /Courtesy Photo

but nothing that was life threatening, as far as we knew,” said Milt Delaney, who managed the Unifics. The group last performed in Atlantic City, N.J., on June 22, as part of an R&B revue. During the show, Johnson led the group in rapid succession through hits like, “The Beginning of My End,” “Court of Love,” and “It’s a Groovy World.” During his celebrated career, Johnson also found success with other groups as well. In 1978, he formed the group, “Positive Change,” before producing a solo album titled, “Peaceful.” Johnson also helped to lay down tracks for such established artists as the Whispers, Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson. In 2004, after nearly three decades apart, Johnson and the Unifics reunited for the album, “Unifics Return.” While the record produced few sales and received little airplay, it still resonated with fans of the Unifics, particularly those in the District. “I remember how everyone was so proud of Al Johnson and the Unifics. They were ours, Washington’s own,” said Fran Murray, a Northeast resident who said she attended the group’s last full concert about one year ago in Newport News. “They still had it,” said Murray, 63. “Their voices never seemed to change over the years, and they sounded just like the record. The concert was fabulous.” In 1966, Johnson, Tom Fauntleroy, Marvin Brown, Bob Hayes and George Roland came together at Howard University to form a

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group called, “The Unique Five.” With Johnson as lead, the group became a popular fixture on the campus of the Historically Black College and University, located in Northwest. The popularity eventually led to the group changing its name to the Unifics. Hayes, Fauntleroy, Brown and Roland each left the group, prompting Johnson to add Michel Ward, Greg Cook and Harold Worthington. After settling in with the new members, Johnson and the group scored its biggest hit in 1968, with the single, “Court of Love,” which peaked at No. 3 on the R&B charts and No. 25 on the pop charts. Later, when Ward and Worthington left the group, original members Brown and Fauntleroy rejoined the Unifics. Already, the surviving members have planned a tribute concert in Johnson’s honor on Friday, Dec. 20, at the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in his hometown of Newport News. “We’re going to carry on Al Johnson’s tradition,” Delaney said. “He made a huge contribution to the music industry, and his legacy will last for many years to come.” Fauntleroy, 65, said Johnson proved not only to be a great musician, but an even better person. “Every day of my life, he blew my mind with something. Musically, Al was blessed with the perfect pitch and the ability to arrange and compose,” said Fauntleroy. “He was very much unsung.” wi The Washington Informer

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LIFESTYLE

      •   •  •  

 

      

•     •   • 

The cast of the Best Man Holiday. /Courtesy Photo

    Fiduciary Panel Attorney - Superior Court of the District of Columbia - Probate Division Former DC Fraud Bureau Examiner - Insurance Administration  Former Law Clerk for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Stars Return for Best Man Sequel

Georgetown University Grad’s New Film Hits Theaters By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A BLACKMALED/ SEAN DANIEL COMPANY PRODUCTION A MALCOLM D. LEE FILM “THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY” HALL TERRENCE EXECUTIVE HOWARD SANAA LATHAN MORRIS CHESTNUT TAYE DIGGS REGINA MUSIC NIA LONGPRODUCED HAROLD PERRINEAU BY STANLEY CLARKEBASED ONPRODUCER PRESTON HOLMES CHARACTERS CREATED BY MALCOLM D. LEE BY SEAN DANIEL p.g.a. MALCOLM D. LEE p.g.a. WRITTEN AND A UNIVERSAL PICTURE DIRECTED BY MALCOLM D. LEE SOUNDTRACK ON RCA RECORDS

STARTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

30 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013 WASHINGTON INFORMER THU 11/14 3.625x8

Writer and director Malcolm D. Lee’s latest film doesn’t enjoy the Oscar buzz that accompanied several other African-American movies this year, nor should it. While the big screen premieres of, “12 Years a Slave,” “Fruitvale Station,” and “The Butler,” have helped to make 2013 one of the most memorable for black filmmakers, Lee’s, “The Best Man Holiday,” attempts to lighten the mood with romance, and adult-themed comedy. “We had to convince the studio to make this movie. There was no green light,” said actress Nia Long, who portrays the character, Jordan, in the film, which opens nationwide on Friday, Nov. 15. Locally, the film will be shown at the AMC Loews Georgetown in Northwest, the AMC Tysons Corner in McLean, Va., and AMC Magic Johnson Capital Center in Largo, Md. The sequel arrives 14 years after the original 1999 comedy, “The Best Man,” and reunites a cast that includes Long, Sanaa Lathan, Morris Chestnut, Terrence Howard and Taye Diggs. “Usually, it’s the studio who has to convince the cast to do a film, but Malcolm Lee had a very unique way of approaching this,” said Long, 43, who has appeared in such successful television shows as, “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” “Big Shots,” and “The Cleveland Show.” Long also has found success on the Silver Screen, portraying the leading lady in Martin Lawrence’s, “Big Momma’s House,” in 2000, and its sequel, “Big Momma’s House 2,” in 2006. “Malcolm came to us and we became a part of championing the The Washington Informer

process, which was completely different from anything we’d ever done before,” she said. The two-hour and two-minute film from Universal Studios puts college friends together again over the Christmas holidays. As the group reunites, they quickly discover just how easy it can be to recall forgotten rivalries and rekindle old flames. The story primarily centers around a football player, Lance, portrayed by Chestnut, who’s on the verge of breaking the all-time football record for rushing while his former best man, Harper, played by Taye Diggs, has fallen on hard times. Harper, a writer, sulks as his novels fail to sell and he’s struggling to start a family with his wife, Robin, portrayed by Lathan. “It was great to get back together with everyone, all of those personalities in one room and in one city,” Chestnut said. “There’s just so much going on in the film, it’s great,” said Chestnut, who first found fame as the college-bound Ricky Baker in the critically-acclaimed big screen drama, “Boyz in the Hood,” in 1991. Lathan, 42, who easily counts as one of the best actresses in Hollywood, said the cast and crew rejoiced over the prospects of a reunion. “It was like we were at an adult camp when we went to work,” said Lathan, whose resume includes, “Love and Basketball,” the hit movie from 2000 that co-starred Omar Epps, Alfre Woodard, and Debbi Morgan. Lathan, the daughter of producer Stan Lathan, also appeared opposite Denzel Washington in the 2003 crime thriller, “Out of Time,” where she seduces a married, but separated, Florida police chief who finds himself caught between trying to solve a brutal double murder before

Malcolm D. Lee. /Courtesy Photo

he comes under suspicion, while attempting to help a beautiful con artist, played by Lathan. Lathan said filming the movie turned out to be a blast. “We should have had a behindthe-scenes camera because we were having so much fun,” Lathan said. Lee, 43, a Georgetown University graduate and cousin of noted filmmaker, Spike Lee, assembled the cast for a dinner date more than two years ago. “It took a few years for the film to get picked up despite the success we had before,” said Lee, who held private rehearsals just for the men in the film so that they could practice a synchronized dance sequence and surprise the women. “I just wanted to see the natural, raw responses to the dance scene on the faces of the ladies, so we didn’t let them see that part until we filmed the movie,” he said. The move proved to be a hit, Chestnut said. “That was actually one of the most fun things about doing the whole movie, I think.” It also met the overwhelming approval of the female members of the cast. “They really practiced,” Long said. “They were serious about it.” wi www.washingtoninformer.com

Always Steady, More Dynamic Toyota Avalon By Njuguna Kabugi WI Contributing Writer For decades, the American full-size sedan was the de facto family car. It was not only the best-seller but its most prominent features – big motor, cavernous trunk, big front bench seat and a transmission that generally traded sportiness in return for relaxation – defined what an automobile ought to be. But as fuel prices began to rise and mid-size cars got roomier, the popularity of the full-size waned. This week’s feature automobile, the Toyota Avalon has been the Japan-based carmaker’s answer to the big American sedan. Conceived to be relentlessly non-offensive so as to please an older American demographic, Toyota pulled out all stops to clone Buicks and other large Americans sedans – complete with a squishy ride, frumpy body style, six-seat layout, vague steering and an added thin layer of luxury. But not even the best cloning efforts could weather the winds of time. As Buicks began shedding their dowdy image by becoming more chic, the Avalon found itself relegated to

the role of de facto emperor of the upscale bland class. The completely remade Avalon, built in Georgetown, Ky., moves the car in a more vibrant, youthful direction. Drivers have a choice of two engines – a powerful V-6 gasoline powertrain borrowed from the Camry and Toyota’s proven Hybrid Synergy Drive rated by the EPA at 40 mpg combined. We drove both models, spending a total of 15 days hitting destinations in the District, Virginia and Maryland. Dynamically, the big sedan’s frontwheel-drive chassis has been engineered not to waft over bumps but to absorb them with a more European feel – giving the car a better composed ride. The electric power steering is firmer and provides better feedback than before. While we were impressed by the all-aluminum 6-cylinder engine which produces 268 horsepower and 248 lbs. ft. of torque – propelling the sedan to 60 mph in under seven seconds, our sentimental favorite was the hybrid. Regardless of whether it was in the Sport, Eco or the default driving mode, the hybrid delivered linear and predictable power for a serene ride and, as an added bonus, improved fuel economy. The exterior redesign is an

Automakers continue to invest in new models such as the 2014 Toyota Avalon because they appeal to baby boomers – one of today’s most reliable shoppers. /Photo courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

improvement by Toyota’s very conservative design ethos, but a little understated compared to the competition. With its pronounced central droop and gaping bass mouth front grille, the Avalon gets what’s becoming Toyota’s new corporate face. There’s a trendy down sloping roof, shorter front and rear overhangs, and lower beltline that make the car look a bit sleeker. Inside, the Avalon has an attractive

sweep to the new dashboard, standard leather seats, high-quality materials, and an air of spaciousness that makes the cabin feel welcoming. Our test models came with an upgraded JBL audio system, an instrument panel featuring three screens offering multiple touchscreen information displays and soft white ambient lighting all through. Safety features include 10 airbags, stability and traction control,

LIFESTYLE pre-collision mitigation, blind-spot monitoring, and a new “variable-ratio brake pedal” that varies initial and final pedal effort. For serious buyers, deciding on which model to buy in this class is not all straight forward. Avalon’s main rivals range from the Chevrolet Impala (recently rated top sedan by Consumer Reports) and Dodge Charger to the Kia Cadenza and Hyundai Azera – all great choices and also nicely priced. We’d also throw in more premium-brand rivals like the Chrysler 300, Buick LaCrosse and Lincoln MKZ. While I’m partial to the Hybrid, some may find the higher-end Touring/Limited models acceptable. Those versions start around $36,000, with the Hybrid’s base price ranging from $36,350 to $42,195. Then there’s the case of the Lexus ES 350, also made by Toyota. The Lexus starts at $37,265; but both cars share a platform and the gas version’s optional 3.5-liter V-6. We found the Avalon actually handles better than the Lexus. wi

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LIFESTYLE Black males often use clothing and style as social agency. (Left), Caribbean men after disembarking the S.S. Empire Windrush in England. (Below), actor Noel Clarke and (next page) average Brits, continue to embrace dandyism. / Courtesy photos

Fine, and … Dandy

The Return of London’s Black Male Fashion Setters By Shantella Y. Sherman

WI Assistant Editor

hether among the millions taking part in the Great Migration of interwar U.S., or those immigrating to England from Africa and the Caribbean postWorld War II, black social mo-

bility often hinged upon the power to present themselves as fashionably respectable. Look no further than James Van Der Zee’s celluloid photos of new supplants to Harlem, casting like X-ray imagery, the hidden

32 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

promise of things to come. Images of men – in gabardines and silks, imposing and determined – created a space that even in economic instability and social unrest, echoed the assertion, “When a man can The Washington Informer

stand up to the mirror, he can stand up to life.” It is similarly found in the mountain of photos housed in the Library of Congress of shoeless migrants, whose lack of footwear indicated a lack of social fitness. Often through sharing, retooling, unthreading, and patchwork, they stitched together their own style and reinforced their dignity. This use of clothing as social currency, known as dandyism, resurfaces among people of color often. And in no place is the return to classic style punctuated with more African or Caribbean bravura, than the streets of London. Eighteenth-century England saw the rise of extreme wealth and servant dress as an extension of aristocratic wealth. These servants’ style of dress, known as dandyism distinguished them as “luxury slaves” in the same manner as a modern-day luxury car. Though forced and conspicuous during bondage, dandyism, morphed into an aggressive strategy by Blacks of using clothing and style to self-identify and racially redefine blackness in ambiguous political and culturally-hostile spaces.

“Almost as soon as a slave was issued a piece of clothing, he or she understood that the garment served not only to protect him or her from the elements, but was also part of a power struggle over Black identity. Refusing to be defined by others, Blacks have countered their representation sartorially, by pointedly playing with their clothing, manipulating it to better express the complexity of who they are,” writes historian Monica L. Miller. Miller, author of Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity first encountered the concept of the black dandy while a graduate student when the term was used derisively to caricature W.E.B. Du Bois by one of his critics. Mbayo Kalemba, while walking Canary Wharf in a sharply tapered pinstriped suit, concurred that clothing functions as more than just covering. The Brighton-born financial analyst said his boyhood in England was marked by strict Senegalese parents who believed a polished appearance proved to hostile neighbors they were civilized

See DANDY on Page 33 www.washingtoninformer.com

DANDY continued from Page 32 and were good citizens. “My mum insisted on starched and ironed clothing, well-polished shoes, and immaculately groomed hair. She was a seamstress and made what we could not afford. Even though I thought it was a lot of fuss for people who might never accept us, my look got me plenty of girls,” Kalemba, 45, said. “Eventually, the white boys in

the neighborhood mimicked my look to get girls; they continued to chase me home and call me names, though.” Kalemba said that there exists a level of pride that comes with being able to re-appropriate the gaze of suspicion a lot of black males face through fashion. He points to American rappers whose stardom impacted their style, and in turn, redefined youth fashion trends. “Concern over youth with hoods on and baggy pants is real-

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ly about their unchecked masculinity. These are young, powerful males who refuse to conform. It is the same as a bloke in the ’70s wearing a midriff shirt and tight trousers – almost the embodiment of feminine, but somehow shifting the parameters until even that becomes the height of masculinity,” Kalemba said. “Only black men could pull that off; it’s how we survive,” Kalemba said. wi The Washington Informer

November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

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Horo scopes

nov 14 - nov 20, 2013

ARIES You feel centered this week and full of efficient energy. Use this week to accomplish tasks, make plans, and finalize arrangements that need to be made. Face into personal responsibilities with love and pleasure now. Soul Affirmation: I am willing to make changes in my life. Lucky Numbers: 20, 21, 24 TAURUS You can build a bridge with your imagination to reach the person you want to meet. Build the very best bridge your imagination can afford. Your soulmate will then cross over to you. Your intentions are warm and sincere. Soul Affirmation: This week I find joy in the gifts that life has already given me. Lucky Numbers: 28, 37, 44 GEMINI While those around you may seem disagreeable, mind your own business and don’t take anything personally. Focus your mind on the project you most want to work on this week and put your beautiful energy into that with love. Soul Affirmation: I give my busy brain a rest from worrying this week. Lucky Numbers: 16, 48, 51 CANCER A happy week is in store for sociable you. Lots of friends and a party or two or three will keep your energy bright. Use caution while driving and watch for a pleasant surprise or two this week. Soul Affirmation: Trust gives me a deep sense of peace and joy. Lucky Numbers: 18, 21, 37 LEO Lots of creative energy available this week, and you can use this in many creative ways. Whatever your heart tells you to focus on, focus on that. Maintain emotional balance by taking periodic breaks from your work. Soul Affirmation: True friendship is a mirror into which I look to see the beauty of my inner self. Lucky Numbers: 9, 13, 30 VIRGO Your sense of self is feeling unusually well-defined. And it’s causing you to look confident. People will notice your regal bearing and noble outlook this week. Soul Affirmation: My emotions provide me a pathway into the sunshine of my being. Lucky Numbers: 17, 29, 45 LIBRA The week may start off cloudy but will soon turn bright if you keep your outlook positive and your thoughts on higher, more optimistic ideas. Be thankful for your wise and generous heart. You have a shining spirit. Soul Affirmation: Jewelry reflects the beauty of my feelings about myself. Lucky Numbers: 8, 45, 51 SCORPIO Who is your spiritual family? Celebrate your life with these people this week. Offer praise and grace-filled vibrations, and share your blessings. Things on the mundane level are clearing up and working out perfectly. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy discovering new territory this week. Lucky Numbers: 12, 14, 29 SAGITTARIUS Lots of creative energy available this week, and you can use this in many creative ways. Whatever your heart tells you to focus on, focus on that. Maintain emotional balance by taking periodic breaks from your work. Soul Affirmation: True friendship is a mirror into which I look to see the beauty of my inner self. Lucky Numbers: 9, 13, 30 CAPRICORN Your sense of self is feeling unusually well-defined. And it’s causing you to look confident. People will notice your regal bearing and noble outlook this week. Soul Affirmation: My emotions provide me a pathway into the sunshine of my being. Lucky Numbers: 17, 29, 45 AQUARIUS The week may start off cloudy but will soon turn bright if you keep your outlook positive and your thoughts on higher, more optimistic ideas. Be thankful for your wise and generous heart. You have a shining spirit. Soul Affirmation: Jewelry reflects the beauty of my feelings about myself. Lucky Numbers: 8, 45, 51 PISCES Who is your spiritual family? Celebrate your life with these people this week. Offer praise and grace-filled vibrations, and share your blessings. Things on the mundane level are clearing up and working out perfectly. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy discovering new territory this week. Lucky Numbers: 12, 14, 29

34 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

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LIFESTYLE

Griot

“Looking for Trouble” by Trice Hickman c.2013, Kensington Dafina $15.00 / $16.95 Canada 336 pages

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Just 60 minutes. Oh, how you wish you had it so you could reach back in time and spend it with your great-great-grandmother. You could ask her questions, find

out about her life, learn about yourself, and ask for advice. Imagine the things your forebears would tell you – then imagine how it would change your life if they did. In the new book “Looking for Trouble” by Trice Hickman, a little guidance from the past is a welcome thing. Alexandria Thornton tried to fight it. She had always known that she had a “gift.” As a little girl, she played with spirit-children and she was always able to predict the future. But lately, an older woman’s voice came to her ears and it was loudly insistent, telling Alexandria that someone was going to protect her. Protect her from what, Alexandria didn’t know. Maybe from her own heart, which

surely needed help these days. Her boyfriend, Peter, was Mr. Wrong and there was nobody else on the horizon. Maybe, if she could tame this person in her head, she would know what the heck was so important. John Smalls wondered if his girlfriend, Madeline, was The One. Sometimes, he thought she might be. She was the total

package: smart, beautiful and elegant. Then again, she could be demanding, bossy, and crass. Now they were in John’s hometown of Nedine, S.C., to see his family and he had a feeling he’d find out about the real Madeline soon enough. And he was right – Madeline did nothing but complain, and she was rude to his parents. He knew his mother didn’t like her. He was sure his grandmother wouldn’t, either – and Grandma Allene’s opinion was the one that really mattered. Allene Small stood on her front porch and stared into space and time. She didn’t like that evil woman her grandson brought home. That woman was trouble, she’d cause big problems for John, and Allene wasn’t having any of that. She also knew her great-great-granddaughter would need help, too, someday, but reaching that child surely wouldn’t be easy. It would be several generations before Alexandria was

even born. “Looking for Trouble” is a huge novel, not in page count but in storyline. Author Trice Hickman sweeps through several decades in this romantic tale of a family united by a “gift” that is only granted to certain female members, and that is only partially understood. Overall, the characters here are good (if not a little predictable) and the plot is unusual, although it does sometimes get too convenient and a bit silly. Still, I’m happy to say that I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next and I liked where Hickman took me. This book is not like other paranormal romances but, like others in its genre, it asks you to suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy – which isn’t hard to do here. So look for a place to settle in, and grab “Looking for Trouble.” Getting lost in this story will only take a minute. wi

Be Prepared for Changing Weather Use these helpful tips to be ready when severe weather strikes in winter.

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o Make a Plan for Extended Power Outages Know where you will go in the event of a power outage that could last multiple days. Most communities have a designated location with emergency back-up power. Make arrangements to stay with a relative, friend or neighbor who has power in case of an outage.

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o Prepare for Safe Power and Heating If using a portable generator, always operate it outside and away from doors and windows. Purchase a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector for your home if you plan to use an alternative source of power or heat.

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o Assemble an Emergency Storm Kit Take a few minutes to gather important items to keep handy in the event of a winter storm. Your kit should contain bottled water, non-perishable foods, blankets, flashlights and extra batteries, a first-aid kit and prescription medications, special medical supplies, tools and other essential items.

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Go online to pepco.com, click “Report/Get Outage Status” and enter your account information to get the latest news, report an outage, access outage maps of your area, and get important contact information and estimates for when power will be restored – from anywhere you can access the Internet

o Download Your Weathering the Storm Fact Sheet at pepco.com The best time to get ready for storms is well before they arrive, so we created the Weathering the Storm Fact Sheet containing useful tips and important contact information to help you be prepared and stay safe when severe weather strikes.

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Washington Wizards Defeat Brooklyn Nets 112-108 (OT) Washington Wizards forward Nene, playing his first home game this season, scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and tallied three assists on Friday, Nov. 8 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. The Wizards defeated the Brooklyn Nets 112-108 (OT) to win their first home game this season. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

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Sports Photos by John De Freitas

at:

 Halftime entertainment during the Wizards-Nets game was provided by the Ft. Belvoir (Va.) Barracudas youth basketball program on Friday, Nov. 8 at the Verizon Center in Northwest.The Wizards defeated the Brooklyn Nets 112-108 (OT) to win their first home game this season. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal scored 29 points, which tied a career high for him, and hit 11 of 20 shots on Friday, Nov. 8 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. The Wizards defeated the Brooklyn Nets 112-108 (OT) to win their first home game this season. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

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sports

D.C. Sports Teams Have Lots to Prove Redskins, Wizards Attempt to Energize Fan Base By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer At the beginning of 2013, a group of Washington, D.C. area sports fans started a webpage that posed a dubious question about the state of professional teams that call the District home. At first glance, many likely would have thought the question of whether the District of Columbia is the worst sports town in America had more to do with its fan base rather than the Nationals, Redskins, Capitals and Wizards – the four major franchises that bear the name “Washington” emblazoned across the front of their uniform jerseys. “D.C. is made up mostly of transplants who don’t care too much about the local teams,” said Northeast resident Melissa

Elliott, an avid fan of the Nationals and Redskins. “So, in that sense, we probably are one of the worse sports towns in the country,” said Elliott, 44. However, attendance and the loud roars from the seats at games for each of the District’s teams bear out one obvious fact: it’s the team and not the fans that make Washington one of the worst sports towns in the nation. “Our teams have disappointed us,” said Northwest resident Rodney McDaniel, who counts the Wizards and Redskins among his favorite teams. “We go out, pay the high ticket prices, root hard and they lose. We do our part, but they haven’t kept up their end of the bargain, especially this year,” said McDaniel, 36. The year opened with prom-

Bradley Beal. /Courtesy Photo

ise, the Redskins had captured the 2012 National Football Conference’s Eastern Division Championship and stormed into the playoffs with both momentum and a young gun-slinger,

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Francesca Dugarte as Miss Liberty. Photos by Tony Brown, imijphoto.com and Steve Vaccariello.

38 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

The Washington Informer

Robert Griffin III. /Courtesy Photo

Robert Griffin III, on their side. Already hobbled by an earlier knee injury, Griffin completed 10 of 19 passes for just 84 yards against a tough Seattle Seahawks team on Jan. 6, in a 24-14 loss that knocked the Redskins out of the playoffs, shattering their Super Bowl dreams. “That was a downer because we felt we really could make some noise,” Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan said. Coming into the 2013 season, many picked the Redskins to repeat as division champs and perhaps, with a healthy Griffin, go deeper into the playoffs. The team thus far has disappointed, posting a 3-6 record following a 34-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, Nov. 7. “When darkness comes earlier and the mornings are brisk, Washington’s teams also go cold,” said David Elfin of CBS Sports. Elfin noted that the Nationals recently completed season proved a major disappointment for local fans because the team failed to even make it to October, a year after losing their first playoff series despite holding home field advantage and a 6-0 lead in the decisive Game 5 against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Bolstered by young phenoms Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper and veterans Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman, Denard Span and Gio Gonzalez, fans and baseball aficionados predicted that the Nats would make a serious run toward baseball’s Promised Land, but the team finished 86-76, 10 games

behind the division winning Atlanta Braves and, most importantly, four games behind the Cincinnati Reds for the last playoff spot. “Not being able to get to the playoffs, it definitely hurts a little bit,” said Harper, 21. “I think everybody is going to remember this taste in their mouths and not want it back in their mouths again.” While the Capitals have gotten off to a respectable start this season with a 9-7 record, local hockey fans are still reeling from the way the previous campaign ended, a Game 7 defeat in the conference quarterfinals at the hands of the New York Rangers in April. The Wizards remain the last holdout. The team has posted a 2-3 record over its first five games with five months to go. However, fans usually don’t expect much from the woeful Wiz who finished last season with a dismal 29-53 record, failing to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. But, after a solid draft that included the selection and signing of Georgetown’s Otto Porter Jr., the continued improvement of Bradley Beal, 20, and a healthy John Wall, many around the National Basketball Association are excited about the potential the team has of not only finishing at or above .500, but making the playoffs. “I feel like the pressure is on a lot more,” said Wall, 23. “I embrace it, I love the pressure. There is nothing to hide from. If you hide from it, you don’t need to be playing.”wi www.washingtoninformer.com

The Religion Corner

religion

A Time to Give Thanks

Pastoral Job Announcement

tinue to need the NAACP. We forget something as simple as sharing restroom facilities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all races, and creeds under one roof â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at one time that was unheard of â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not to mention the ability to sit in a dining room and enjoy the NAACP dinner together both blacks and whites was forbidden in the days of Diahann Carroll, Sammy Davis Jr. and Lena Horne. Although they may have been the stars in the show at specific hotels throughout the country, they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allowed to participate in celebrations held in the hotel ballrooms. We must look to the half-full glasses and not the half-empty ones. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m guilty, as are most of us. We fall into ruts and begin our pity parties with ease. We feel sorry for ourselves. My own example occurred during altar call prayer last Sunday, my heart was heavy. I had the gall to feel sorry for myself, by discounting all of the blessings I currently enjoy. Blessings and freedoms which organizations like the NAACP helped to bring ensure. Suddenly, I began to look only at those things that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m thankful for; such as my life, health and strength. I thanked God for the opportunity to start and run a business without the worry of signs which stated â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whites Onlyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I thanked God for a car to drive rather than worrying about getting on and off of a bus via the back door; I thanked Him for my health, for feeling really good these

This is a special year; one in which the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) celebrates a century of historic firsts. During the recent annual Freedom Fund Dinner, NAACP Chairman Emeritus and keynote speaker Julian Bond and others, whose shoulders we all stand on provided not only food for thought but a topic that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to share with readers this week. During Bondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s keynote address followed by Lorraine Miller, the new national president and CEO of the NAACP accepting an award, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but feel tremendous gratitude and reflect on how far weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come as a people. Miller assumed the helm as the leader of the NAACP on Friday, Nov. 1. What an exciting time for the NAACP, when we remember all of the individuals who founded this great organization, such as Ida B. Wells â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget all she endured; yet when I take a look at how far weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come as a people, I must echo remarks given by the current president of the D.C. branch of the NAACP, Akosua Tyus. She reminded us of how far weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come, and in fact, she said that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve finally made it to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve even gotten elected all the way to the White House, so why do we still need an association like the NAACP,â&#x20AC;? she asked. Then she provided an explanation as to why we con-

with Lyndia Grant

days; with the ability to walk briskly and with a confident stride. I thanked Him for making a way out of no way. I thanked Him for my grandfather who fought racism in the South. Today, my family enjoys a 226acre farm which was won in 1945. Thank and praise the Lord for the good in your lives. Remember the theme of my radio show which says,Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.â&#x20AC;? Philippians 4:8 Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you â&#x20AC;&#x201C; always remember to be thankful. Again, congratulations to the NAACP for 100 years of leadership.wi Lyndia Grant is an author, inspirational and motivational speaker, radio talk show host and columnist; visit her new website at www.lyndiagrant.com or call 202-518-3192. Tune in Fridays at 6 p.m., to the radio talk show, 1340 AM, WYCB, a Radio One Station.

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church, organized in 1936 and located in Washington, D. C., is a church with rich history in the Shaw community.Â Our main objective is to bring glory and honor to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.Â We are seeking a pastor who is a humble, passionate, caring and loving servant of God to administer the Sacraments and to lead the congregation and demonstrate 1) an ability to work with others; 2) an enthusiastic love for preaching, teaching, counseling, and praying; 3) a commitment to minister to the sick and shut-in, 4) an ability to embrace the local community outreach programs as well as develop ministries designed to address community needs; and 5) an active commitment to cooperate with and support The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., and other related local, ecumenical, national, and world conventions and alliances. Interested candidates, please visit the church website www.FirstRising.org to download an application package, or submit a request for the same by USPS certified mail to: The Pulpit Committee First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church Attn.: Deacon Harold Gilliard, Chairman 602 N Street, NW Washington, DCÂ 20001

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November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

religion religion BAPTIST

african methodist episcopal

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Rev. James Manion Supply Priest Foggy Bottom • Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW • Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 • Fax : 202-338-4958 Worship Services 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.

Blessed Word of Life Church Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors 4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax Schedule of Services: Sunday School – 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service – 11:00 AM Communion Service – First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study – Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org e-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org

Campbell AME Church Reverend Daryl K. Kearney, Pastor 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., S E Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email:Campbell@mycame.org Sunday Worship Service 10: am Sunday Church School 8: 45 am Bible Study Wednesday 12:00 Noon Wednesday 7:00 pm Thursday 7: pm “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE Washington, DC 20020

Mt. Zion Baptist Church Rev. John W. Davis, Pastor 5101 14th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20011 202-726-2220/ 202-726-9089 Sunday Worship Service 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday School 9:15am Holy Communion 4th Sunday 10:00am Prayer and Bible Study Wednesday 7;00pm TV Ministry –Channel 6 Wednesday 10:00pm gsccm.administration@verizon.net

Pilgrim Baptist Church

700 I. Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20002 Pastor Louis B. Jones, II and Pilgrim invite you to join us during our July and August Summer schedule! Attire is Christian casual. Worship: Sundays@ 7:30 A.M. & 10:00 A.M. 3rd Sunday Holy Communion/Baptism/Consecration Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @12:00 Noon @ 6:30 P.M. – One Hour of Power! (202) 547-8849 www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ Drs. Dennis W. and Christine Y. Wiley, Pastors 3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) (202) 562-4219 (Fax) SERVICES AND TIMES: SUNDAYS: 10:00 am AM Worship Services BIBLE STUDY: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) SUNDAY SCHOOL: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantbaptistdc.org

Twelfth Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340

Church of Living Waters

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew, Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Schedule of Service Sunday Service: 8:30 AM & 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

St. Stephen Baptist Church Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Bishop 5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Sunday Early Morning Worship - 7:45 a.m. Church School - 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship – 10:45 a.m. Tuesday – Thursday - Kingdom Building Bible Institute – 7:30 p.m. Wednesday – Prayer/Praise/Bible Study – 7:30 p.m. Baptism & Communion Service- 4th Sunday – 10:30am Radio Broadcast WYCB -1340 AM-Sunday -6:00pm T.V. Broadcast - Channel 190 – Sunday -4:00pm/Tuesday 7:00am

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

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., • Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE • Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 • www.acamec.org 2008: The Year of New Beginnings “Expect the Extraordinary”

Crusader Baptist Church

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews • Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 Fax: (202) 526-1661

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan, Pastor 800 I Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 Fax No. 202-548-0703

Sunday Worship Services: 8:00a.m. and 11:00a.m. Sunday Church School - 9:15a.m. & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30a.m. 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study - 10:00a.m. Tuesday Topical Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Wednesday Children’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Thursday Men’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service - 6:30p.m. Saturday Adult Bible Study - 10:00a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship 11:00am Holy Communion – 1st Sunday Sunday School-9:45am Men’s Monday Bible Study – 7:00pm Wednesday Night Bible Study – 7:00pm Women’s Ministry Bible Study 3rd Friday -7:00pm Computer Classes- Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org

“The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

“God is Love”

Third Street Church of God Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor 1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202.347.5889 office 202.638.1803 fax Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m. Prayer Meeting and Bible Study: Wed. 7:30 p.m. “Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org

Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:20 a.m. Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax Sunday Worship Service: 8 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org emailus@gmchc.org

ST Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Dr. Raymond T. Matthews, Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews Sunday School 9:am Worship Service 10:am Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service 6:45 pm Thur. Bible Study 7:15 pm

We are proud to provide the trophies for the Washington Informer Spelling Bee

Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor Service and Times Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Communion every Sunday 11:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Bible Study Tuesday 12Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday 6:30 p.m. Motto; “Discover Something Wonderful.” Website: 12thscc.org Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com

Mount Carmel Baptist Church

52 Years of Expert Engraving Services

Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Sunday Church School : 9: 30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10: 45am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10: 45am themcbc.org

40 November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

The Washington Informer

www.washingtoninformer.com

religion Baptist

All Nations Baptist Church

Advertise Your Church services here: call Ron Burke at

202-561-4100 or email rburke@washingtoninformer.com

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. • Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591

Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

“Where Jesus is the King”

Israel Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

4850 Blagdon Ave, NW • Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 • Fax (202) 291-3773

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288 Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Mount Moriah Baptist Church

St. Luke Baptist Church

1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Study: Monday - 7:00 p.m. Prayer Meeting: Thursday - 7:00 p.m.

2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Sunday School – 9:30 am Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 am Baptismal Service – 1st Sunday – 9:30 am Holy Communion – 1st Sunday – 11:00 am Prayer Meeting & Bible Study – Wednesday -7:30 pm

Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor

Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration

Zion Baptist Church

Sunday Worship Service 10:15AM- Praise and Worship Services Sunday School 9:00am Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7PM: Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church Shall; Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, and Exalt Our Savior. (Acts 2:41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, Senior Pastor 1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 Fax: 202-544-2964 Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 am and 10:45 am Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 am and 10:45 am Sunday School: 9:30 am Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon and 6:30 pm Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 pm Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 pm

Advertise Your Church services here: call Ron Burke at

202-561-4100 or email rburke@washingtoninformer.com

Advertise Your Church services here: call Ron Burke at

202-561-4100 or email rburke@washingtoninformer.com

Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org

Rehoboth Baptist Church

St. Matthews Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor 1105 New Jersey Ave, S.E • Washington, DC 20003 202 488-7298 Order of Services Sunday Worship Services: 9:05 A.M. Sunday School: 8:00 A.M. Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer Meeting: 7:00 P.M. (Tuesday) Bible Study: 7:30 P.M. (Tuesday) Theme: “Striving to be more like Jesus “Stewardship”. Philippians 3:12-14; Malachi 3:8-10 and 2 Corinthians 9:7 Email: stmatthewbaptist@msn.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.com

Salem Baptist Church

Emmanuel Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Clinton W. Austin Pastor 2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Come Grow With Us and Establish a Blessed Family” Sunday Worship 7:30am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service Tuesdays – 8:00pm www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Florida Avenue Baptist Church Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert SR. Pastor

623 Florida Ave.. NW • WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 • Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 • Fax (202) 483-4009

4504 Gault Place, N.E. Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184

Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 p.m. Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 p.m. Noonday Prayer Every Thursday

9:30AM. Sunday Church School 11:00 Am. Sunday Worship Service The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Wednesday 7:00pm Prayer & Praise Services 7:30pm. Bible Study Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries 10:30am A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church

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

Dr. C. Matthew Hudson, Jr, Pastor

Elder Herman L. Simms, Pastor

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

Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 P.M Prayer/Seeking Wednesday at 8:00 P.M. Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

New Commandment Baptist Church Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor 13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560 Services: Sunday Worship 11 AM Sunday School 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study - Wed. 7 PM “A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

Shiloh Baptist Church

Early Worship Service 7:30a.m Worship Service 10:45a.m. New Members Class 9:30a.m. Holy Communion : 1st Sunday -10:45a.m Church School 9:30a.m. Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: Wednesday 7p.m Bible Study : Saturday: 11a.m. Baptism: 4th Sunday – 10:45a.m “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Peace Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Sunday Morning Worship Service 7:15 am & 10:50 am Sunday School 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service 10:50am Wednesday Prayer & Testimonies Service 7:30pm Wednesday School of the Bible 8:00pm Wednesday - Midweek Prayer Service 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm “The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address pbcexec@verizon.net

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Rev. R. Vincent Palmer Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Reginald M. Green, Sr., Interim Pastor

621 Alabama Avenue, S.E. • Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 F: (202) 561-1112

917 N St. NW • Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-4294

9th & P Street, N.W. • W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4200

602 N Street NW • Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595

The Church Where GOD Is Working.... And We Are Working With GOD

Sunrise Prayer Services - Sunday 7:00 a.m.

Sunday Morning Prayer Service: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship: 10:40 a.m. Third Sunday Baptismal & Holy Communion:10:30 a.m. Tuesday Church At Study Prayer & Praise: 6:30 p.m.

Morning Worship: 8:00 a.m Church School : 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship: 10:55 a.m. Bible Study, Thursday: 6:30 p.m. Prayer Meeting,Thursday : 7:30 p.m.

Sunday Service: 10 am Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 am 1st Sunday Baptism: 10: am 2nd Sunday Holy Communion: 10 am Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 pm Prayer Meeting: 7:45 pm

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Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Sunday Worship Services: 7:45am & 11:00am Sunday school For All Ages 9:30am Prayer Services Wednesday 11:30am & 6:45pm Bible Institute Wednesday at Noon & 7:45pm “Changing Lives On Purpose “ Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org

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Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Sunday Church School: 9:30 A.M. Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 A.M. Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 P.M. Prayer Service Bible Study

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor 2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 Fax: (202) 529-7738 Order of Services Worship Service: 7:30 a.m. Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30 a.m. & 10:30a.m. Prayer Services: Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 12 Noon Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.

November 14, 2013 - November 20, 2013

legal notices

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

Administration No. 2012 ADM 1128

Administration No. 2013 ADM 1061

Willie Dean Jackson Decedent

Barbara Ann Nettles Decedent

Ronald Dixon Bynum & Jenkins 1010 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Attorney

Attorney Ethel Mitchell, Wills and Trusts, LLC 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1045 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

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

Ronald Dixon, whose address is Bynum & Jenkins, 1010 Cameron St., Alexandria, VA 22314, was appointed Successor Personal Representative of the estate of Willie Dean Jackson, who died on April 2, 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 (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 May 7, 2014. 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 May 7, 2014, 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.

Wanda Denise Nettles, whose address is 1504 Fort Place NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Barbara Ann Nettles, who died on September 11, 2013 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 April 30, 2014. 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 April 30, 2014, 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: November 7, 2013

Date of first publication: October 31, 2013

Ronald Dixon Personal Representative

Wanda Denise Nettles Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

CLASSIFIEDS SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013 ADM 889 Calvin C. Thomas aka Calvon C. Thomas Decedent James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Felix Inge, Jr., whose address is 5101 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Calvin C. Thomas aka Calvon C. Thomas, who died on July 16, 2013 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 May 14, 2014. 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 May 14, 2014, 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: November 14, 2013 Felix Inge, Jr. Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

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Malveaux continued from Page 25 are, and sometimes to hide their true identity. What does this imply, then, about the White people who think that a blackface mask is appropriate? Too many people, including the obscure and minimally talented actress Julianne Hough, decided to don blackface for a Halloween party, excusing herself by claiming she was simply going as a character in the show Orange is the New Black. When criticized, she said she was “sorry,” but she should have said she was ignorantly sorry, because her historical knowledge is most deficient. Did she go to anybody’s school? Like Hough, those who think that blackface is funny, ignore the demeaning history of blackface caricatures. If these people are wearing a mask, it is

DANIELS continued from Page 25 drew a special meaning from JFK’s promise to lead America to a “New Frontier.” For Blacks themselves, six years past the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown school desegregation decision, had already gathered their forces on the boundary of a new racial frontier, ready to fully unleash the tactic of nonviolence protest to challenge the brutal regime of Jim Crow all across the South and the rest of America. It was no accident that a month after Kennedy announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, four students from the historically Black North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College (now university) launched the famous Greensboro sitin to protest lunch-counter discrimination at the city’s downtown department store. This incident underscores several larger points about the relationship

Clingman continued from Page 25 we keep buying in to the empty rhetoric and promises of good times to come. We will continue to complain about the sell-outs, but we will also continue to be left out of the prosperity they enjoy. Carter G. Woodson said, “Negroes, choose their leaders but unfortunately they are too often of the wrong kind. Negroes do not readily follow persons with constructive programs. Almost any sort of exciting appeal or trivial matter presented to them may receive immediate attention and temporarily at least liberal support.” We choose and follow sell-outs with great zeal, so we should stop blaming them and start blaming ourselves. The sell-out/buy-in game is

a mask that allowed them to hide their racism until they had an excuse to let it show. Then their response is that “it is all in good fun, we meant no harm,” or “ I never meant to offend.” That’s the mask of arrogance. The mask of “I’m White, I’m going to do whatever I choose to do,” a mask that allows them to ignore common decency. In 2011, Ohio University started a campaign that suggested that student be mindful of the Halloween costumes they chose. The “we’re a culture not a costume” has spread to several universities, but apparently it has not spread widely enough. Two White men in Florida declared “anything for a laugh” when one, with a “Stand Your Ground” t-shirt (posing as George Zimmerman) seems to be shooting his black faced, hoodie clad White friend who is supposed to be Trayvon Martin.

Why is this appropriate or amusing? The arrogance of White people suggests that they can make a joke, and suggests that all people of color are their jokes. The massacre of a young Black man, for them, is not tragedy but an occasion for mockery. “We wear the mask that grins and lies, that hides our cheeks and shades our eyes.” For some, masks are concealing, for others revealing. Those who choose to mute their reaction to a racist world are adapting. Those who think that blackface is appropriate are attacking. It is tragic that at Halloween, a day conceived for children to have fun, has become an occasion for masks that attack, and for those who make excuses for them.wi Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.

between John F. Kennedy and Black America in the early 1960s. One was that they liked him. But they also used his rhetoric about freedom as well as early waffling on civil rights to intensify their determination to get the rights the political system owed them. They understood that Kennedy’s initial personal and political dislike of civil rights activism accurately reflected that of the overwhelming majority of Whites outside the South, too. It was the Movement’s task to compel them to recognize what was at stake, and to right the wrongs. The words of that Movement anthem— “Ain’t going to let nobody turn me ‘round … gonna keep on walking, keep on talking, marching down to Freedomland!” were meant not only for the Southern segregationists but for John F. Kennedy and other White “bystanders,” too. And finally, there was one more thing that cemented the place of John

F. Kennedy in the pantheon of African-American heroes: his murder at the very moment he had fully committed his administration to the Black freedom struggle. Horrific violence and a sense of tragedy had not only always shadowed Blacks’ quest for civil rights in America; it had shadowed their everyday existence. Now, that evil force had struck down the personification of American power, the 35th president of the United States – and Black America’s Great White Hope. The irony is that in the sorrowful days of late November 1963, almost no one expected that JFK’s successor – the Texan, Lyndon Baines Johnson – would, for Black Americans, become an even greater benefactor.wi Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His latest book is Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America.

most prevalent in political circles, or at least connected to politics in some way or another. Black people are divided over the most trivial political issues, unlike other groups that couldn’t care less – they care about economics. Blacks are also divided over personalities, and as Carter G. Woodson said, we usually go with the mis-leading, do-nothing politicians, and the ones who are scared to make waves. You know the type; docile, non-threatening, scratching and grinning, and all talk but no action. But so what? They are gettin’ paid and lovin’ it. We are the ones who are suffering because, even though we are holding fast and not selling out, we are buying in to the sell-outs’ mission; so we may as well be

selling out ourselves. The point is that we should stop concentrating so much on who is selling out and spend more time dealing with the fact that many of us are buying in to what they say and do. We must be critical thinkers and let these manumission seekers know that while they may continue to sellout, we will not continue to follow them. That’s on us, brothers and sisters, not them. wi Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and can be reached through his Web site, blackonomics.com.

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lines of the National Football League, the evolution kicked in. Soon, every NFL team not only had one Black they had a growing number of Blacks. The Washington (racial slur) Football Team was the last to have a Black on their roster. Today, 77 percent of the NFL is Black. There is not much difference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). One might think that HBCUs would have the advantage in recruiting quality Black players to prepare for the pros. That doesn’t appear to be the case. Prime time facilities, huge and rich campuses, distinguished alumni associations, beautiful women and celebrity win the young athletes over. Let’s look at today’s NFL. I checked the rosters of four NFL teams. My sampling was the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears. Out of 69 Black players, the Chargers have no players from HBCUs (zero per-

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King told attendees at a recent conference to discuss the team name called by Native groups. The reality is that objectifying Native people with sports team names in Washington, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Atlanta, is ugly and offensive, King said. “Enough is enough, the name must go,” said D.C. Councilmember David Grosso about his name change proposal which was unanimously adopted by the D.C. Council Nov. 5. The suggestion that the team name and logo should be kept as some symbol of the team’s heritage “is akin to saying to Native people (that) your pain has less worth than our football memories.” But that is exactly what Snyder is saying. He told ticket holders in a letter that he re-

fletcher continued from Page 26 in order to explain why their lives are so miserable. And it is easier to target a Black president than to come to grips with a very simThe Washington Informer

cent). The Saints have 4.3 percent (3). The Ravens have just 1.5 percent (2) while the Bears have 4.6 percent (3) from HBCUs. Who would have thought that our HBCUs would have little impact on the make-up of our NFL? The times have changed and this has a very severe impact on HBCU campuses. Recruiting shrinks, alumni contributions, especially from graduating athletes, becomes nil. It is all downhill from here. The good news from a commercial aspect is that the athletic make up of our integrated schools is growing exponentially in diversity. There was a time when you could count the amount of major college Black quarterbacks. Now there are so many you just can’t keep up with them. Ohio State which has not lost a game in two years and is ranked #2 in the nation has all three of their roster quarterbacks being Black. Some of our Black athletic departments believe they can make quick money sending their ill

prepared HBCU teams to meet major programs. They “feed” these poorly equipped and ill prepared teams to face some of the biggest football machines in the nation. Florida A&M vs. Ohio State and South Carolina State vs. Clemson are examples of these atrocities. The money may be good, but the school’s image and their players’ morale are shattered. It’s time to regroup. HBCUs will be small, culturally-based institutions that should be supported by middle class Blacks as a whole. Regardless of your affiliation, it is important to our heritage to keep them alive at some level. We should look to better management and more attention given to them (funding) by our elected officials. It is shameful that the support levels by their alumni do not reach 10 percent. Harry C. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce ®. Website: www.nationalbcc.org. Email: halford@nationalbcc.org.

members growing up cheering for the team, and now his nostalgia over that racist sobriquet is the basis for his insistence that he will “never” change the name. Has it ever crossed Snyder’s mind that the team he was cheering for as a child was the most racist in the NFL? Or is he proud of that part of its “heritage” as well? The term “redskins” actually refers to the Indian skins and body parts – including genitalia – that bounty hunters had to show in order to receive payment for killing Indians, Suzan Shown Harjo told me. “To many Native Americans, the term ‘Redskins’ is associated with the barbaric practice of scalping,” Harjo said. By contrast, another former Washington professional team owner with an offensive name, who changed his team’s name voluntarily, actually counseled

Snyder, to no avail. “Abe Pollin (the late owner of The Washington Wizards NBA team) personally at one point, let (Snyder) know that when he changed from ‘Bullets’ to ‘Wizards’ that he did not lose money, and that it was the right thing to do, and that he recommended Snyder change the name. He reported back to us that he would not do it, that he was adamant in his opposition to us,” Harjo said. Which leads me to realize, that just like that bigot George Preston Marshall, whose lips were “dripping with the words of interposition and nullification” when he owned the team, this current owner is cut from the same hateful cloth, and that maybe the best way for the team to shed the bad karma it inherits because of its racist name, would be to “fire” the owner.wi

ple fact: the rich White elite does not give a cuss about their sorry rear ends…just so long as they keep voting Republican every election season. wi Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Stud-

ies, the immediate past president of TransAfrica Forum, and the author of “They’re Bankrupting Us” – And Twenty Other Myths about Unions. Follow him on Facebook and at www. billfletcherjr.com. www.washingtoninformer.com

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