The Washington Informer - October 10, 2024 by The Washington Informer

How to Stay Safe Amid Large Crowds, Public Safety Concerns at Howard’s 100th Homecoming

Fun, Festivities and an Appearance from Vice President Kamala Harris Expected

By Zsana Hoskins WI Contributing Writer

Howard University’s homecoming, marking its centennial celebration Oct. 13-19, has been historically lauded as one of the most famous college homecomings for students, alumni, and thousands across the country. With

5 Howard University is marking its centennial homecoming celebration Oct. 13-19, with festivities and events that include a football game against Tennessee State University, the annual YardFest, and an appearance from Vice President Kamala Harris, the presidential nominee and one of the institution’s most famous alumni.

(WI File Photo/Abdullah Konte)

DCPS Uses Connected Schools Model to Tackle Homelessness

5A homeless encampment in

By Sam P.K. Collins Staff Writer

With less than half of the school year completed, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) has already received notifications from 2,600 public school students who are experiencing some form of housing insecurity -- including stints at a local shelter or doubling up with other family members.

Some school leaders, like Nikia Harrod, said they expect the numbers of self-re-

(WI File Photo/Ja’Mon

Leaks, Explosions Intensify Discussion about D.C.’s Clean Energy Future

Public Service Commission Prepares to Collect Responses to Washington Gas’s Revised Pipe Replacement Plan

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

A natural gas explosion at a Columbia Heights apartment last month injured one woman and displaced more than 100 residents who have yet to return to the four-story building that D.C. Department of Buildings (DOB) has since deemed inhabitable. In the months leading up to the Sept. 20 incident, similar situations involving natural gas have preoccupied first responders in the District. In January, a gas explosion on Marion Barry Avenue in South-

Page 24

New DCPS Standards Enhance Indigenous History Education

OSSE New Curriculum Increases Representation, Recognizes Contributions of Indigenous,Marginalized Communities

By Jada Ingleton WI Digital Equity Fellow

Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Monday, Oct. 14), uplifts the rich history and contributions of Native Americans,

while acknowledging the resilience of the people the holiday celebrates, having overcome tragic narratives of mass displacement, marginalization, racism

McPherson Square in 2023. With the school year just getting started, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) has already received notifications from 2,600 students who are experiencing some form of housing insecurity.

Jackson)

5Climate advocates from across D.C. convene at the District of Columbia Public Service Commission (PSC) to respond to a major PSC decision about Washington Gas’ ProjectPIPES in December 2023. After natural gas explosion incidents in the area, environmentalists are calling for utility companies to embrace electric power as a cleaner, safer alternative to natural gas. (WI File Photo)

5Native American leaders at a Totem Pole rally on the National Mall in 2021, urging President Joe Biden to protect sacred Indigenous sites. While Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the rich and resilient history of Native Americans, D.C education leaders have expanded curriculum about Indigenous communities, cultures and their contributions. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)

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REPORTERS

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wi hot topics

BY STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER; LAFAYETTE BARNES SR., WIN AFRICA; BRENDA C. SILER, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Pras Michel Files Lawsuit Against Lauryn Hill Alleging Fraud and Breach of Contract Over Fugees Reunion Tour

Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, a founding member of the iconic hip-hop group The Fugees, has filed a lawsuit against his former bandmate Lauryn Hill and MLH Touring, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (Case 1:24-cv-07403). The complaint, filed this morning, alleges fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract concerning The Fugees’ 2023 reunion tour.

The lawsuit claims that Hill exploited Michel’s “vulnerable legal situation,” manipulating him into an unfair agreement regarding the tour’s financial arrangements. According to the complaint, Hill allegedly made up with a significant share of the tour’s proceeds, leaving Michel with a small portion which wasn’t in line with previous Fugees tours.

In an email to The Washington Informer, Michel’s legal team, Robert S. Meloni of Meloni & McCaffrey, accuses Hill of concealing her intention to control the tour’s profits

and misrepresenting crucial financial information.

“We assert that Ms. Hill misrepresented critical financial information and concealed her intent to take an excessive 60% share of the tour's proceeds, leaving Mr. Michel with only 20% instead of the group’s customary one-third split,” Meloni stated.

Michel’s legal complaint also highlighted Hill’s reported chronic tardiness during the tour, with concerts frequently starting two or more hours late. The lawsuit further alleges that Hill canceled the second half of the tour, financially penalizing and defrauding Michel in the process.

Michel is no stranger to legal controversy. He was found guilty in 2023 of conspiring with fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low in three lobbying schemes to influence U.S. presidential administrations. While he remained free pend-

District Honors Nigerian Center, Gbenga Ogunjimi

Bowser Declares Oct. 1 as Nigerian American Day in Washington, D.C.

5Dr. Gina Paige, president and co-founder of African Ancestry, Inc., Gbenza Ogunijimi, executive director of the Nigerian Center, Kimberley Bassett, secretary of the District of Columbia, Kkechi Ilechi, policy director at the Nigerian Center, and Olayinka Davies, creator and director of “Perception: The Nigerian Narrative.” (Lafayette Barnes Sr./The Washington Informer)

Secretary of the District of Columbia Kimberly Bassett, on behalf of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, issued a proclamation to Gbenga Ogunjimi, founder of the Nigerian Center— located at the Anacostia Art Center in Ward 8— declaring Oct. 1 as Nigerian American Day in Washington, D.C. The mayor’s proclamation celebrates the work the Southeast center provides to immigrants in D.C., and uplifts the contributions of Nigerians and Nigerian Americans in the District and nationwide.

“[The proclamation] commemorates Nigeria’s Independence Day of October 1, 1960 and the shared values of liberty, strength, and hope that continues to build bridges between our respective cultures in the District of Columbia,” said Bassett.

The Nigerian Center is one example of a local program creating opportunities and bridging connections for immigrants in the District.

The Nigerian Center, Gbenga said, provides a variety of client services including its walk-in immigration support, IRS free tax counseling, Pathway to Prosperity micro-loan program, and Nigerian language training classes in collaboration with African Ancestry Inc.

Dr. Gina Paige explained that African Ancestry, a D.C. based business, offers maternal and paternal DNA test kits to reconnect members of the African Diaspora to the countries from which their ancestors’ originate.

For Paige, it’s not just about knowing where one comes from, it’s about building connections.

“African Ancestry will launch its first Family Reunion in Nigeria in January 2025,” she said. For more information on the Nigerian Center, visit nigeriancenter.org, and to learn more about African Ancestry, visit africanancestry.com. WI

D.C. Restaurant Goes Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A massive array of pink balloons decorated the exterior of Hen Quarter Prime on the Southwest Waterfront to officially launch a month-long observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During October, a portion of restaurant sales will benefit the Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund.

Hen Quarter Prime is under the umbrella of Thompson Restaurants. Warren Thompson, president and CEO of Thompson Hospitality, opened the month-long observance with a personal remark.

“When I was 9 years old, I lost my grandmother to breast cancer. When my staff said this is what we should do, it struck a part near and dear to me,” said Thompson.

Thompson also used the occasion to thank the District for supporting his company’s vision. In the 10 weeks that Hen Quarter Prime has been open, the restaurant’s success has exceeded expectations.

Supporting Thelma Jones, a breast cancer survivor, is one way Thompson wanted to give back to the District.

Also speaking for the occasion were D.C. Councilmember At-Large Kenyan R. McDuffie (I) and President and CEO of the Greater Washington, D.C. Black Chamber of Commerce Aisha Bond.

For more information on Hen Quarter Prime’s activities supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit henquarter.com.

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

FUGEES Page 5

APPEAL, Inc. Celebrates Milestone in Launch of National Pan-African Credit Union

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

For more than a decade, the Association of People for Pan-Africanist Economic Advancement through Leverage (APPEAL, Inc.) has promoted Pan-African socioeconomic self-sufficiency through its think tank, financial literacy and Pan-African history and culture workshops, and a Saturday co-op at Umoja House on Bunker Hill Road in Northeast that features personal care products made by Black manufacturers.

This all happens while APPEAL, Inc.’s board of directors inches closer toward their goal of launching the first national Pan-African credit union, what Dr. Kelechi Egwim calls an institution of great significance to legacy Black businesses and up-and-coming Black entrepreneurial ventures.

“Oftentimes our businesses have trouble finding capital so we need a financial institution that can support these efforts,” said Egwim, APPEAL, Inc.’s executive director. “We [also] have a lot of legacy institutions, and our elders don’t have the capacity to provide capital for those institutions and other efforts that the broader community doesn’t see as viable.”

On the evening of Sept. 29, APPEAL, Inc. celebrated 11 years of existence during its annual founders day celebration at the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage in Northwest.

The celebration featured musical acts such as Navasha Daya, Tamika Love Jones, Anna Mwalahgo, FREE BenJamin, and the Reginald Cyntje Group. Ka’Ba SoulSinger served as master of ceremonies, with DJ One Luv on the ones and twos and Kymone Freeman of We Act Radio facilitating an interactive

FUGEES from Page 4

ing sentencing, Michel’s primary defense lawyer allegedly inappropriately relied on an experimental generative AI tool to create his closing argument in the star’s high-profile criminal trial.

Michel’s new defense attorneys filed a motion late last year seeking a retrial. Michel’s new lawyer from the firm,

experience for guests who joined via a special live streaming platform. Proceeds generated from event ticket sales went toward the startup funds for the credit union, a goal that APPEAL, Inc. has been pursuing since 2017. Egwim told

The Informer that, in the days leading up to the celebration, APPEAL, Inc. has met more than 90% of its $300,000 fundraising goal. Board members hit that milestone, Egwim said, amid efforts to ascertain the credit union’s ability to attract enough members and secure its charter from the National Credit Union Administration.

Today, APPEAL, Inc. has more than 800 dues-paying members living in the D.C. metropolitan area and across the U.S. For Egwim, the credit union serves as the manifestation of a vision articulated by former D.C. treasurer and APPEAL, Inc. founder Lasana Mack.

“The credit union represents … a connection to the community and self-sufficiency,” Egwim said. “It’s not a for-profit entity. The structure allows us to do things that other private, family-owned banks wouldn’t do.”

AN ONGOING EDUCATION CAMPAIGN THAT’S PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER

A paper published by researchers from Brigham Young University, Utah State University and Rutgers University in 2023 found that banks offered Black business owners inferior products and denied them lines of credit more often than their white counterparts. Some of the white business owners had worse financial profiles than the Black business owners.

While researchers suggested that registration as a limited liability

ArentFox Schiff, stated that the Fugees’ member’s previous lawyer, David Kenner, made a poor closing argument, saying that it was frivolous, misunderstood the necessary points, mixed up different schemes, and overlooked important weaknesses in the government’s case.

The attorneys also asserted the conduct of U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of Washington, D.C,

corporation and joint proprietorships/partnerships can strike a blow against racial discrimination, engagement with credit unions have been seen as just as prudent.

The APPEAL, Inc. Pan-African credit union’s launch will follow that of other Black-owned credit unions that served African American communities for more than a century, including the now shuttered Piedmont Credit Union in North Carolina and several others throughout the years that would eventually become members of what’s currently known as the African-American Credit Union Coalition in St. Louis.

The promise of a Pan-African credit union attracted Tendai Johnson, a Pan-African nationalist and veteran educator, to APPEAL, Inc. several years ago. Since joining APPEAL, Inc., Johnson, a North Carolina resident, has served as a member of the education and fundraiser planning committees.

“The credit union is one piece of the puzzle to support our independence,” Johnson said. “Banks don’t work in our favor [because] they deny loans. We have the opportunity to support organizations moving in a [certain] direction. Trust is the hardest [part] but what the credit union has done through the Saturday Co-op was establish trust.”

For Johnson, launching a credit union makes the most sense for a group like Black people vying for a monumental change in their collective economic situation.

“Why would you trust folks who enslaved you and your ancestors to build what they needed,” Johnson questioned. “We need to figure out how we can develop ourselves. We can finance efforts that support our growth, upliftment and self-sufficiency.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

as a factor. In a separate legal action, Michel wants Hill held accountable for allegedly sabotaging the Fugees’ tour.

“This legal action aims to hold Ms. Hill accountable and secure justice for Mr. Michel,” Meloni stated in the complaint.

Hill nor MLH Touring, Inc. have commented at this time.

5Necelia Jones and Free Benjamin stand around Jeanine Jackson, Gladys Mack, and Kamila Mack, family members of the late APPEAL, Inc. founder Lasana Mack at the APPEAL Inc. anniversary celebration at the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage on Sept. 30. (Courtesy Photo/ Ka’Ba SoulSinger)

AROUND THE REGION

black facts

OCT. 10

1899 – Black inventor Isaac R. Johnson receives patent for bicycle frame.

1901 – Frederick Douglass Patterson, founder of the United Negro College Fund, is born in Washington, D.C.

1917 – Groundbreaking jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk is born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

1929 – Black inventor and engineer Elijah McCoy, who held patents for the folding ironing board and lawn sprinkler and made numerous revolutionary contributions to train travel, dies in Detroit at age 81.

OCT. 11

1887 – Black inventor Alexander Miles receives patent for automatic opening and closing elevator door.

1991 – Iconic comedian Redd Foxx, best known for his starring role in the '70s sitcom "Sanford and Son," dies in Los Angeles at 68 of a heart attack.

OCT. 12

1932 – Social activist and comedian Dick Gregory is born in St. Louis.

1968 – West African nation Equatorial Guinea gains its independence from Spain.

1999 – Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain dies in his Bel Air, California, home of a heart attack at age 63.

OCT. 13

1898 – Lawyer and judge Edith S. Sampson, the first Black U.S. delegate appointed to the United Nations, is born in Pittsburgh.

0CT. 10 - 16, 2024

SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

1902 – Harlem Renaissance-era writer and librarian Arna Bontemps is born in Alexandria, Louisiana.

1914 – Inventor Garrett A. Morgan receives patent for the gas mask.

1926 – Jesse L. Brown, the first African American aviator in the U.S. Navy, is born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

1970 – Famed political activist Angela Davis is arrested in New York City and charged with unlawful flight to avoid persecution for her alleged role in a California courthouse shootout.

OCT. 14

1834 – Maryland-born Henry Blair patents the corn planter, becoming the second-ever African American inventor to receive a patent.

1919 – Famed Black activist Marcus Garvey is shot inside his Harlem office, wounded in his leg and scalp. He recovers, but his assailant, who claimed he was sent to shoot Garvey by the district attorney, died a day later after jumping 30 feet from a jailhouse window.

1964 – Martin Luther King Jr. is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent resistance to racial inequality in America.

OCT. 15

1883 – The Civil Rights Act of 1875 — which guaranteed African Americans equal treatment in public accommodations, public transportation and jury service — is ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. 1968 – Track star Wyomia Tyus becomes the first person to win a gold medal in the 100-meter race in consecutive Olympic Games.

OCT. 16

1859 – White abolitionist John Brown leads a raid on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to start an armed slave revolt. He is later tried, convicted and executed by hanging for his role.

1968 – African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise black-gloved fists during their medal ceremony at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

1984 – Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his ant-apartheid work in South Africa.

1995 – The Million Man March, called by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, is held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. WI

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P INT

BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

Legendary actor John Amos died in August at the age of 84, according to an announcement from his family. Amos was known for his iconic roles in Good Times, Roots, and Coming to America. How will you remember his legacy?

JASON LEE / WASHINGTON, D.C.

LYNDA JOSEPH / NEW YORK, N.Y.

Another legend left us! Rest in peace, John Amos. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and loved ones. May cherished memories of his life and legacy bring comfort during this difficult time.

I will always remember him as a villain in Die Hard 2 and as the hilarious dad in Coming to America.

STEVEN PARKS / CINCINNATI, OHIO

ELENIECE WARD / FREMONT, N.C.

We will certainly miss Mr. John Amos. We appreciate his work and his being a great example for mankind. Prayers for his family!

When I was coming up, everybody in America, particularly Black Americans, was watching Good Times. That was the first sitcom that we saw of a Black American family.

RONIESHA WILLIAMS / NEW ORLEANS, LA

Rest easy, John Amos. Thank you for the laughter and memories.

AROUND THE REGION

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

AROUND THE REGION

National Children’s Center Hosts 65th Anniversary Gala NCC President

Emphasizes Organization’s Mission, The Importance of Community Engagement

By Jada Ingleton WI Digital Equity Fellow

Since its founding in 1958, National Children’s Center (NCC) had a vision: to create a “home” for children with special needs and aid families in a time of ignorance and obscurity. In 1961, it occupied the space on 6200 2nd Street NW and housed an inaugural class of 25 for the summer, who would subsequently lay the groundwork for decades of innovation and development.

Today, the nonprofit organization remains a sanctuary for overlooked communities and underrepresented families throughout the D.C. metropolitan area, and is celebrating 65 years of inclusion, compassion, and empowerment with an honorary gala at The Ronald Reagan International Building on Oct. 10.

“Every five years we come together to share the success of the organization and also speak a little bit about the future. When we think about all the work that we've done over the last 65 years, it's also touching on the rich history of NCC and why the organization even came to fruition,” said NCC CEO Terrance King.

The National Children’s Center’s 65th anniversary gala promises an evening with just as much entertainment as reflection.

“It was a vision for a leader back then to see the need for supporting families and individuals who had dis-

abilities.” the organization’s current CEO told The Informer. “Sixty-five years later, we're still standing strong, providing even greater support and different types of programmatic space in regards to individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

WHAT DOES THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CENTER DO?

Since its inception, National Children’s Center – which achieved 60 years in 2018 – has built a reputable education system with services for babies as young as 8 weeks old to geriatric patients living independently. Serving more than hundreds of residents annually, the establishment has been able to guide early childhood development and create a nurturing environment to help children and adults lead fulfilling and productive lives.

Inclusive opportunities and educational resources like vocational day services, residential programs, and “Baby Bloomers Urban Farm & Fruit Orchard” underscore the institution’s mission to enhance patients’ livelihood. The organization also works to include tools that highlight nutrition education, intervention strategies, and building strong relationships with clinicians and educators to prioritize patient support and engagement.

Carolyn Pruitt, NCC assistant director, explained the early intervention center has proven to be “critical” to the community and support of families.

“The sooner that children are able to have those resources, then they're able to access different…milestones, being able to move up the ladder, along with their peers,” Pruitt told The Informer. “A lot of families may feel that they're not sure what to do when faced with certain situations, but we're here to allow them to know that we're in this together and that it's just not them, but it's so many families who could use a resource such as ours.”

In addition to the emphasis on early childhood development, the center prides itself on personalized operations that serve adults in need, as well. According to King, the largest component of NCC is its residential population, who have seeked refuge in programs that have led to employment, empowerment and independent living.

Deryck Chase, a single parent whose daughter has been with NCC for more than 20 years, commends the organization for fostering a collaborative atmosphere where parents and children can be involved in treatments and developments, while still establishing themselves outside the center’s four walls.

“[National Children’s Center] has allowed me to be able to work and support [my daughter] because it is [difficult to find] people to take care of her,” Chase said. “It has helped her to develop into an exceptional young lady without me having that constant worry of how she's going to be taken care of and how I can work without a problem.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5Nationals Children’s Center is celebrating 65 years of serving and uplifting underrepresented families and those with disabilities throughout the D.C. metropolitan area. (Courtesy Photo)

Vigils and Protests Mark One Year Since Hamas Attack on Israel

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Monday marked the one-year anniversary of Hamas's attack on Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and led to the continuing conflict in Gaza. Across the Washington, D.C., region, vigils, protests, and other events were scheduled as the community gathered to remember the victims and reflect on the events of the past year.

Various organizations planned a range of events throughout the District.

Early Monday, The Philos Project organized a rally and march on the National Mall, titled “Remembering October 7th: Standing with Israel,” which focused on honoring the victims and calling for the return of hostages.

Temple Rodef Shalom planned to host “Marking Oct. 7 Together” at The Anthem at 7 p.m., offering bus transportation for attendees.

The “If Not Now” movement also scheduled a gathering from 6 to 8 p.m. at Meridian Hill Park, also known as Malcolm X Park, to remember lives lost on both sides of the conflict.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington planned an “Evening of Remembrance” at The Anthem and Hillel at the University of Maryland.

President Joe Biden released a statement reflecting on the attack, describing it as an act of “unspeakable brutality.”

He reiterated U.S. support for Israel.

“Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad, and we will continue to stand against threats from Iran and its proxies,” Biden declared.

Biden also acknowledged the suffering of civilians in Gaza, emphasizing the importance of working toward a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also marked the anniversary.

“We continue to mourn those taken from us, stand with the people who are still recovering from the unthinkable violence, and pray that the more than 100 hostages will be safely returned home soon,” Jeffries said.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

@StacyBrownMedia

5Pro-Palestinian protestors march to the White House in November 2023. (WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)

AROUND THE REGION

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) teamed up with the DC Special Olympics to host a 5K run in Congressional Cemetery in Capitol Hill. MPD cadets from different districts ran to raise money so athletes and families are able to compete in various Special Olympic activities. (Cleveland Nelson/The Washington Informer)

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

– Angela Davis

Mr. Rodger (center) reads The Washington Informer alongside Marc E. Curry, Angela Gore-Curry and Dr. Rudy Lathon. (Roy Lewis/ The Washington Informer)

D.C. Movers and Shakers Rock the Boat at ACC Celebration

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

As he enjoyed the weather and camaraderie, Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, who at one time served as the inaugural director of nightlife and culture, said he was amazed at the elite power gathered on the Odyssey DC, a sailing vessel that served as the site of the 31st Annual Anacostia Coordinating Council (ACC) Boat Ride on Oct. 5.

“There is good fellowship and a lot of D.C. stakeholders here,” said Townsend, 40. “Business and industry leaders are here on this boat.”

Townsend was one of 450 people who traveled the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers on the Odyssey for three hours in support of the ACC, a membership-based advocacy organization that works to improve the lives of Ward 8 residents.

Philip Pannell, ACC’s executive director, said that the boat ride serves as the organization’s fundraiser.

“This is the 31st cruise we have had,” said Pannell, 74. “The funds raised on the cruise pays for the day to day operations of the ACC. It also pays for the visible programs in the ward as well as the monthly free luncheons that we have every last Tuesday of the month. The funds also pay for the Ward 8 clery monthly meetings and our online newsletter. We thank all who participate in the boat ride.”

Passenger Rock the Boat

Odyssey DC is a one-level climate-controlled glass-enclosed vessel with two main rooms on the north and south sides. The observation deck wraps around the vessel.

In the rooms were spaces for tables and chairs, sponsored by corporate or nonprofits for the ACC boat ride, as well as a bar and a small stage for bands.

When people entered the boat, ACC personnel pointed out the tables where they were designated to sit. Once seated, a valet offered a choice of an alcoholic beverage or soft drink to the passengers—for a charge.

The latest rhythm and blues hits were played in the individual room’s sound systems. At times, bands such as The Kim Michelle Experience and the Kenny Allen & Sydney Allen bands entertained their respective rooms with popular tunes and go-go.

Passengers were treated to a brunch that ranged from scrambled eggs and sausage to sliced roast beef and pastries.

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) is an annual attendee of the boat ride. In past years, Norton could be seen doing the “Electric Slide” or the “Wobble” with the rest of the passengers, but for this trip, she sat quietly at her seat nodding her head to the beat.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), another ACC boat ride regular, also wasn’t doing much dancing, but chatted amicably with passengers.

D.C. Council member Robert White (D-At Large) circulated throughout the boat, greeting friends and supporters and talking about the latest political developments in local politics.

Thomas Byrd, who is on the board of the ACC, grinned as he made his way through the vessel.

“It’s our only fundraiser,” said Byrd. “We have been doing this for 31 years and we appreciate the support that we have gotten from the community. This fundraiser helps

with some of our projects such as the youth bowling project where we take Ward 8 youth to the Joint Base Anacostia’s bowling lanes to teach them to bowl.”

Dr. Maurice D. Edington, the president of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), sponsored a table. Edington said he has learned the value of attending the boat ride even though this is his second year in the city.

“I am here to make sure that UDC is part of the celebration in support of the ACC,” said Edington, 54. “My staff told me last year that this was an event I needed to be at.”

Passengers were dancing to the beat throughout the trip.

Many people were delighted to see former D.C. first lady Cora Masters Barry dancing vigorously to the singing of The Kim Michelle Experience.

Lamont Mitchell, the chairman of the ACC, said the event made about $200,000.

“We just wanted to bring everybody together and have some fun,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t want to have long, boring speeches, just people letting their hair down.”

When Townsend was asked if he will be back next year, he smiled and responded: “Yes, I will. It’s a thing now.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

5Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, chats with Corey Arnez Griffin, president of the Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce, at the Anacostia Coordinating Council boat ride on Oct. 5. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy Aims to Address Domestic Violence in Prince George’s With New Protocols for 911 Operators, Police

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) announced a collaborative effort to address domestic violence rates in Prince George’s County, which went up during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain alarmingly high. On Oct. 3, 911 operators and local and county police were given new protocols to help victims with resources.

“We’re averaging, still, 2,100 peace and protective orders a

month here in Prince George’s County,” said Sheriff John D.B. Carr. The Sheriff’s Department serves protective and peace orders, a common measure to try to prevent violence.

He talked about some of the common challenges Prince Georgians face.

“We saw that trend rise during COVID-19, in the pandemic, where the domestic violence survivor was locked down with their abuser. That number has not changed, and that’s one thing that

5 With less than a month before

we wanted it to do, was to change and start to trend downward,” Carr explained. “Unfortunately, it has not,” Carr explained.

Braveboy’s announcement about new protocols is a continuation of her efforts to address domestic violence in Prince George’s.

“We have seen a decrease in intimate partner homicides. We went to the legislature to make strangulation a first-degree felony offense, the most heinous offense committed against intimate partners,” said Braveboy in an interview

Prince George’s County Political Updates

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY COUNCIL CONSIDERS CHANGING SPECIAL ELECTION PROCESS

Following the primary election victory by Prince George’s County Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D-District 5) to finish former Councilmember Mel Franklin’s At-Large term, the Council is considering options to alter the special election process.

On Sept. 24, Councilmember Tom Dernoga (D- District 1) introduced a bill that would end

with WUSA 9. “Family violence is where we’ve seen a rise. Whether it's parents, children, stepfamilies, or even grandparents: we want to bring attention to this issue.”

County Councilmember Krystal Oriadha (D- District 7), a victim of domestic violence, gave her story during the announcement.

“I have scars that can only be healed through surgery, and there’s scars that most won’t see, but I see them every day that I get up and I take a shower — in the mirror,”

Oriadha said. “And I think about

special election primary elections and would instead implement a single, nonpartisan election.

“All our generals are either uncontested or very lightly contested, and we’re spending millions and millions of dollars for elections that don’t serve any significant purpose. It is also consuming tremendous resources from the Board of Elections’ staff,” said Dernoga.

The impending special election to fill the District 5 seat and the possibility of a special election to replace Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D), if she is elected to the Senate, are raising concerns given the County’s financial situation. The At-Large

UPDATES Page 13

so many survivors out there that are constantly re-traumatized by seeing scars that, because they go untreated, they’re so damaged that there’s no way to fix them but to go through surgery. But it’s a cosmetic surgery, and you won’t have access to those resources if you can’t afford it.”

Delegate Ashanti Martinez (DDistrict 22) plans to introduce state legislation to improve access for cosmetic surgeries for domestic violence victims.

On Oct. 12, Braveboy is hosting her Purple Bike Ride to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In addition, on Oct. 29, she is hosting the seventh annual "Not One: Campaign Against Domestic Violence", featuring the Purple is the New Black Fashion Show among other programming.

We want to encourage families in need to reach out to our resource partners for assistance, including the Family Justice Center, House of Ruth, Mettle Works, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline” said Chauka K. Reid, the state’s attorney’s director of Public Affairs. “Our office will be training law enforcement & other county agencies on ways to accurately assess calls that come in for help and effectively assist those in need, to aid in domestic violence prevention.”

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5 Prince George’s County State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy joined Sheriff John Carr, several mayors, and others on Oct. 3 to unveila plan to drastically reduce the number of family violence cases. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

Election Day, former President Barack Obama endorsed Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (pictured) in an ad that began circulating Oct. 4. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Prince George’s Chamber Turns 100 Years Old, Celebrates Milestone at Excellence in Business Awards

Angela Alsobrooks, Brooke Lierman Highlight

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Jim Henderson was walking around the cocktail reception of the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce’s Excellence in Business Awards Gala at the Gaylord National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on Oct. 5 like a proud papa.

Henderson, 81, is a former president of the chamber and his enthusiasm was the result of seeing the organization that he once led reach its 100th anniversary. His smiles continued as he watched the ceremony proceed with prominent political leaders speaking and entrepreneurs receiving honors for excellence in operations.

“I am the first solopreneur to serve as president of the chamber of commerce,” said Henderson, who runs J.E. Henderson Financial, a Seabrook, Maryland based firm that specializes in advising clients on finance, life insurance, annuities and tax matters. “This event is a reflection of excellence in business. When I was the president, the people in this room gave me support. I am so happy to see this day.”

THE CEREMONY

The chamber is a nonprofit orga-

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special primary election cost at least $1.3 million.

County Councilmembers Wanika Fisher (D- District 2) and Ingrid Watson (D- District 5) have introduced two other bills that would require 100 days from the primary election to the general election, a bill they introduced to better comply with state laws on special elections. Dernoga raised concerns with that timeline, as it could mean that the next County Executive may not be sworn in until after the next budget is adopted.

FORMER PRESIDENT

nization representing businesses in Prince George’s County, Maryland ranging from “Mom and Pop” shops to large corporations. It is one of the largest chambers in Maryland and in the Washington metropolitan area.

Alexander K. Austin serves as the president of the chamber. He noted the hard work and dedication of its members.

“We’re here to celebrate the unstoppable talents, unwavering dedication, and extraordinary achievements of seven incredible awardees—both individuals and businesses—who truly embody the spirit of excellence, innovation, and dedication,” Austin said.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks delivered remarks, noting the county’s recent victory in securing the FBI headquarters for Greenbelt, Maryland and the overall increase in business activity.

“We have created more businesses than any county in Maryland,” said Alsobrooks, 53, who is also the Democratic party nominee for the U.S. Senate.

Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said that Prince George’s “is the most part of the Maryland economy.”

“This chamber has played a key

OBAMA, THE WASHINGTON POST ENDORSES ALSBROOKS

With less than a month before Election Day, former President Barack Obama endorsed Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in an ad that began circulating Oct. 4.

“In the Senate, Angela will fight for you. She’ll work to lower costs and lead the fight to protect our democracy and our freedoms. Control of the Senate could come down to Maryland,” said Obama.

Alsobrooks’ campaign has also touted endorsements from Vice President Kamala Harris, Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D), Senators

role in the shaping of economic policy, not only on the county level, but at the state level as well,” Lierman said.

Among the notables attending the event were Corey Arnez Griffin, the president and CEO of the Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce, Industrial Bank President B. Doyle Mitchell, Maryland State Sens. Alonzo Washington (D-District 22) and Malcolm Augustine (D-District 47), Maryland Dels. Karen Toles (D-District 25) and Jazz Lewis (D-District 24), Maryland State Treasurer Dereck Davis, motivational speaker Willie Jolley and former Washington Commanders wide receiver and real estate entrepreneur Gary Clark.

THE AWARD WINNERS

The Economic Transformation Team of the Year Award went to the members of the Maryland Delegation that consisted of members of the U.S. Congress, Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Alsobrooks for their efforts in securing the FBI headquarters.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D). She was endorsed by the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers (BAC) on Sept. 30 and by The Washington Post, Sierra Club, and League of Conservation Voters on Oct. 2.

“Just 53, Ms. Alsobrooks has the potential to serve in the Senate for decades, gaining experience and seniority as the retiring three-term veteran she would replace, Foreign Relations Chair Ben Cardin, did,” read the Post’s endorsement. “By electing her this year, Marylanders would be casting a well-founded vote of confidence in her future, and their own.”

BUSINESS

By James Wright / WI Staff Writer

DC CHAMBER CHOICE AWARDS & GALA

The DC Chamber of Commerce will hold its 2024 Chamber’s Choice Awards & Gala on Oct. 11 at the National Building Museum in Northwest from 6:3011:30 p.m.

The event will consist of an opening reception, program, dinner, and closing reception. Pepco will be honored at the Business of the Year while Janene Jackson, executive partner at Holland & Knight, will get the Business Leader of the Year Award.

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center will receive the Economic Impact Award, while Antwanye Ford, CEO of Enlightened Inc., based in Ward 8, will receive the Community Impact Award.

The event is black tie.

For more information, call 202347-7201.

PGCAR’S NEW OFFICERS

The Prince George’s County Association of Realtors (PGCAR) recently installed Arnita Greene of Capital Structures Real Estate LLC as its 2025 president.

Greene was installed by her longtime friend and broker, 2021 PGCAR Shameeka Price. She assumed leadership of the association on Oct. 1.

briefs

The installation of Greene and the new 2025 board of directors marks the beginning of a new chapter for PGCAR, as we embrace a future of growth, innovation and community-building.

Greene’s leadership is expected to focus on professionalism and emphasizing to consumers that realtors are indispensable partners in real estate transactions, whether buying or selling.

Additionally, at this event, Gene Sementelli, the 2024 REALTOR of the Year, was honored for his outstanding business achievements, commitment to the Code of Ethics, leadership, and civic and community involvement, as well as his contributions to local, state, and national association activities.

Other newly elected and installed officers and directors include:

OFFICERS:

• President-elect — Carole Webb, Samson Properties

• Secretary — Charnise Carter- Realty One Group Performance

• Treasurer — Paul “Carlos” Lancaster, Exit Right Realty

• Past president — Gene Sementilli, Century 21 New Millennium

DIRECTORS:

• Debora R. Barino (Dee), Landmark Realty

• Faye Smith, Exit Landmark Realty

• Cherice Clark, Clark Premier Realty Group LLC

• Donald L. Frederick Jr., RE/MAX United Real Estate

• Willie M. Rhone, Weichert REALTORS®

• Leisel Taylor, exp Realty LLC

• Yolanda Burgess, Platinum Partners Realty

• Carole Warren, Keller Williams Preferred Properties

DC POWER FOOTBALL CLUB

In May, The Washington Informer reported Angel Reese was a founding owner of the DC Power Football Club, a new professional women’s soccer team. Reese is among a trio of powerhouse Black women who are investors in the DC Power Football Club.

Joining Reese in ownership is District business leader Janice Adams. Adams is known for her philanthropy and efforts through her company, JMA Solution, LLC.

“Having spent most of my post-military life immersed in the DMV community, the news of the Super League and the addition of another professional women’s team in the region deeply resonated with me,” said Adams, who retired from the U.S. Air Force as a chief master sergeant after 24 years. “In 2024, women have access to fewer than half of the professional playing opportunities available to men in this country. This disparity extends to the fans keen to support women’s soccer in the DMV. This project marks a new pathway for female athletes and women’s sports enthusiasts in the area. We are thrilled to embark on this journey.”

Crystal Renee Hayslett, an actress, singer, and producer known for her TV role in BET’s “Sistas,” is also part of the investor group.

Other newest investors include MLB Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray and NHL Washington Capitals center Hendrix Lapierre, as well as entrepreneurs Devin Talbott and Jordan Stuart.

LEE IS NEW SUPERIOR COURT

CHIEF JUDGE

Milton C. Lee was sworn-in as the new D.C. Superior Court

Chief Judge on Oct. 1. Anita Josey-Herring, who served as the chief judge from 2020 to Sept. 30, administered the oath.

Lee takes the top judicial position in the city’s trial court just under 26 years after taking the bench as a magistrate judge on the Superior Court.

Lee is a District native who received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the American University in 1982 and his Juris Doctorate from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law in 1985.

Lee practiced law for many years for the D.C. Public Defender Service as an attorney in the Family, Misdemeanor, and Felony Divisions of the Superior Court. He also argued appeals before the

D.C. Court of Appeals on behalf of agency clients.

Lee has worked as a legal educator for the Georgetown University School of Law, the former District of Columbia School of Law, the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia and the Howard University School of Law.

Lee became a Magistrate Judge in November 1998. He was appointed as a Superior Court Associate Judge in 2010 by President Obama.

In 2016, Judge Lee was appointed to the District of Columbia Sentencing Commission and served as the Chair from 2018 until his appointment as Chief Judge. WI

@JamesWrightJr10

5Angel Reese, a member of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky and a Baltimore area native, is an investor in the new DC Power Football Club. (Courtesy Photo/Angel Reese, Instagram)

Bovanti Cosmetics & Spa Opens in Bowie Town Center

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Marquis Bohannon James and Anita Bohannaon, the second-generation owners and operators of Bovanti Cosmetics, have managed the business for over 15 years. Now, they are also the proud operators of the first Blackowned brand to open a cosmetic shop in Bowie Town Center, carrying on the family legacy in Prince George’s County.

During its grand opening on Oct. 5, Bovanti Cosmetics & Spa received a proclamation from the Prince George’s

County Council.

Councilmember Wala Blegay (DDistrict 6) was on hand for the opening.

In a 2015 interview, Bohannon James shared the company’s emphasis on hard work and teamwork, a philosophy that has proven successful nine years later.

“You have to work on it. You have to be able to communicate with the team and let them know what your goals are while you’re there. We’ve actually developed a strong team,” she said.

October is Estate Planning Awareness Month

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq.,

Estate Planning Awareness month is a reminder for us to get our affairs in order. What does that mean? We should be able to think about ways in which we protect ourselves and the people that we love in case of our incapacity and upon our death. Often times we are thoughtful about the day-to-day ways in which we care for the people that we love; however, Estate Planning Awareness month encourages you to look beyond the day and look to position the people you love in longer terms.

I encourage people to create their first estate plan when they become an adult, typically 18 years old. It is not that there is typically a great deal of assets at the age of eighteen but the fact that there is a life involved creates a significant value to be considered and planned for. It also creates a mindset of preservation and legacy building from an early start. The right to privacy for adults creates limitations that thwarts others from being able to provide support. The support for financial as well as health decisions are protected. Parents do not have the right to invade their child’s privacy, even when they are seeking to assist or protect them. The other end of the age spectrum considers the ability to help our loved ones as a senior citizen when our physical and mental frailties may develop. As senior citizens we are often the target of malicious people hoping to take advantage of vulnerable people.

Estate planning is a strategic way to protect assets and grow wealth for multiple generations. The ability to develop a vehicle that will craft a legacy plan is one way to build the net worth of the family that impacts community and protects assets. A well-crafted plan can define the opportunities to capitalize on the strengths of the family while developing strategies for the wealth enhancement. The estate plan allows for the care of vulnerable family members while not risking their eligibility for governmental benefits. The effective estate plan allows for the support of family members and loved ones with addictions and disabilities to have the safety net necessary without placing the assets at risk. Estate planning allows for family heir looms and legacy land to protected and preserved while telling the legacy story and building for the future heirs.

Yet, we take for granted our responsibility in establishing the legacy. We often procrastinate in the planning and the execution. As an estate planning and estate administration attorney, we often hear the intention that was not executed and as a result there are family members who are trying to figure out what needs to be done. Where there is confusion there creates the space for contention. I don’t believe that we ever want our loved ones to be fighting over things or fighting over our preferences when we could have simply taken action to clarify what should happen. The contention that leads to litigation diminishes assets while challenging the relationships among people we love.

We have an opportunity to build the legacy of love and wealth. Many people think they don’t have enough to create wealth. As estate planning and financial advisors know, it must begin somewhere, and every bit helps. Working with a professional will help to create the road map to creating a legacy of wealth. Not doing anything will help not only not create wealth but will diminish the assets that exist.

Let’s celebrate Estate Planning Awareness by creating an estate plan or revisiting the estate plan that was created!

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq. Life and Legacy Counselors

5335 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 440, Washington DC 20015 1401 Mercantile Lane, Suite 271, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1010, Arlington VA 22201 https://www.lifeandlegacy.law/ (855) 574-8481

5 Bovanti Cosmetics Vice President and celebrity makeup artist Marquel Javontei, Bovanti Cosmetics President and CEO Anita Bohannon and Bovanti Cosmetics & Spa’s owner Marquis Bohannon James at the company’s grand opening on Oct. 5. Located in Bowie, Maryland, Bovanti Cosmetics & Spa is the first Black-owned brand to open up a cosmetic store in Prince George's County. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

NATIONAL

45 Months After January 6, DOJ Charges Over 1,500

with Focus on Trump

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

This week marks 45 months since the January 6 attack, where over 140 police officers were assaulted as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, delaying the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. Officials said the attack caused over $2.8 million in damages to the Capitol in a report by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, while outlining the nearly four-year aftermath of the insurrection.

Since then, the Department of Justice said it has launched one of the most extensive investigations in U.S. history. Approximately 1,532 individuals have been charged in federal court for their roles in the attack.

The charges are extensive and include 571 counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers. Of these, 164 individuals allegedly wielded deadly or dangerous weapons, including firearms, chemical sprays, tasers, and makeshift weapons fashioned from objects like flagpoles

and office furniture. Additionally, 171 defendants are accused of entering restricted areas with deadly weapons, while 87 face charges for destruction of government property.

Among the most severe charges, 18 defendants face accusations of seditious conspiracy, with prosecutors alleging an organized attempt to overthrow the government by force. Charges related to the theft of government property have been brought against 66 individuals. Nearly all defendants face some form of trespassing or disorderly conduct charges, as the DOJ said it continues to seek comprehensive accountability.

The expansive prosecution effort has led to approximately 943 guilty pleas, with 304 felony admissions. Of these, 161 pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement, 122 admitted to obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder, and 67 admitted to assault with a deadly weapon. Nearly 1,000 cases have reached sentencing, with over 600 individuals receiving prison terms and 141 allowed to serve their

sentences in home detention.

The DOJ’s pursuit of justice has been impacted in 259 cases by the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Fischer v. United States about the proper use of the felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding. So far, prosecutors have dismissed these charges in 73 cases, while evaluating others. Despite the ruling, the DOJ said it remains firm, with all affected defendants still facing other charges related to their involvement in the Capitol attack that eventually led to the deaths of several police officers. The man who carried out a pepper-spray attack on a U.S. Capitol Police officer who died the day after the riot received an 80-month sentence.

Julian Khater, 32, who admitted in a guilty plea he had used the pepper

history. (WI File Photo/Anthony Tilghman)

spray against Officer Brian Sicknick and at least two other officers, told U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan the rash actions he took that day were not in his nature. He said he wished he could take them back. Sicknick, 42, died of a stroke a day later.

In a 165-page court filing released earlier this month, Special Counsel Jack Smith outlined new allegations against the twice-impeached and 34 times convicted former President Donald Trump, accusing him of engaging in “increasingly desperate” actions to cling to power after his election loss. The filing detailed Trump’s alleged strategy to incite his supporters, pushing them toward violence on January 6.

“When the defendant lost the 2020 presidential election, he resorted to

The President of the Republic of Liberia Receives the Alpha Award of Merit

By Austin R. Cooper, Jr. WI Contributing Writer

His Excellency Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Sr., president of the Republic of Liberia, was recently awarded Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity's Alpha Award of Merit. The presentation to the president was made in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by a delegation of Alpha brothers led by the fraternity’s General President Dr. Willis I. Lonzer, III.

The Alpha Award of Merit is the highest honor bestowed upon a member of the fraternity. It was established in 1952 to recognize ef-

forts on behalf of African Americans.

Some of the award's distinguished recipients are Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; Eugene K. Jones, one of seven founders of Alpha Phi Alpha; Robert F. Smith, founder and chairman of Vista Equity Partners; inventor and businessman Garrett Morgan; and Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.).

A member of Alpha Phi Alpha’s Eta Epsilon Lambda Chapter, President Boakai’s affiliation with the fraternity has been critical to his life and career. The Eta Epsilon Lambda Chapter is the first African chapter of the fraternity. Established on October 6, 1958, in Monrovia, Liberia,

this chapter played a pivotal role in shaping the legacy of Alpha Phi Alpha on the continent.

The president and his son Joseph Boakai, Jr. are both active members of Epsilon Lambda.

“I am honored, and thanks to all of you. Alpha has greatly contributed to our society, especially during the Ebola outbreak. Their significant contributions during this crisis have not gone unnoticed. Again, I am honored to be this recipient,” Boakai said upon receiving the award.

Last January, under the leadership of General President Lonzer, Alpha Phi Alpha made its third organized

delegation visit to Liberia (prior visits were in 1976 and in 2012 for the inauguration of Boakai as the 26th president of Liberia.)

Before his presidency, Boakai served as the vice president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018 under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

His political career, which includes various ministerial and governmental positions, has been marked by dedication and service to his country.

The recent Alpha Award of Merit is a significant milestone in his career and for the government, further highlighting his commitment to public service.

crimes to try to stay in office,” the filing states.

The filing also described Trump’s public statements as calculated moves to provoke anger among his supporters, even as his advisers discredited his claims of voter fraud. According to prosecutors, Trump privately dismissed his lawyer Sidney Powell’s fraud claims as “crazy,” while continuing to use similar rhetoric in public. Prosecutors allege that Trump “laid the groundwork for his crimes well before” Election Day 2020, including by promoting doubt in the electoral process and planning to declare victory immediately.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who has overseen the case, recently addressed Trump’s defense team’s claims of partisan bias.

“Defendant’s opposition brief repeatedly accuses the government of bad-faith partisan bias," Chutkan wrote. "These accusations, for which Defendant provides no support, continue a pattern of defense filings focusing on political rhetoric rather than addressing the legal issues at hand.”

Meanwhile, the DOJ has vowed to continue prosecuting fugitives, and the FBI recently released videos of suspects involved in assaults on law enforcement, seeking public assistance in identifying individuals who remain at large.

The Bureau is also pursuing fugitives like Evan Neumann, Adam Villarreal, and Paul Belosic and is encouraging anyone with information to contact them at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov. WI

@StacyBrownMedia

This week marks 45 months since the January 6 attack, where over 140 police officers were assaulted as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, delaying the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. Since then, the Department of Justice said it has launched one of the most extensive investigations in U.S.

Three Former Memphis Officers Convicted in Tyre Nichols’ Fatal Beating; Two Acquitted of Civil Rights Violations

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

A jury on Oct. 3 delivered a mixed verdict in the case of three former Memphis police officers charged in connection with the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, an incident that fueled nationwide protests and renewed calls for policing reform. The jury found Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith guilty of witness tampering but acquitted Bean and Smith of federal civil rights violations. Haley was convicted of violating Nichols’ civil rights by causing bodily injury, though he was acquitted of the more serious charge of causing death.

The verdict came after jurors deliberated for six hours, carefully considering the violent encounter captured on police bodycam footage. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black

man, was beaten just steps from his home following a traffic stop, as officers repeatedly struck him while he cried out for his mother. Nichols died three days later in the hospital.

The courtroom remained silent as the verdicts were read, and the judge ordered the officers to be taken into custody. A hearing on Monday will determine whether they will be released pending sentencing. Witness tampering carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, spoke to reporters after the verdict, saying, “A win is a win. They’re all going to jail,” expressing some measure of relief for his family.

The trial highlighted the actions of the former officers, who were part of the now-disbanded SCORPION crime suppression unit. Prosecutors argued that Nichols

was subjected to a "street tax" for fleeing the scene of a traffic stop, a practice where officers use excessive force as punishment. The officers then lied to their superiors, paramedics, and in official reports to cover up the severity of the assault.

Desmond Mills, another former officer involved in the beating who took a plea deal, delivered emotional testimony during the trial, expressing deep regret for his role in the attack. Mills admitted to going along with a cover-up, hoping Nichols would survive and the incident would "blow over."

Mills, who could face up to 15 years in prison, said through tears, "I made his child fatherless."

The beating of Nichols reignited debates over the use of excessive force by law enforcement, particularly in Black communities. The five officers involved, all of whom are Black, were fired shortly after

the incident, but the trial showcased the troubling dynamics of police violence regardless of race.

While the witness tampering convictions bring a degree of accountability, the civil rights acquittals for Bean and Smith may leave some questions unanswered

for those seeking broader justice. Nichols’ family, however, views the guilty verdicts as a step toward closure in a case that has haunted them since the tragic night of January 7, 2023.

5 A jury on Thursday delivered

mixed verdict in the case of three former Memphis police officers charged in connection with the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols (pictured), finding Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith guilty of witness tampering but acquitted Bean and Smith of federal civil rights violations. (Courtesy Photo)

NATIONAL

U.S. Job Market Surges in September with Sharp Unemployment Declines for Black and Hispanic Workers

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The U.S. labor market saw robust growth in September, with unemployment falling broadly across racial and ethnic groups, according to the Labor Department’s latest report released Oct. 4. Employers added a remarkable 254,000 jobs, far exceeding the projected 140,000, as the unemployment rate edged down to 4.1% from 4.2%,

signaling continued strength in the economy.

Notably, joblessness among Black and Hispanic workers saw sharp declines.

The Hispanic unemployment rate fell to 5.1%, down from 5.5% in August, marking its lowest level since June.

Black unemployment dropped to 5.7% from 6.1%, reaching a fivemonth low.

White Americans also experienced a reduction, with their unemployment rate falling to 3.6% from 3.8%.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for Asian Americans remained steady at 4.1%.

This continued labor market strength comes as industries that have led job growth this year, including healthcare, government, and construction, maintained their momentum in September.

The private education and health services sector was the top job creator, adding 81,000 positions. Of those, healthcare alone contributed 45,000 jobs, with gains in home health services, hospitals, and nursing care facilities.

Leisure and hospitality also showed surprising gains after months of sluggish hiring, adding 78,000 jobs— 69,000 of which were from restaurants and bars, a sector benefiting from strong consumer spending.

“The economic expansion remains on course for now,” said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at FwdBonds LLC, commenting on the report. “September’s monster jobs number shows the labor market’s resilience, and the outlook for the economy in the months ahead is quite favorable.”

Officials said vital job creation is also reflected in rising wages. Average hourly earnings increased by 0.4% for the month, bringing the annual growth rate up to 4%, compared to 3.9% in August. These wage increases, along with the stable job market, offer reassurance that the U.S. economy could avoid the recession that some economists had feared earlier in the year.

The Federal Reserve, which has been closely watching employment data as it manages interest rate policy, may now reconsider further aggressive rate cuts.

After reducing rates by a half-point in September, the central bank is reportedly expected to opt for a more measured quarter-point cut in November, based on the CME FedWatch Tool. While strong hiring trends and wage growth may lessen pressure on the Fed to take drastic action, officials insisted that they are still committed to adhering to Congress’ mandate to control inflation while maintaining maximum employment.

“There’s really nothing that I can point to in the economy that suggests a downturn is more likely than at any time,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said earlier this week, reflecting confidence in the current trajectory of the economy.

Despite the positive data, President Joe Biden emphasized that more work remains to be done. In a statement on the September jobs report, Biden highlighted the administration’s progress while calling on Congress to pass critical legislation to support workers and families.

“Today, we received good news for American workers and families with more than 250,000 new jobs in September and unemployment back down at 4.1%. Under my administration, unemployment has been the lowest in 50 years, a record 19 million new businesses have been created, and wages are growing faster than prices,” Biden said.

He further emphasized the importance of policy action to sustain these gains.

“Make no mistake,” Biden asserted. “We have more to do to lower costs and expand opportunity. Congress should pass our plan to build millions of new homes, expand prescription drug price caps, empower workers, protect the right to organize, and cut taxes for hardworking families.”

Biden contrasted these goals with Republican efforts.

“Congressional Republicans have a different plan—more giant tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations, ending the Affordable Care Act, and imposing a national sales tax that would raise costs by nearly $4,000 per year for working families,” he said. “While they put billionaires first, we’ll keep fighting to grow the middle class.” WI

5People networking at a career fair during BroccoliCon in April 2023. The U.S. labor market saw robust growth in September, with unemployment falling broadly across racial and ethnic groups. (WI File Photo)

The District’s Aging Infrastructure Needs a Proactive and Coordinated Approach

Submitted by Washington Gas

At Washington Gas, we pride ourselves on providing safe, affordable, and reliable natural gas service to homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, and restaurants across the District. However, as all District residents know, whether it’s broken water mains and boil water advisories, or electrical outages due to downed power lines during a storm, our great city faces many challenges with its aging infrastructure. As a proud, lifelong Washingtonian, I know these issues firsthand. They affect my life, just as they affect the lives of our customers.

At Washington Gas, we take the issue of aging infrastructure seriously, which is why we are working diligently to replace our old, outdated and leakprone pipeline infrastructure to ensure that our customers can continue to rely on us for safe, reliable natural gas service. However, continuing to patch and repair aged pipe made from outdated materials is usually not the safest or most effective option.

That’s why, on September 27,

2024, Washington Gas filed its Strategic Accelerated Facilities Enhancement (“District SAFE”) Plan with the District’s Public Service Commission. District SAFE proposes a $215 million investment over the next three years to replace high-risk, leak-prone pipes as required by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). This proactive work is not unique to Washington, D.C. – it mirrors pipeline replacement efforts across the country by utilities committed to safety and working in partnership with their local communities.

The company must be allowed to do this critical safety work for our customers that choose natural gas to warm their homes and businesses, heat their water, and cook meals for their families or their own customers. By proactively

replacing aging, leak-prone pipes, we reduce the risk of gas leaks and improve the overall safety and reliability of our system.

In addition, District SAFE supports the District’s climate goals by significantly reducing methane emissions in the region. If we replaced all of our aging and leak-prone pipes, we could reduce emissions by more than 90% compared to 2014 levels, because new pipelines have far fewer emissions.

District SAFE will accelerate the process for reducing emissions.

District SAFE will also stimulate our local economy by creating and sustaining good-paying union jobs. These infrastructure improvements ensure that the work being done benefits not just our customers directly, but also the broader community and local families. And we will work hard to

leave our worksites as good as or better than we found them whenever possible to ease the burden on customers and District residents.

We seek a partnership with the District Department of Transportation for District SAFE to be successful, maximize efficiencies, and reduce disruption and inconvenience from related construction activity to our customers and residents.

Modernizing our infrastructure to meet today’s needs and prepare for the future benefits all of us.

At Washington Gas, we’re experienced professionals who have been working in the District’s streets for as long as we’ve been around, but the accelerated District SAFE program is about increasing investments, and being proactive instead of reactive to ensure our system is as safe and efficient as possible.

Washington Gas is committed to this effort because the safety and well-being of our customers, friends, neighbors, and community members is paramount and at the heart of everything we do. And we’re committed to doing everything we can to lower the cost and minimize the impact to residents of doing this critical safety work, while also furthering the goal we share with the District – to meet regional climate goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through safety work that provides our customers and community with the modern infrastructure they deserve.

Washington Gas is proud to have served our wonderful community for more than 175 years and we look forward to collaborating with the District, our customers, and our partners to ensure that the energy infrastructure needs of today and tomorrow are met safely, efficiently, and responsibly.

Kevin Murphy is the Chief Engineer and Vice President for Washington Gas. Brandon Todd serves as the Senior Director of Corporate Public Policy at Washington Gas and is a former Member of the D.C. Council representing Ward 4.

INTERNATIONAL

africa now

n Business

n Banners

n Canvas Bags

n Color Copies

n Contracts & Vouchers

n Church Fans

n Fax & Scan

COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Russia is working on an agreement on visa-free travel with nine countries in Africa and the Middle East, according to the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s consular department, Alexei Klimov, Africanews.com reported.

“Working out agreements on the cancellation of visa requirements providing for visa-free entry for short-term trips of citizens, usually up to 90 days, is currently underway with a number of friendly countries, nine of them in the regions of Africa and the Middle East,” the diplomat said.

The timeframe for working out the agreements is still unknown because negotiations with partners are at various stages of progress. Klimov promised to inform about achievements in this direction, “embodied in documented bilateral agreements.”

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia was negotiating the simplification of visa regimes with several African countries, including Zimbabwe.

The timeline for finalizing the agreements remains uncertain, as negotiations with partner countries are progressing at different stages.

Moscow already has visa-free regimes with Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tunisia, and Morocco.

Russia has been making inroads in Africa, particularly in Sahel countries that have experienced coups.

In November of last year, Russia announced that it was working on agreements on visa-free travel with 11 countries, including Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Zambia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Barbados government is looking to address long-standing concerns about the ease of doing business in the country through several new initiatives, according to Minister of Energy and Business Senator Lisa Cummins.

Speaking at the launch of Global Business Week 2024 on Monday, she outlined key measures aimed at simplifying business processes, modernizing legislation, and making the island a more attractive destination for both local and international companies.

Cummins emphasized that the initiative would serve a wide range of businesses, with a focus on inclusivity and accessibility.

“Business Barbados has taken into consideration much of what you’ve said, and so we have taken a full sweep of large companies like those that are represented here in BIBA, to small entities like those that are represented in the Small Business Association, and everything in between,” she said.

Minister Cummins also stressed the need for comprehensive legislative reform, particularly with regard to the outdated Companies Act which she said had not been updated in many years.

“[Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office] (CAIPO) as it stands now, administers over 30 pieces of legislation, and many of those pieces of legislation have not been updated comprehensively in probably as long as that. You’ve had some reforms here and there to bring it up to speed with one thing or another, but a comprehensive legislative reform has been necessary for a long time. We’re now in a position where we can make that happen,” she said.

In addition to legislative reforms, Cummins also noted the importance of leveraging technology to improve efficiency in business processes.

“The future of doing business is digital, and we’re making sure that Barbados is at the forefront of that transformation. But it’s not just about technology for the sake of technology—it’s about making processes smoother and quicker for everyone involved. We’re committed to ensuring that businesses, from the smallest entrepreneurs to the largest corporations, have access to these digital tools.” WI

5Senator Lisa Cummins, Barbados’ minister of Energy and Business, says Barbados government is looking to address long-standing concerns about the ease of doing business in the country through several new initiatives. (Courtesy Photo/Ministry of Energy and Business Barbados)

5 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Guinea's Foreign Minister Morissanda Kouyate shake hands. (Courtesy Photo/ Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service)

HEALTH

Black Therapists Experience Heavier Loads Per Client

By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Health Reporter

Black mental health professionals are critical in addressing challenges related to mental and behavioral health care in African American communities, including accessibility, relatability, cultural competency and more. However, while they are treasured resources, studies show African American mental health care professionals face particular challenges related to burnout.

As World Mental Health Day, on Oct. 10, raises awareness about mental health around the globe, Black mental health workers are also making their voices heard.

“They say Black social workers do better for patients of the community because they are a part of the community, so it fares better to have a caretaker or social worker who understands you but who you also feel comfortable with,” Lourdine Jean-Francois, a holistic therapist and coach at Better Days

of psychiatrists, 22% of social workers, 7% of marriage and family counselors, and 11% of professional counselors.

Jean-Francois explained the feelings associated with handling consistent client needs.

“Sometimes, when you're hearing so many people's stories of pain, suffering, and heartache, you can feel kind of helpless and even unsure about your ability to support the individuals that you're working with.”

MANAGING BURNOUT

Shara Cyrus, a social worker with the Department of Behavioral Health and mental health clinician at Richard Wright Public Charter School (PCS), has worked in various disciplines of mental health as a certified therapist for over 13 years.

Counseling LLC, told the Informer. While Black mental health professionals are critical, recent data shows they are significantly more likely to experience burnout than other helping professions, putting both an underrep-

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resented group of practitioners and the people they serve at risk.

A National survey conducted by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, found a concurrence of feedback from mental health practitioners concerned that they may not be able to meet increasing demands for mental health or substance use treatment and care without the help of much needed public policy changes.

Among 750 behavioral health workers and over 2,000 adults across the U.S., “nearly two in three (65%) reported increased client caseload, and more than seven in 10 (72%) reported increased client severity since the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Likewise, “More than nine in 10 behavioral health workers (93%) said they have experienced burnout, and a majority report suffering from moderate or severe levels of burnout (62%).

While these sentiments affect all working therapists and the communities they serve, the impact of therapist burnout may have an even larger impact on Black or African American individuals.

The mental health workforce is predominantly White and female, and there is a lack of representation of clinicians of color, especially Black male clinicians. This lack of diversity can make it difficult for Black Americans to find a practitioner they feel comfortable sharing race-related trauma with.

Collective data shows that Black or African American people make up a small percentage of the mental health workforce in the United States, accounting for 4% of psychologists, 2%

While she has found a hard balance in providing care and preserving her personal mental health as she serves both teenage youth and adults across the city, she emphasized the importance of having sufficient resources and support to prevent burnout.

“I feel perfectly wonderful and supported now, but for me, my biggests points of burnout have been when I didn’t feel completely supported in the network of my previous employers,” Cyrus told The Informer. “I felt the pressure to try and do everything, but also, we did not have, on a systemic level, everything that we needed.”

Seasoned careers in the mental health space have taught both Cyrus and Jean-Francois ways to recognize the onset of burnout, and enforce specific boundaries to retain their energy and well-being.

Cyrus said she schedules vacations when feasible and sets a hard work boundary, strictly honoring her time to unplug from the demands of her clients.

Similarly to the work she does with her clients, Jean-Francois takes a holistic approach when examining her personal mental health as well.

“Burnout can have so many signs and symptoms, and some of those are physical, emotional, and even behavioral. So, for me personally, I begin to feel burnout in my body and that can look like exhaustion, frequent illness, issues with sleep, [or] headaches, especially after a long day for those of us who are doing telehealth, sitting in front of a computer all day,” Jean Francois said.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5 Lourdine Jean-Francois, a holistic therapist and coach at Better Days Counseling LLC, acknowledges the potential of Black mental health professionals burning out and suggests ways to avoid it. While Black mental health professionals are critical, studies show they are facing particular challenges due to burnout. (Courtesy Photo/Lourdine Jean-Francois, Facebook)

Luminis Health Holds Pink Ribbon Rally To Support Breast Cancer Awareness

Annual Event Empowers Attendees Through Free Mammograms, Education, Entertainment

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Lanham’s Luminis Health Community Medical Center hosted the Pink Ribbon Rally on Oct. 5, offering free mammograms and breast screenings, and entertaining attendees with live music, food, and games from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Prince George’s County has one of the highest mortality rates of breast cancer in Maryland. Luminis Health is currently in the third year of a $1.3 million state grant to provide breast cancer screenings to women in Prince George’s County. This funding has allowed Luminis Health to administer more than 2,300 no-cost breast cancer screenings, significantly advancing efforts to detect and combat breast can-

cer in the community.

“I am thrilled with the turnout of this year’s Pink Ribbon Rally,” said Deneen Richmond, president of Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center. “Since breast cancer is a leading cause of death among women in Prince George’s County, reaching more residents hopefully means we can save more lives as we fulfill Luminis Health’s mission of enhancing the health of the people and communities we serve.”

The event offered education about breast cancers, such as some of the warning signs, including: lumps in the breast, chest or armpit, changes in the skin such as redness or dimpling, and changes in nipples, such as flattening or inversion.

Dr. Regina Hampton, a breast cancer surgeon at Luminis Health, em-

phasized the importance of the Pink Ribbon Rally bringing mammograms to masses.

“This event empowers women to get a mammogram because it saves lives,” said Hampton.

“With one in eight women in the United States facing a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and breast cancer being a leading cause of death among women in Prince George’s County, I encourage every woman to start getting mammograms at age of 40, or earlier if they have a family history.”

To lower the risk of breast cancer, women are encouraged to: maintain a healthy weight; keep a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables; exercise regularly and limit alcoholconsumption.

Your vote matters. It can make a di erence in the fight for things you care about. Like protecting Social Security and getting support for millions of family caregivers.

In the upcoming election, voters 50 and over can put these issues front and center. We’re the largest—and most influential—voting bloc in the country. We have the power to make candidates focus on what is important to us and on the challenges we are facing.

AARP DC is standing with you by providing the reliable election information you need to make your voice heard in November. Find out how to register, details on mail-in voting and polling places, plus all the key voting deadlines for the District of Columbia at aarp.org/DCvotes

facebook.com/AARPDC

5 Deneen Richmond, president of Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center, Luminis Health breast surgeons Dr. Allison Bruff and Dr. Regina Hampton, and Dr. Deborah Whitehurst-Brown, an Ob-Gyn, at Luminis Health Lanham’s Pink Ribbon Rally, where attendees were offered free mammograms and breast screenings. (Courtesy Photo/Luminis Health)

EARTH OUR

Inaugural Reusable Takeout Service Comes to Northwest, D.C.

To Go Green Amplifies Bowser’s Zero Waste DC Plan, Encourages Better Environmental Practices

By Jada Ingleton WI Digital Equity Fellow

In the height of a nationwide shutdown and unpredictable pandemic, brothers Harrison and Kevin Kay grew fond of the new norm – closed or limited restaurants meant enjoying takeout food services in the comfort of your own home. But, with a demand for takeout comes an increase in product waste, a price the two vegans were not willing to pay.

Instead of contributing to the waste, the D.C. natives brought To Go Green into fruition, the District’s first reusable takeout container service.

“Nationwide, we go through over 200 billion single use takeout con-

GAS from Page1

east leveled a convenience store and injured one person. Months later, students, teachers and staff at Shirley Chisholm Elementary School in Capitol Hill evacuated their school building after smelling gas. The MacArthur High School community in Northwest had a similar experience this summer when construction workers hit a valve and caused a gas leak near school grounds.

Such incidents, which the Public Service Commission (PSC) has documented as “existing and probable hazards,” have intensified calls among environmentalists for the District and utility companies to embrace electric power as a cleaner, safer alternative to natural gas.

As Department of Buildings (DOB) Director Brian Hanlon recounted, even his agency, a member of the Construction Codes Coordinating Board, is currently involved in that discussion.

“This is an issue that has been

tainers and clamshells annually, and that creates a lot of waste, that creates a lot of litter, [and] marine ecosystem problems. In D.C., specifically, we do have a very big waste problem,” said Harrison Kay.

As outlined in Mayor Bowser’s Zero Waste DC Plan, the government is seeking a ban on all single-use foodware, including compostables, an opportunity the co-founders saw as an advantage to influence waste generation.

Through the Ditch the Disposables grant, awarded by Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office, To Go Green offers an environment-friendly

discussed pretty thoroughly,” Hanlon told The Informer during the earlier part of October. “I'm sure the debate around electrification will continue and that would impact new construction. There are so many views on that board so we will work to advance a robust debate on whether buildings in the future should be electrified.”

GAS LEAKS: AN INCREASINGLY PERILOUS SITUATION

Reports compiled by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration showed more than 1,200 natural gas leaks recorded in the District in 2022. More than 900 of those leaks were deemed hazardous.

In January, amid Washington Gas’ ongoing endeavor to replace all of the District’s gas lines, the Office of the People’s Counsel submitted a petition to PSC in demand of an investigation of Washington Gas’ response to the

least 1,000 uses. (Courtesy Photo)

dining experience, where customers can pick up or deliver food directly through the online platform and receive their orders in reusable packaging designed to withstand at least 1,000 uses.

Whereas oftentimes, delivered food might come cold or below expectations, To Go Green, packaged in sturdy, durable containers, ensures hot food, appealing presentation and a “premium dining experience,” according to 21-year-old co-founder Harrison Kay.

“People are intrinsically attracted to our service because of not just the value proposition, but ordering in

increasingly prevalent gas leaks.

By the time PSC filed its petition, Washington Gas had been a decade into ProjectPIPES, a project intended to replace “all the aging, leak-prone pipeline structures with the highest risks and leak rates.” The first phase of ProjectPIPES took place between 2014 and 2019, while the second phase started in 2020 with an anticipated end date of February 2025, thanks to an extension that PSC approved.

In July, the commission rejected the third phase of ProjectPIPES. The regulatory agency instead charged the utility company with developing an alternative plan that targets high-risk portions of the District’s natural gas system with consideration for the District’s climate goals.

On Sept. 27, Washington Gas submitted District SAFE, a $215 million plan the utility company touted as an ideal response to gas leaks and concerns about climate change. With District SAFE now

reusable containers creates a better experience for you as the customer,”

Harrison Kay told The Informer.

“We see this for D.C., specifically as a great convenience for both restaurants – who often incur cycling contamination fines for their waste – and for customers.

SHAPING LOCAL WASTE MANAGEMENT TO

equates to 8.89 pounds of solid waste generated per resident per day, according to the Zero Waste DC Plan, a culmination of eight years of technical research and analysis with 43 action plans to achieve zero waste. Over 80% of this annual waste is sent to landfills and incinerators, which creates environmental injustices for neighboring communities.

EFFECT

NATIONAL CHANGE

As of 2018, the District’s annual citywide solid waste stream is baselined at 1.13 million tons, which

in PSC’s docket, the Public Service Commission is gearing up to collect comments and petitions related to the new plan.

If approved, District SAFE will start in March 2025 and wrap up in 2027. It will facilitate the replacement of 12 miles of gas line, along with the replacement and remediation of 2,612 service lines, the replacement of 966 service lines with main lines, and 554 service transfers.

In their Oct. 4 Informer op-ed, Kevin Murphy, Washington Gas’ chief engineer and vice president, and Brandon Todd, former Ward 4 D.C. council member and Washington Gas’ senior director of corporate public policy, touted what they called the work necessary to keep District residents safe.

“By proactively replacing aging, leak-prone pipes, we reduce the risk of gas leaks and improve the overall safety and reliability of our system,” Murphy and Todd’s op-ed said. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

Contributing factors to the disservice of waste generation include ineffectual usage of reusable products, populated apartment complexes that fall victim to trash management, and a lackluster education of environmental practices.

“The three R's – reduce, reuse, recycle – those are hierarchical for a reason. There's a reason that reuse comes before recycling, and that's because the EPA…ranks source reduction and reuse ahead of recycling when it comes to environmental impact,” said Kevin Kay, 30. “I think what probably could have a broader impact is getting customers to transition from recycling things that may only be single use to reusing things that, in the case of our containers, can be reused about 1,000 times before they have to be recycled.”

With plans to expand throughout the DMV and eventually beyond it, To Go Green may serve as the first of its kind in elevating zero-waste restaurant services, but the brothers are rest assured it will not be the last.

“Customers want this. Restaurants are having no problems adopting it ,” Harrison Kay said. “So if you order takeout and either hate the waste or would like for your food to come hot and fresh and not in flimsy packaging, definitely check us out.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5 Integrated with Uber, To Go Green offers an environment-friendly dining experience, where customers can pick up or deliver food directly through the online platform and receive their orders in durable reusable containers designed to withstand at

EDUCATION

Jazzmyne Townsend Crowned 2025 D.C. Teacher of the Year

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

Longtime D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) English and Language Arts teacher Jazzmyne Townsend was in for a mid-morning surprise when D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) revealed her as the 2025 D.C. Teacher of the Year in a room of students, teachers and staff members.

Bowser’s big announcement on Oct. 3 came at the end of a National Reading Month celebration at Stanton Elementary School. Throughout much of that morning, students, teachers and staff members sat in the auditorium at Stanton Elementary as they watched several student performances and montages of students and teachers reading books.

Moments later, the auditorium erupted into roaring applause and cheers. Townsend wiped tears from her eyes as she walked up to the front and accepted her award of $7,500. The moment, she said, further em-

phasized not only the importance of the teaching profession, but her newest role at Stanton Elementary as a K-5 English and Language Arts instructional coach.

“I hope to positively impact teacher instruction and student learning,” said Townsend, a 16-year veteran who’s in her second year at Stanton Elementary. “As a coach, it’s not about pointing fingers at teachers, but seeing the game from my perspective and coaching them through their practice. I think about what reading does for us. It’s not just about decoding. It opens up an entire world. We want students to understand what they’re reading.”

Townsend’s achievement marks the second consecutive year that a DCPS teacher clinched the D.C. Teacher of the Year title. Last year, that honor belonged to Beth Barkley, then an English teacher at the Cardozo Education Campus in Northwest.

Like Barkley, Townsend will compete alongside teachers from other

Congressman Glenn Ivey Visits

Prince George’s Community College Cyber Clinic

PGCC Collaborates with Microsoft to Promote Careers in Cyber Security

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Writer

Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey visited the Cyber Clinic headquarters at Prince George's Community College’s (PGCC) Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 4, part of the Congressman’s ongoing efforts to explore and promote innovation within the cyber security and computer training sectors. The tour highlighted existing partnerships between the Cyber Clinic and corporations including

jurisdictions for the title of 2025 National Teacher of the Year. On Oct. 3, DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee recognized Townsend and Barkley, the latter of whom was also in the audience, for their example.

“What’s exciting about this moment is seeing how everyone celebrates the educator,” Ferebee said as he continued to acknowledge Townsend and the administration at Stanton Elementary. “Ms. Townsend, you have an amazing influence on the young girls here east of the Anacostia River. It says a lot about Mr. Richardson’s leadership.”

In years since District students’ return back to in-person learning, Stan-

ton Elementary has counted among the public school system’s leaders in post-pandemic recovery, thanks in part to the Science of Reading curriculum that teachers learned and executed under the auspices of DCPS’ Office of Learning & Teaching. By the time Townsend started as a SPED inclusion teacher at Stanton Elementary last year, the reading curriculum was in full swing. She immersed herself in her role, creatively showing students the power of reading. Thanks to Townsend, families at Stanton Elementary received free laundry services, books, and opportunities to read with their children while waiting for their laundry -- all

as part of what was called “Loads of Literacy.”

Before teaching at Stanton Elementary, Townsend had stints at Randle Highlands Elementary School and Friendship Public Charter School Chamberlain Campus, both also located in Southeast. While at Randle Highlands, Townsend engaged her female students in “My Sister’s Keeper,” a mentoring program that allowed them to practice comradery and safely grow into adolescence. Last year, after self-publishing her first book, she led her students along the same journey that culminated in their completion of personal narratives that they wrote and illustrated.

Cloudforce and Microsoft.

“We must prepare to develop the workers of the future. Leveling the playing field with technology training for underserved communities not only provides great opportunities for careers in cyber security, but also can inspire young people to be the entrepreneurs who provide these services in the government contracting space,” said the congressman. “Bringing in Microsoft, the Prince George’s Community College, and local, state, and federal partners, is a good start.”

Allyson Knox at PGCC’s Cyber Clinic headquarters on Oct. 4. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

PGCC Cyber Clinic, a leader in computing technology security, is at the forefront of advancing these technologies and skills, which have significant implications for industry, government contracting, particularly with the Department of Defense (DoD) and NSA.

Microsoft leadership expressed pleasure in partnering with PGCC to further the company’s efforts of empowering the next generation of cyber security workers.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

Townsend’s class published two books -- “I am Magic” and “Magical Me” -- through the Studentreasures online self-publishing platform. As Townsend explained in her Teacher of the Year application, the monthslong project instilled pride in students, reinforced the value of hard work, and helped students develop a sense of trust, especially as they engaged in the peer review part of the writing process.

Shortly after receiving her award, Townsend revisited the theme of trust, and how it’s helped her become a better teacher.

“Students deserve someone who’s authentic,” Townsend said. “Teaching wasn’t what I wanted to do, but when it’s in you, it’s in you. The most rewarding thing is looking at my students’ socioemotional skills from the beginning to the end of the year.” WI

Judge Rules In Favor of Student Protest at College Park Planned for Oct. 7

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Writer

University of Maryland’s (UMD) Students for Justice in Palestine were able to hold a rally, planned for Oct. 7, that had been previously canceled by the institution’s officials.

“Our presence on campus is vital in reminding our university and the entire campus community that we will not let the 186,000+ martyrs of Gaza be reduced to mere statistics,” UMD Students for Justice in Palestine wrote in an Instagram post promoting events throughout the day. “We honor each of them as beautiful souls who lived through unimaginable hardships.”

The event was intentionally planned on the one-year anniversary of the terrorist group Hamas’ attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals (including 46 U.S. citizens) on October 7, 2023. That attack ignited the start of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has since killed more than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Congressional Research Service report “Israel and Hamas Conflict In Brief: Overview, U.S. Policy, and Options for Congress,” published Oct. 4.

Further, a Lancet study showed that the death toll could be higher– about 186,000, as the UMD Students for Justice in Palestine also quoted in the group’s social media post. According to the study, the official toll does not account for the thousands of people buried under rubble and the many indirect deaths caused by the destruction and dismantling of health facilities, food dis-

tribution programs and other forms of public infrastructure, according to Al Jazzera.

The rally, first approved by campus officials in July, was cancelled following fears of violence. In addition to the group’s event, University of Maryland College Park President Darryll Pines cancelled all activities planned for Oct. 7 in a letter released in early September.

However, U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte’s decision supported the student’s efforts and overturned the university president’s decision.

“Even if pro-Israel groups see October 7 as somehow sacrosanct, it is at least fair argument for pro-Palestine groups to see the date as sacrosanct as well, symbolic of what they believe is Palestine’s longstanding fight for the liberation of Gaza,” Messitte wrote in his decision.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he respected the “rule of law and due process,” but voiced concern about students using Oct. 7 as a day of action.

“I’ve been clear: everyone in Maryland has the right to peacefully protest, to voice their opinions. But no one has the right to call for violence against each other,” Moore said in a statement released Oct. 1. “Terrorists target civilians, and that’s what Hamas did a year ago on Oct. 7. And that’s what that day should be remembered as—a heinous terrorist attack on Israel that took innocent lives.”

The governor prioritized the students safety after learning the event would continue as planned.

“What I do know is that students at the University of Maryland have the right to feel safe, and we will work with local and University leaders to ensure their safety,” Moore declared. WI

EDUCATION

A post from University of Maryland Student for Justice in Palestine, showing the university’s student body population’s historic work in activism, highlighting student activists in 1984, protesting South African apartheid, and in 2024, speaking out against injustices toward Palestinians. (Courtesy Photo/ University of Maryland Students for Justice in Palestine, Instagram)

Vance’s Side Stepping of Questions About Trump Election Results Denial

is a Red Flag for

Current Race

Walz: ‘That Was a Damning Non-Answer’

One of the most unsurprising takeaways of the Oct. 1 vice presidential debate between Ohio’s Sen. JD Vance (R) and Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Walz (D) was the Republican candidate’s refusal to say that former President Donald J. Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden (D).

Vance sidestepped the questions, saying, “Tim, I’m focused on the future. Look, what President Trump has said is that there were problems in 2020, and my own belief is that we should fight about those issues, debate those issues peacefully in the public square.”

Vance also downplayed the seriousness of the insurrection on January 6, 2021, which injured more than 140 law enforcement officers and resulted in at least seven people losing their lives in connection with the attack at the U.S. Capitol.

“That is a damning non-answer,” Walz responded. “I’m pretty shocked by this. He lost the election. This is not a debate.”

Numerous reviews confirmed that the 2020 election was fair and not rigged against Trump and that Biden won 51% of the vote. All 50 states certified the results, and Congress accepted them. Trump and his allies lost more than 60 lawsuits claiming otherwise.

Suppose Vice President Kamala Harris defeats Trump in 27 days on Nov. 5. In that case, America must be prepared for nationwide insurrections at the U.S. Capitol and state legislatures during the certification process.

Trump and his supporters will never accept the election results next month, just as they never have with the one four years ago.

With charges lingering, the former president could also go to prison if he does not return to the Oval Office on January 20, 2025.

Victory is the only option for Trump, and history, such as the January 6, 2021 insurrection, and his track record have proven that Trump doesn’t care about American Democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. WI

With So Much at Stake, Americans Remain Divided on Views about the Supreme Court

The new term for the U.S. Supreme Court began on Monday, Oct. 7 with two-thirds of Black adults expressing an unfavorable opinion of the court, compared with roughly half of Hispanic, Asian and White adults. That’s according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in July 2024.

But coming on the heels of the court’s previous term during which it made significant rulings on abortion, voting rights, presidential immunity and government regulation on business, the cases the court has chosen to include on its docket and whether the justices’ decisions will be influenced by their personal or political views could have a profound impact on

As a former educator and advocate, I was hap py to read that the Washington Teacher’s Union and DCPS have reached a Tentative Agreement. After long and contentious negotiations, I’m glad all parties are moving forward.

Jacqueline Felder

Washington, D.C.

the future of America.

Just hours after donning their robes on Monday, the court declined to take up a challenge from GOP state lawmakers in Pennsylvania to a Biden Administration executive order that was issued to boost voter registration after lower courts had dismissed the lawsuit. But this is only the beginning.

Republicans have already assembled an army of election lawmakers who are poised for action after the general election on Nov. 5 –this time with the goal of successfully challenging the results of the elections, unlike four years ago, should Donald Trump lose again.

If the polls are correct, the battle between Trump and his Democratic opponent, Vice Pres-

ident Kamala Harris, will inevitably be decided by a handful of votes in seven battleground states. But Trump has already laid the groundwork, vowing that he will do whatever is necessary to undermine the vote count as he did before – this time filing lawsuits in multiple states.

Of course, this could result in the final outcome of the election being delayed. But it could also allow disgruntled, misled Americans to be pressured, as on Jan. 6, into expressing their anger in ways that are inappropriate – even violent – and counter to the peaceful transition of office which has long

TO THE EDITOR

It’s sad to see politicians elected to serve the people fall from grace due to criminal allegations of fraud, taking bribes, and abuse of public power. What a shame! They are all innocent until proven guilty, but the damage is done to their reputation and the public’s trust. Just my opinion.

Laurine Mills

Washington, D.C.

been the hallmark of American democracy.

At the same time, while the presidential election looms like a dark cloud over the court’s docket, the court will also determine the future for gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, guns and disability discrimination.

As the court makes critical decisions, despite being conservative, moderate or liberal, we expect them to rule without the consideration or influence of their personal preferences or political leanings, but for the good and rights of the American people. After all, that’s their job! WI

If the polls are correct, the battle between Trump and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, will inevitably be decided by a handful of votes in seven battleground states.

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Concerned About Democracy in 2024? Your School Board Could Hold the Key

Education has always been a contentious issue, but as we approach the 2024 elections, it's become ground zero for broader cultural and political clashes. Book bans targeting diverse and inclusive materials are on the rise, and restrictive gag orders are silencing classroom discussions on critical topics like race, gender

and American history. With the conservative agenda of Project 2025 gaining traction, the threat to both democracy and public education has never been more urgent. In times like these, it's easy to feel powerless — but, as citizens, we can't afford to disengage.

The fight for our country's future begins at the local level, particularly with our school boards.

Though often overlooked, school boards are the backbone of our democratic process, influencing the education of nearly 90%

Guest

"Targeting naturalized citizens is the latest move in the playbook for voter intimidation. The state of Alabama illegally took the right to vote away from eligible citizens and must be stopped. We can't allow registered voters to bear the brunt of these dangerous lies that threaten our democracy." – Celina Stewart, CEO, League of Women Voters of the United States

It is unlikely that we will ever hear Donald Trump mention Heman Bekele by name during one of his campaign rallies. Knowing Trump's character as a man, it would be hard to fathom seeing him properly reference Bekele in public or private conversations.

Heman Bekele is an Ethiopi-

of America's children who attend public schools. Their decisions determine everything from which books make it into classrooms to the curriculum that teaches civics and voter education. They are the gatekeepers of academic freedom and have a crucial role in shaping young people's understanding of democracy. School boards are responsible for dismantling the remnants of systemic racism in education and laying the foundation for future citizens who will either uphold or dismantle dem-

ocratic values.

That's why who sits on our school boards is so critical. Diverse representation on these boards ensures a variety of perspectives, particularly when it comes to identifying inequities and implementing inclusive policies. However, school boards in the U.S. were designed in a different era, for a different demographic. Historically led by white, male landowners, school boards have not evolved to reflect the diversity of the communities they

now serve. Today, although public school students are more than 55% students of color, a 2022 survey by School Board Partners found that 64% of school board members are white, highlighting a significant gap in representation.

This May celebrated the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the decision that

Page 53

According to the National Voter Registration Act of 1992, "A State shall complete, not later than 90 days prior to the date of a primary or general election for Federal office, any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters."

In defiance of the law, 84 days before Election Day, Alabama's secretary of state ordered county election officials to remove the names

of people his office had identified as noncitizens.

The tactic is not only a clear violation of federal law. It's a racist ploy to disenfranchise naturalized citizens who have the legal right to vote while stoking the flame of anti-immigrant hatred.

It's also part of Alabama's long history of blocking non-white citizens from the polls, stretching back nearly a century and a half.

The U.S. Department of Justice last week sued Alabama for violating the NVRA, seeking the restoration

of the affected citizens' voting rights in time for Election Day, along with the prohibition of future violations, mailings to educate eligible voters about the restoration of their rights, and adequate training of local officials and poll workers to address confusion and distrust among eligible voters accused of being noncitizens.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, Campaign Legal Center, and Fair Elections Center last month filed similar lawsuit on behalf of Alabamians who were unfairly targeted,

the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, the Alabama NAACP and the League of Women Voters of Alabama.

Alabama's hostility to voting rights for non-white citizens was largely responsible for passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Alabama's hostility to voting rights was responsible for gutting the act's preclearance provision in 2013. In the five decades in between, the preclearance provision stopped Al-

an-born scientist who represents everything Trump and many of his supporters have stood against. Bekele's story is one of inspiration, truth, and validation. It is a story of hope for the future, innovation of new ideas, and inclusion of "others." Bekele is young, yet we can all learn from the example of his words and deeds. Bekele has been named Time's 2024 Kid of the Year. As Time writes, "His accomplishment: inventing a soap that could one day treat and even prevent multiple forms

of skin cancer. It may take years before such a product comes to market, but this summer Heman is already spending part of every weekday working in a lab with scientists at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, hoping to bring his dream to fruition."

Reflecting on his invention, Bekele asked, "What is one universally impactful idea that transcends socioeconomic barriers?" He realized that soap, a product nearly everyone uses for hygiene,

could hold the key. "I am deeply passionate about skin cancer research," Bekele told Time. "The thought of my soap directly impacting someone's life is truly remarkable and is the driving force behind my work."

Bekele envisions a future where his soap can be used in early-stage cancers and complement existing treatments in advanced stages. His goal is to make it affordable for everyone who needs it. He encourages others by saying, "Many believe that all ideas have been

exhausted, but I disagree. There is an endless capacity for innovation that can better our world. Keep inventing and striving to make a positive difference."

Last year, at 14, he created a video explaining his idea and used it to enter the 3M Young Scientist's Challenge, which encourages kids to think of unique ways to solve everyday problems. He ended up winning the $25,000 grand prize.

The law is clear.

Marc H. Morial

The Ghost of George Wallace Still Haunts Alabama

Guest Columnist

David W. Marshall

One Name Trump Will Never Mention

Ethan Ashley

ASHLEY

Columnist

Guest Columnist

Guest Columnist

The

Congressional Black Caucus and What Black Folks Must Do

One of the most valuable contributions of the 2024 Annual Legislative Conference hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) is providing an opportunity for several thousand Black folks from the United States of North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia to meet, talk, listen and sometimes debate

about issues that affect our lives. A subject that was frequently talked about was the 2024 U.S. presidential election in which a woman of African descent was believed by many to possibly be this country's first woman president. When my basic position was asked about that subject, I stated that I will be voting against Donald Trump. It's important to remember that he is not new on the American political scene. White males like Donald Trump, who is supported by overt and covert white supremacists and colored people of African descent,

have been running this country since it was officially launched in 1776. One of the most well-attended forums was one of which a Black historian delivered a serious speech about the real history of this country, a history that is not taught in most American junior high schools, high schools, colleges and universities. For example, one of the most important facts of American history was the heroic role that Black soldiers played in the winning of the Civil War. Yet, this story is rarely told. It is extremely important that we

know this history because our opponents seemingly believe that they can mess with us and not worry about a serious response. That's why it is so important for CBCF and other Black organizations that they host conferences that include forums on culture, education, economics, politics, technology, psychology, communications and Pan-Africanism. On the last day of the conference each attendee should be given a listing of concrete suggestions on what we must do as a people to promote and protect our interests.

To more effectively promote and protect our interests in the above listed arenas, the attendees should also be encouraged to read, study and act on guidance from master teachers such as Brothers and Sisters Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Lerone Bennett Jr., Marcus Garvey, Mary McCloud Bethune, Fannie Lou Hamer, C. Delores Tucker and others who have left us with vital information about what we must do if we are going to provide better lives for our children, grandchildren and future generations. WI

The Unstoppable Rise of Black Female Voters

As we approach this critical election season, a remarkable story unfolds across America. Young Black women are not just registering to vote at unprecedented rates, they're poised to make their voices heard at the ballot box like never before. With a staggering 175% increase in voter registration according to recent data from Tar-

getSmart, this surge is not just a statistic; it's a powerful statement about the future of our democracy and a continuation of Black women's longstanding commitment to civic engagement.

For nearly 15 years, Higher Heights has been at the forefront of empowering Black women politically. We've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of Black women's leadership and civic participation. Now, as we face one of the most consequential elections in recent history, the importance

of our mission — and the critical need to get out the vote (GOTV) — has never been clearer.

The road from mayor to the White House is powered by Black women. With 16 million of us eligible to vote, and consistently higher turnout rates than most other groups, we have been the determining factor in many races. Our voices and our votes have shaped the political landscape, leading to historic firsts:

• The first Black woman vice president

• The first Black woman on the Supreme Court

• 30 Black women in Congress

Yet, our work is far from done.

We still have only one Black woman in the U.S. Senate, zero Black female Governors, and we've yet to see a Black woman in the Oval Office. We are winning, but we have not yet won.

The surge in voter registration among young Black women is a testament to the power of our collective voice and the urgency of this moment. But registration is

What Do Black Men Have to Lose By Voting for Trump? A Hell of a Lot

Looking historically at demographics, Black men in America have for centuries been singled out for the most vicious and dehumanizing attacks on their personhood and their manhood.

Without delving too deeply into America's dark past, one need only to read the autobiography of Frederick Douglass to capture a glimpse of

the atrocious acts perpetrated against Black men that began during slavery and continued unabated with the murders of George Floyd, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and others to understand that the institutional animosity, the stereotyping and the marginalizing is an everyday phenomenon that still defines the dayto-day existence of many Black men struggling to survive in America.

Donald Trump continues to perpetuate a "guilty until proven innocent" mentality that too many in authority still perpetuate. His re-

cord of racist and derogatory behavior toward Black men is well-documented. To begin, he and his father discriminated against African Americans who wanted to rent Trump apartments in New York.

To add to this record of racial discrimination, Trump — without hard evidence — asserted that the "Central Park Five" (four young Black males and one Latino) were guilty of the brutal rape of a young white woman and asserted that they deserved the death penalty. Even after the accused were exonerated, Trump

has consistently refused to apologize. He doubled down on this false accusation during his recent debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

When Colin Kaepernick, an NFL free agent, encouraged other players to "take a knee" in protest of unfair treatment within the NFL franchise, Trump's answer to their grievance was to call the players "sons of bitches."

Recently, Trump ranted that police officers should become even more aggressive, more abusive, when making arrests. Guess who

just the first step. Now, our focus must shift to ensuring every registered voter casts their ballot. But why do Black women consistently show up at the polls in such high numbers? Recent polling with HIT Strategies provides insight:

1. We know our power. 80% of Black women surveyed believe we have the power to make change on issues that matter most to our communities.

would bear the brunt of this Jim Crow-era policing? You guessed it: Black males.

Donald Trump is a politician who knows how to tamp down his racist rhetoric when he stands to gain from creating an illusion of civility but someone has wisely stated: "Lipstick on a pig is still a pig."

Trump's insulting remarks about Black men identifying with him because he now has a "mugshot" represents a new low for this incorri-

GRANT Page 54

Glynda C. Carr

Michael A. Grant

Guest Columnist

A. Peter Bailey

CARR Page 54

Guest Columnist

LIFESTYLE

WASHINGTON INFORMER WEEKEND CHECKLIST

WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

Things To Do, DMV!

By Rachelle Smith WI Intern

Check out a handful of the many events happening in the DMV this weekend, including fall-themed activities, spooky stories and thrilling sports events.

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

THURSDAY, OCT. 10

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

8 p.m. | $95.00 Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW Washington, D.C. 20024

Step into the vibrant world of “Jaja's African Hair Braiding.” Set in the pulsating heart of Harlem, this comedic gem unravels the complexities of cultural identity, assimilation, and the pursuit of the American Dream within the African immigrant community. Follow the uproarious escapades of Marie, Bea, Miriam, Aminata, Ndidi, Jaja, and others as they navigate life and laughter in the title character’s bustling hair braiding salon. Through humor, drama and strong narratives, this Drama Desk nominated production weaves hilarious moments with profound insights, celebrating the indomitable spirit and interconnectedness that define us all.

Book Buddies: ‘Scary Stories

To Tell In The Dark’ 4:15 p.m. | Free Crofton Community Library, 1681 Riedel Road Crofton, MD 21114

Read any of the “Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark” books by Alvin Schwartz. After taking in the stories, discuss the books, followed by snacks and activities!

FRIDAY, OCT. 11

Preseason: Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors

7 p.m. | $20.00+

Capitol One Arena, 601 F Street NW Washington, DC 20004

The Washington Wizards will face off against the Toronto Raptors in this preseason game.

She Will Not Fail Woman’s Empowerment Gathering

7 p.m. | Free 3080 Centerville Road Herndon, VA 22180

This event is designed to uplift and empower women from all walks of life. Come ready to be inspired by powerful speakers, engage in meaningful discussions, and network with other incredible women. Together, we will support each other and celebrate the strength and resilience of womanhood.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of a community that believes in the power of women.

SATURDAY, OCT. 12

DC Ghana Week

6 p.m. | $15.00+ Audi Field ,100 Potomac Ave SW Washington, DC 20024

Hosted by the Ghana Tourism Authority, LIQUID SOUL-DC, Events DC, and D.C. United, the week is devoted to celebrating the diversity and richness of Africa, while increasing interest in tourism and investment in the region through a series of cultural, economic and sporting events.

Featuring a pre-game Africa Cup Festival with food trucks, music and other cultural activities, the week is anchored by the Capital City Africa Cup, a historic soccer event between D.C. United, and 24-time Ghanaian Men’s Premier League champions, Asante Kotoko SC, at Audi Field.

Fall Festival

Noon | $10.00+

Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Drive Woodbridge, VA 22191

Enjoy the Potomac River's cool

autumn breeze with your friends and family at Leesylvania State Park's Annual Fall Festival! Celebrate the season with hayrides, a kids costume contest, crafts, trunk or treat, and more.

SUNDAY, OCT. 13

Jazz in The Heights: Chelsey Green @ Sycamore & Oak

5 p.m. | Free The Howard Theatre, 620 T Street NW Washington, DC 20001

In an effort to bring a diverse array of musical artists and performers east of the Anacostia River and to raise awareness about the rich culture and history of Congress Heights and Ward 8, the historic Howard Theatre and Sycamore & Oak have announced Jazz in the Heights—a fivedate fall concert series featuring some of the industry’s most acclaimed and emerging jazz artists.

The Price is Right Live!

4 p.m. | $54.00+

The Theater at MGM National Harbor, 1010 MGM National Avenue National Harbor, MD 20745

The Price Is Right is one of the most popular, longest-running TV shows ever, so it's not surprising that it spawned a stage version in 2002. When attending “The Price Is Right Live,” audience members may not be on TV but they still get the full experience. Whether you're one of the randomly selected contestants or a spectator, you see the classic game played out before your eyes, as people do their best to guess prices in order to win cash and prizes.

5The Washington Wizards will face off against the Toronto Raptors in a preseason game on Oct. 11. (Courtesy Photo)

Ghana Week D.C. Launches to Promote Economic, Cultural Ties

Ambassador Leads Initiative Marking a Significant Milestone in Ghana-U.S. Relations

By Eden Harris WI Contributing Writer

In a move to strengthen ties between Ghana and the United States, Ghana's Ambassador to the U.S., Hajia Alima Mahama, among other notable contributors, launched Ghana Week D.C. in the nation's capital to foster both economic and cultural connections between the country and the African diaspora.

"The whole initiative was to link up, promote tourism, build bridges and have more opportunities to interact with African American communities," Mahama told The Informer, adding the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo wants their mission to the U.S. to be intentional beyond an initiative and one week. ”This week will prepare us to continue with the interaction and the relationship so that

[African Americans] can see Ghana as home."

The District is the "federal capital" and the home of the international community, another reason Mahama said she chose to launch Ghana Week in D.C.

In the global city are the homes of restaurants that have signed up to showcase their African fare for African Restaurant Week, which also kicked off alongside Ghana Week DC.

Among the restaurants participating from Oct. 7-12 is The Continent DC, which offers an upscale Nigerian dining experience, and diners can try Senegalese fare at Koite Grill. A full list of more restaurants can be found at eventsdc.com.

In addition, Ghana's exhibition will include the "Capital City Africa Cup," a momentous soccer match between D.C. United and 24-time Ghanaian

league champions Asante Kotoko, scheduled for Oct. 12 at Audi Field.

"This is not just a friendly competition but a cultural exchange through sports, and we are building together, not only the football but the nations of Ghana and the United States, and also we are bridging the gap," Mark Addo, vice president of the Ghana Football Association said during the official launch of Ghana Week.

One pioneer who helped usher in support for the Ghana D.C. Week initiative is Paxton Baker, a managing partner of LIQUID SOUL-DC, a cultural-driven marketing firm.

He told The Informer helping with this initiative was simple.

"African has been clearly inside of my DNA for my whole life,” Baker said. "The Capital City Africa Cup was an outgrowth of ideation of travel back and forth between the United

States and Ghana and wanting to do something meaningful here in Washington, D.C., by way of bringing African culture in a big way into the city.”

Not only will this weeklong initiative—which plans to expand in more intentional ways—offer a cultural connection, but Baker, a businessman and chairman of the Washington Nationals Founding Partners Group, a minority ownership coalition that pro-

vides advisory services to sports teams, hopes it will strengthen Blacks' buying power globally.

He also said that traveling and investing in minority businesses in Ghana is easy and enjoyable.

"When you start to make investments there, you become much more interested in the continent, you become more interested in what's going on there," Baker explained. WI

5Ghana's Ambassador to the U.S. Hajia Alima Mahama, speaking at the launch of Ghana D.C. Week at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art on Oct. 7. (Eden Harris/The Washington Informer)

Meshell Ndegeocello Debuts Prophetic Musical Odyssey: ‘No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin’

By Jada Ingleton WI Digital Equity Fellow

Spoken word and prophetic music collided in a transformative experience on Oct. 5, as Grammy-winning artist Meshell Ndegeocello debuted a live performance of her newest album, “No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin,” concluding the Strathmore’s two-month celebratory series for Baldwin’s centenary. Like the album, the performance embodied the spirit of 20th century forward-thinkers and reflected their footprint on societal reform that remains prevalent today.

“African American music has always been about [the] struggle, but it's also been about so much more that we don't want to be defined just by that,” said Dr. Dwandalyn R. Reece, associate director for the Humanities at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). “It shouldn't reflect just one view of our life, it should reflect joy and creativity and innovation. And I think what's interesting about this particular [album] is that it's doing both.”

Inspired by Baldwin’s 1963 novel “The Fire Next Time,” the unique rendition – which was released on his 100th birthday, Aug. 2 – serves as a striking homage to the eminent writer and activist, paralleling many of the notable themes of his work such as race, gender, sexuality, religion and more.

In a pre-concert lecture, Timothy Burnside, a museum professional who has worked closely with Ndegeocello, said she considers the album a reflection of the artist’s connection to not only Baldwin and other trailblazers, but also herself.

“One of the really powerful things when you look at [Ndegeocello’s] catalog, it's almost as though everything was leading her to this point with this album,” said Burnside. “Thinking about [her integrity] in the spaces she's been in…talking about her own identity and communities that she belongs to, but also, at times, about those narratives. And all the while, just ultimately, a beautiful musician who is insistent upon ideas of collaboration.” WI

Yours to discover this fall

Through January 19, 2025

Through January 12, 2025

Where beauty lives.

The Blackbyrds Enter a New Era With a Nod to Their Beginnings

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

A concert scheduled for Oct. 11 in London will include a new addition to The Blackbyrds, the jazz fusion group founded by Donald Byrd at Howard University. Dominique Toney, daughter of pianist and composer Kevin Toney, will be on the mic performing the group’s hits along with a few new songs.

The announcement about the younger Toney joining a few gigs was made during the 20th Anniversary DC Jazz Fest at a nostalgic concert honoring National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Donald Byrd and the elder Toney, who passed earlier this year.

Drummer Keith Killgo, one of two original members, said Dominique Toney singing with the Blackbyrds is a continuation of the yearlong 50th anniversary celebration for the group. Before her father died, conversations began about him, Killgo and Joe Hall, another original member in D.C. coming together to do some things.

“Kevin and his family were on the west coast. I suggested we join forces,” Killgo said about the discussions. “There was a piece of the band on the west coast, but most of the band was on the east coast and we were doing some pretty good things.”

Dominique Toney is a multi-talented artist. A graduate of the New York University Tisch School for the Arts, she is a singer, composer, actor, and voice-over talent with chart-topping songs. She regularly performed a twopart show with her father, which means she has kind of been with The Blackbyrds all along.

“For many years, my dad was doing an electric/acoustic show. The first half was Donald Byrd’s music and the second half was The Blackbyrds’ songs,” she said. “When the announcement was made at DC JazzFest that I would begin singing with the group, I was surprised it was being told at that time.”

Following the upcoming London concert, The Blackbyrds 50th anniversary celebration continues with a concert on Oct. 26 at Bethesda Theater, in Bethesda, Maryland. Whether Dominique will be a part of that show is not confirmed at this writing.

New songs and arrangements from the group are also on the way.

For information about the show at Bethesda Theater, visit bethesdatheater.com. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com @bcscomm

Photo: Erik Kvalsvik

5Keith Killgo, one of the original members of The Blackbyrds, Phyllis Saunders Toney, wife of another original group member Kevin Toney, and the couple’s daughter Dominique Toney, who will perform as a vocalist with the group. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

New Mother Says ‘Middle Class Feels Like Lower Class’ as She Saves for Home

By Eden Harris WI Contributing Writer

For many people like Modupe Idris, 36, achieving the American dream seems out of reach. Buying a home with a white-picket fence and walking a dog with her husband and newborn baby feels unlikely with the high cost of living in the nation's capital, she said.

"It's hard out here. Once I found out I was pregnant, I applied for WIC," Idris, who moved from Southeast to Oxon Hill, told The Informer.

Although she wants to move back to the District, the mother hopes to find a place where she can afford to raise a family.

Idris explained though she is technically middle class, and her husband is a contracted electrician, it doesn't feel like it. At any moment, she said, she could be on the brink of homelessness like many residents in the D.C. area who are feeling the brunt of high inflation.

"Middle class feels like lower class, honestly; I feel like we are one paycheck or one bad situation, or one furlough away from living in the tents in D.C.," she said while petting her cooing baby.

Idris was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, and moved to the U.S. at six years old in 1995. She had a fervent desire to carve a career in nursing when she enrolled at Norfolk State University. However, her academic pursuits were paused when she traveled to the Middle East in 2011 for work and to gain life experience.

After returning from the Middle East in 2018, Idris started working for the federal government. However, even now, she said she feels the cost of living is too high and the government is asking for so much but providing little.

"The economy is just not giving what it's supposed to give,” she said.

Idris has been following politics closely and referenced Vice President Kamala Harris' economic plan if she wins the White House this November, explaining that it proposes a $6,000 tax credit for those with newborn children.

"[It isn’t] going to do everything, but it'll do enough, especially for a family like mine,” Idris said.

Maintaining Housing, Barriers to Building Wealth in America

The number of metro areas with a trillion-dollar valuation has increased to eight compared to four last year. On that list are Washington, D.C., Anaheim, California, Chicago, Illinois and Phoenix, Arizona, which have been added to the group of cities where the combined value of homes exceeds $1 trillion, according to Redfin News.

A report examining Black Americans' financial hopes and perceived barriers showed that "high inflation, not having enough money to start investing, and high interest rates were the most frequently cited barriers." The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and NORC at the University of Chicago partnered to conduct this study.

Funds to invest in building wealth prove to be difficult and untimely, according to Idris, who said, "I'm not going to be able to retire or start collecting my Social Security until I'm 67 years old."

She said if she purchased a house now, it would require 30 years to repay the mortgage completely, which wouldn't benefit her son.

"What generational wealth do I have to leave my child? It's not like I can buy property and say, 'Okay, I'm going to buy another one so I can have something for rental purposes,'" Idris added.

Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, argues in his report, "The Best Black Economy in Generations — Why It Isn't Enough,” that more work needs to be done to address the financial barriers plaguing Black Americans. He explains that investigations reveal "that despite record-breaking economic numbers, African Americans are still mired in great economic insecurity."

Despite economic challenges and the difficulty of homeownership, Idris has devised a plan to achieve a comfortable lifestyle and is enrolled in IT courses, which she sees as an investment.

"It's not like I'm not taking [classes] because it's a passion of mine; it's just kind of where the money is right now," she said.

5Despite being middle class, Nigerian American Modupe Idris and her family struggle with achieving the American dream of homeownership. (Photo oCurtesy of Modupe Idris)

HOWARD from Page 1

major events and surprises expected— including a visit from Vice President Kamala Harris, the presidential Democratic nominee— the popular event is expected to draw massive crowds, generating excitement and some potential concerns for prospective attendees.

In 2020, the week full of music, festivities, food, and fun was named as the “most searched” homecoming by Google. This year’s 100th homecoming will feature a football game against Tennessee State University, a concert on the Yard – known as “YardFest”— and the highly anticipated appearance from Harris, one of the university’s most eminent alumni.

While the centennial is much to celebrate across the university’s community, the milestone could spark even bigger crowds than past years.

The class of 2024 was the largest class to ever graduate from the university and are now alumni. With alumni from 2024 and years past, tourists, and others interested in some of the events or seeing Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, this year’s Howard homecoming week is expected to attract massive crowds.

Kristal Alston, a senior psychology major at Howard, told The Informer she has concerns going into this year’s homecoming season.

“I’m very concerned about public safety during homecoming this year. It’s rare to find an event that has any sort of safety precautions…anything could happen when there’s no security measures in place,” Alston said.

Crime Grade, a website that gives locations a grade based on local and national crime data, gives the 20059 ZIP code, where Howard is located, a D rating. Crime Grade also concluded that the crime rate is higher in the 20059 area than the average U.S. ZIP code, and is in the 17th percentile for safety.

Makenna Underwood, a May 2024 graduate, also said she is aware of the crime in the D.C. area and is making sure to stay safe as she plans to celebrate Howard’s 100th homecoming.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind, even as an undergrad student that… D.C. isn't always a place to be, especially if you're a young woman,” Underwood said. “I do have friends who I'm going with, so I do feel safer in that sense.”

WORKING WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO STAY SAFE

While the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) could not disclose

specific operations or tactics planned to ensure homecoming festivities are safe, an MPD representative confirmed in a statement that officers “will have an increased presence and visibility in the area in coordination with the Howard Department of Public Safety and other partners.”

MPD also provided general safety tips for those attending homecoming:

• “Secure all valuables on your person or leave them at home. Do not leave valuables in plain view in vehicles.

• Keep small children close and ensure that you have a separation plan in case they get separated from you.

• Consume alcohol in moderation and ensure that participants hydrate. Most medical incidents involve individuals who overindulge or suffer dehydration related illnesses.

• No weapons are permitted on campus, please do not secure them in vehicles which is a violation of D.C. code.”

MPD urges attendees, and D.C. residents in general to report any suspicious activity or behaviors.

“Above all else, if you see something, say something. For emergencies or immediate threats, always call 911. To report suspicious activity or behaviors, call MPD’s Command Information Center at 202-7279099, text 50411, or report online at iwatchdc.org,” said MPD in an email statement.

The Washington Informer reached out to the Howard University Department of Public Safety (HUDPS) and the Howard University Police Department, but did not receive responses in time for publication.

Overall, the crime rate in Washington, D.C. has decreased 17% since last year and the violent crime rate has decreased 35%, according to MPD crime data. However, the U Street Corridor and Shaw areas, which neighbor Howard University’s campus, are still listed in the top five most dangerous areas in the city, according to a Deep Sentinel list.

There is no current data available for crime specifically on Howard’s campus, but there have been incidents on campus recently. According to campus crime alerts, there were at least four reported carjackings or robberies last month.

While none of the parties involved were Howard affiliated in these instances, Howard students have been victims to several violent crimes. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

HISTORY from Page 1

and erasure. While the holiday is a celebration of Indigenous people and culture, District, educational leaders are emphasizing that teaching Native American history is important beyond just one day, and is critical to understanding historic and current happenings in the United States.

While educational groups and existing tribes share stories of the Native Americans that once lived in Washington, D.C., the District of Columbia State Board of Education and Office of the State Superintendent (OSSE) are working to expand the classroom education of Indigenous history.

“We rolled out new Social Studies Standards for all public schools in D.C. [that] offer greater depth and insights to the lives of Indigenous Peoples of the DMV, painting a comprehensive picture, whereas prior standards tended to focus on myth through the lens of colonists’ interactions with Indigenous People, whitewashing much of the rich history of these people,” said OSSE Press Secretary Fred Lewis in an emailed statement. “These standards represent a very intentional approach to studying the lives of Indigenous People here and across the Americas, as well as the lives of African Americans, women, LGBTQ+ and others who have historically been marginalized.”

The new social studies standards came into fruition after members of the State Board of Education recognized a need for change in 2019. According to The Washington Post, sources reported the original standards to be “problematic” and “archaic.” Before the reworking, the last time education standards were remodeled was in 2006, which led OSSE to begin drafting new guidelines the following year.

After being finalized in spring 2023, District schools have officially implemented revised standards for students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade (K-12). The curriculum is a culmination of years of research, collaboration, and expert review to ensure students receive a well-rounded education that is fully representative of American history.

CREATING STANDARDS OF ‘WINDOWS AND MIRRORS’ FOR D.C. LEARNERS

The new criteria calls for better

depiction of communities of color and their experiences, including a deeper understanding of the oppression of enslaved Africans and Indigenous groups. Students will examine racism and white supremacy in a direct lens, with the updated standards introducing concepts like “colonization” to fourth-graders, which was previously absent from the guidelines.

Elizabeth Ross, assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning at OSSE, told The Informer that a pivotal approach in the drafting stage was ensuring that the standards were “windows and mirrors” and would offer students increased representation and inclusion from an educational perspective.

“These standards help ensure that our D.C. students have access…that will help them become who they want to be. By seeing themselves in their standards, we want our students to feel proud of their past and the work people like them have done,” said Ross.

Alongside debunking fallacies and “white-washed” retellings of historically marginalized communities, the guidelines aim to enhance students’ recognition and understanding of modern Indigenous history that continues to shape society locally and globally.

“It's our goal that Indigenous history is something that is fully infused throughout the curriculum,” Ross explained.

She said that OSSE is still working to develop and support educators so “that all D.C. learners have access to a wide variety of Indigenous histories and Indigenous culture…as well as the contributions that Indigenous societies continue to make to our country and in our world today.”

‘The Capital of a Civilized Nation Paved with the Remains of its Shadowy Past’

In the nation’s capital, Indigenous history can be traced to over 4,000 years ago, with tribes such as Piscataway, the Nentego (Nanichoke), and the Nacotchtank, or Anacostans, thriving along the Anacostia and Potomac River watersheds, Chesapeake Bay area, and the states of Maryland and Virginia.

According to The National Park Service, the D.C. region “was rich in natural resources and supported the local Native people.”

Historic findings from the late 1800s have shown generational connections between Native Americans that once resided and the current culture of the District now. Archaeologists like Samuel V. Proudfit (1846-1934), William H. Holmes (1846-1933), and Elmer R. Reynolds (1863-1911), who identified and collected the remains of Native Americans in D.C., documented the premature business culture of early Indigenous people, evidenced by artifacts of former tribes partaking in local “trading.”

When Captain John Smith arrived in the summer of 1608, he discovered the Piscataway tribe, which occupied the location where Bolling Air Force Base now sits, was in proximity of the confluence of a second river that joined with the Potomac (now “The Anacostia”). Because of this, he labeled the tribe “Nacotchtanck,” which is meant to mean “a town of traders,” according to a research report by Dr. Armand Lione, an amateur historian and director for the DC Native History Project.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5Native American activists support voting rights during the DC Freedom Riders March in 2021. The District has rolled out new social studies standards that emphasize the history and contributions of Native Americans throughout time. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)

Why Play a Game That Everyone Wins?

To be a winner or to be successful in life, you need to be smart in a lot of different ways.

Reading, writing and arithmetic are very important, but so is knowing how to get along with others.

2-4 players or teams

Find a marker for each player or team.

Flip a coin to move.

Heads: move two spaces.

Tails: move one space. Play until everyone finishes and you are all winners!

Fed your pet. TAKE THE SHORTCUT!

Respected your sister’s or brother’s privacy. MOVE AHEAD TWO SPACES!

Find an example in the newspaper of someone helping their community. Tell why you respect this person.

FAIRNESS

Draw lines to divide the pizza into equal slices to share with your friends. Name friends you are sharing pizza with:

Name a volunteer job you could do.

Close your eyes and draw your home.

Name something you own that is reusable.

Forgot to take out trash. LOSE A TURN.

Tell what it feels like to be treated with respect.

Reduce: Find something you could do without.

Cut

high ve to the person next to you.

Compliment each

You helped a younger student. Nice!

Name two classmates who are respectful to others.

carry something. FREE TURN!

Polite to school custodian. MOVE AHEAD

Tell how you help keep your classroom Polite to yard duty teacher. TAKE THE SHORTCUT!

Planted owers. TAKE THE SHORTCUT!

Tell about a time someone was kind to you.

Talk about things that make you feel better when you’re sad.

Cut through a neighbor’s yard. LOSE A TURN!

Talk about things that make you feel better when you’re sad.

Name three great things about another player.

Talk about a time you showed kindness.

Tell about a time you helped at school. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: FREE TURN! Does fair always mean equal? Should bedtime be the same for all family members?

Help without being asked. MOVE AHEAD ONE SPACE.

Act out helping someone carry a big bag of groceries.

Thank another player for playing this game with you.

You treat others with respect despite di erences in age, gender, race or religion. YOU ARE A WINNER!

Give and Take

To receive respect, you must also be willing to give respect. Look through the newspaper and clip pictures and stories of people giving and receiving respect. Find examples of people not treating others or things with respect.

review wi book

"John Lewis: A Life"

By David Greenberg

c.2024, Simon & Schuster

$35

704 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

You give, and you give, and you give.

No problem. If you can be of service to your community, then that's what you'll do. You'll volunteer where you're needed. You'll offer up your time to organize events and gather other helpers. You've dedicated your life to public service because, as in the new biography, "John Lewis: A Life" by David Greenberg, you've got it to give.

Born into a large but poor family in 1940, John Lewis grew up dodging chores in his father's fields, in favor of time spent reading anything he could get his hands on. Lewis's extended family — numbering in the hundreds — never minded much. They knew young John as someone who had big plans for getting off the farm and making something of himself.

Though he was already a victim of Jim Crow laws, and racism kept him from the books and education he craved, Greenberg says that "John's teenage years coincided with the emerging civil rights movement" and that became Lewis's focus. He avidly follow the radio broadcasts of Martin Luther King Jr., who became a beacon for him.

When it was time to choose a college, Lewis attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, but he "began … to 'drift away'" from the church because it frowned on his interest in the NAACP. He chose another church and eventually made a name for himself there as a gentle, level thinker and a leader.

By 1960, Lewis had become more active in the effort for equality; in 1961, he met Dr. King, who "had a high opinion of Lewis." King, in fact, offered Lewis a job but Lewis "felt committed to SNCC," and turned the great man down.

Still, Lewis kept in contact with King after he went to work with Robert Kennedy in 1968. He was organizing on behalf of Kennedy in Indianapolis when Dr. King was assassinated; he was in New York when Kennedy was shot

…

It's almost impossible in a small article like this to explain the breadth and depth of John Lewis's days, or of this book. There's so much to learn, so many anecdotes to explain his work and his life. Since distilling what author David Greenberg offers won't do justice to either subject or saga, just know that "John Lewis" is about as comprehensive as it gets.

Using archives and other, newer sources, Greenberg dives into Lewis as a whole, taking us back even before he was born. Readers who've spent considerable time studying the politician will be pleasantly surprised to find new information here; those who are familiar with Lewis' civil rights work or his politics will devour the until-now unfamilar parts, making each page a pleasantly dramatic new discovery, like a treasure hunt with an old friend.

Be aware that Greenberg peoples this account of Lewis's life and his career abundantly, which can be overwhelming unless you devote your time well. "John Lewis" is a book for students, historians, biography lovers, political fans, and activists.

Find it for yourself. Consider it for gift-giving. WI

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE

OCT. 10 - 16, 2024

ARIES Early in the week, you'll be even more ready than usual to take the initiative with your partner or someone special. Sharing an extraordinary experience makes the sparks fly. Later, if you've been feeling antsy about a professional project or restless about getting active in a community group, you'll do well to channel that energy toward connecting and working with others. Lucky Numbers: 1, 20, 30

TAURUS At the week's start, you'll be focused on how you're perceived by higher-ups and colleagues. Elevating your professional reputation is your main priority, and it's natural for you to seek out and pursue new ways to be recognized for your hard work now. Later, you'll get an extra fortuitous opportunity to enact any game plans you've been batting around. Lucky Numbers: 4, 12, 36

GEMINI You'll be fired up to act on your most passionate desires with your partner or a potential match early in the week. Later, you'll want to shake up your usual routine and seek out eye-opening, intellectually stimulating, soul-fueling experiences. You're usually full of curiosity, but now you can get even more active in your pursuit of extraordinary moments and opportunities that will allow you to continue to learn and grow. Lucky Numbers: 8, 27, 31

CANCER You can look forward to being a part of intellectually stimulating, exciting brainstorms with your closest colleagues or dear friends early in the week. You might be caught off guard by the brilliant ideas you come up with as a result of your collaboration. Later, you'll feel more empowered when you acknowledge and, ideally, speak up about your emotional and physical needs. Lucky Numbers: 8, 9, 34

LEO At the beginning of the week, time spent one-on-one with your closest friend, a favorite colleague, or a significant other feels more satisfying than solo time or group activities. Together, you'll have the wind in your sails when it comes to making progress on a project or shared goal. So, you'll do well to get clear on what you both want to achieve and then dive in! Lucky Numbers: 3, 19, 24

VIRGO You'll be feeling even more powered up than usual to take on your big-picture health and day-to-day housekeeping to-dos early in the week. Identifying and trying an innovative strategy, like using an app or another form of technology, could help you make even more progress than you imagined. Later, you'll do well to pinpoint a specific routine you'd like to implement and get the wheels in motion. Lucky Numbers: 3, 7, 19

LIBRA You could be inspired to speak up about your ideas, motivations, and goals in a bolder, more direct way as the week starts. Your innate curiosity is amplified, and you'll have an insatiable urge to connect with others. Later, you'll want to put work aside and focus more on the aspects of life that feel pleasurable, playful, beautiful, and fun. Lucky Numbers: 8, 16, 28

SCORPIO You could be inspired to speak up about your ideas, motivations, and goals in a bolder, more direct way as the week starts. Your innate curiosity is amplified, and you'll have an insatiable urge to connect with others. Later, you'll want to put work aside and focus more on the aspects of life that feel pleasurable, playful, beautiful, and fun. Lucky Numbers: 4, 24, 45

SAGITTARIUS You'll get a burst of confidence that fuels your sexiest, most playful desires early in the week. This could mean sharing that seemingly wild fantasy you've been keeping under wraps or rewriting that dating app profile to more explicitly reflect what you want from a connection. Either way, you're empowered to pursue the wants and needs that get your adrenaline pumping. Later, your schedule could be downright packed with to-dos and social events. Lucky Numbers: 9, 21, 37

CAPRICORN Your emotions are bound to be intensified and even weightier than usual early in the week. Instead of brushing them under the rug and proceeding with your work as you are often apt to do, you'll do well to get curious. While it might be more of a time to reflect than take concrete action, you'll learn quite a bit simply by giving yourself permission to look at the root of these uncomfortable feelings. Lucky Numbers: 21, 29, 52

AQUARIUS As the week begins, you'll have extra oomph to move into new territory when it comes to how you express and present yourself to the world. For that reason, if you've been wanting to pursue a new professional path or do self-exploration related to your mind and body wellness, it's a beautiful time to let your intuition guide you. Lucky Numbers: 29, 32, 47

PISCES Confusion could reign supreme when dealing with higher-ups or colleagues early in the week. It might be difficult for you to identify exactly how you feel at this moment as you try to get a grip on the facts. You might even question what's real and what's not. Wait until the dust has settled and you'll gain clarity. Lucky Numbers: 1, 19, 20

SPORTS

Washington Commanders Defeat the Cleveland Browns: 3 Highlights from the Game

What to Know Ahead of the Battle of the Beltway Against the Baltimore Ravens

By Skylar Nelson WI Intern

The Washington Commanders defeated the Cleveland Browns 34-13 on Oct. 6, winning their fourth game in a row this past Sunday. Washington currently stands at No. 2 in the NFC with an overall record of 4-1, for the first time since 2008 and tying their overall win total from last season.

With the Commanders currently leading the NFC East division, the team is living up to the hype and setting a new foundation in the District.

Below are three exciting observations about the Washington Commanders ahead of the Battle of Beltway faceoff against the Baltimore Ravens.

JAYDEN DANIELS IS ENGRAVING HIS NAME IN THE RECORD BOOKS

Jayden Daniels continues to set a higher standard of what it means to be a rookie quarterback in just five regular season games in the NFL. The rookie quarterback was declared NFC player of the week after an impressive performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Heading into this week, Daniels has started to engrave his name in the record books for what it looks like to be a successful NFL career in the making.

Daniels is the first NFL player in

Howard’s Third Annual Battle at the Burr is a Big Splash

By Ed Hill WI Contributing Writer

When Howard University Director of Swimming and Diving Nic Askew came up with the idea of Battle at the Burr (BATB), few could have believed that it would quickly turn into a major event in the HBCU swimming community. However the Third Annual BATB on Saturday, Oct. 5 turned out to be a big splash— pun intended.

The event took place at Howard’s Burr Gymnasium pool before an enthusiastic and sold-out audience.

The Howard men's and women's teams battled Georgetown in their annual dual meet. Alums from both institutions were seen in attendance, wearing their respective school's apparel. Then, there were the students and supporters, along with young

league history to pass for a minimum of 1,000 yards and rush for a minimum of 250 yards in his first five career games. With this in mind, he is considered to be an absolute favorite for this season’s Rookie of The Year.

Although Daniels threw his second interception against the Browns and had a 56% completion rate, which is considered to be his worst so far at the pro level, he still manages to end every game with a solid performance.

Daniels executed 34-yard scoring, starting with a 12-yard pass to wide receiver Terry Mclaurin, which then ended this series with running back Brian Robinson Jr. scoring a touchdown. The quarterback showed off

his deep ball accuracy in this game, with a 41-yard pass to wide receiver Dyami Brown.

DOMINANT PLAYS BEING MADE WITH POWERFUL RUSHING OFFENSE

The run game has seemed to be pretty successful for Washington this season. The Commanders dominated the run game against the Browns rushing 200-plus yards for the third time over the course of four weeks.

Daniels was a key contributor to this run game with 82 rushing yards, totaling 300 rushing yards for the rookie

swimming enthusiasts.

As for the meet, Howard swimming and diving teams came up short, 117-107 on the men's side while falling 133-90 on the women's end. However, the event was about more than just scores.

The much-anticipated event between Howard and Georgetown University has become so popular that there were accommodations created for the overflow crowd. Thus, a watch party was held in the main gymnasium with a big screen for those unable to get in the pool seating area.

This is all part of the growth of Howard’s Swimming and Diving program, which is the only one among all historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Howard has received national publicity for its success, including the cover of Sports Illustrated. "HBCUs historically have been a gathering place for Black excellence and that should be at any and every space," said Askew, now in his 11th season at the helm. “So, for us swimmers and divers, this makes a difference because 65% of African Amer-

icans have limited or no swimming ability. So, what better place than at an HBCU than at Howard to address this issue.”

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

Running back Austin Ekeler, who was just cleared against the Browns from concussion protocol, added his dominance to the run game with 62 rushing yards.

Robinson Jr. continues to shape up the run game, executing two touchdowns with just 18-yards.

Running back Jeremy McNichols had a strong performance against the Browns gaining 44 rushing yards and scoring a touchdown in the exciting win.

This time last season, the Commanders were 24th in Rushing Yards and now they are third, with 169.3 yards per game so far this season, which is projected to only increase from here.

COMMANDERS DEFENSE COMING IN CLUTCH WITH SACKS

Washington’s defense ended with seven sacks knocking down Cleveland’s quarterback Deshaun Watson. Although the Browns did not have their starting right tackle Jack Conklin, the Commanders still managed to improve their pass-rush.

The defense brought Watson down, executing a loss of 33-yards for the Browns.

Defensive lineman duo Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu combined on four sacks with 13 tackles that really came in clutch in decreasing the Browns’ yardage.

The Washington Commanders will hit the road to Baltimore, to faceoff the Ravens for a Battle of The Beltway on Sunday Oct. 13 at 1 p.m.

5Olamide Zaccheus, no. 14, Brian Robinson, no, 8, and no. 54 Bobby Wagner celebrate as the Washington Commanders beat the Cleveland Browns 34-13 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland on Oct. 6 (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer) quarterback so far this season,

just 11 carries.

5Howard University’s Swimming and Diving team at the Third Annual Battle at the Burr on Oct. 5 at Burr Gymnasium. Howard lost to Georgetown University 117107 on the men’s side and 133-90 for the women’s team. (Courtesy Photo)

CAPTURE the moment

The Anacostia Coordinating Council (ACC) hosted the annual ACC Luncheon Cruise on the Odyssey along the Potomac River on Saturday, Oct. 5. Featuring food and entertainment, the event brought together community leaders for an after noon of fellowship and fun.

(Ja’Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)

funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

porting families to increase in the coming weeks and months, especially as she and other DCPS Connected Schools managers help families overcome fear of D.C. Child and Family Services Agency involvement.

“We prioritize building those relationships. Once we do that, families’ housing status comes out,” said Harrod, the Connected Schools manager at John Hayden Johnson Middle School in Southeast. “From there, we’re able to reach out to families to see the resources they need.”

DCPS Connected Schools, a program that that has turned public schools into community resource hubs since 2019, has a presence in 20 District public schools, including several within the Anacostia High School and Ballou High School feeder patterns. This is thanks to a combination of local dollars and grant

Wards 4, 7 and 8 currently account for the most housing insecure families in the public school system, according to DCPS' Families and Youth in Transition program. With Fiscal Year 2026 budget deliberations just a few months away, DCPS officials told The Informer that they are evaluating possible areas of additional local investments.

At Johnson Middle School, Harrod, the school’s former social worker, currently serves five families, each of whom she helps navigate the District’s continuum of homeless prevention.

“Circumstances vary. It could be loss of income, family dynamics changing, or the cost of living. The District is extremely expensive,” Harrod said.

Students on Harrod’s caseload receive academic and mental health support, food from the school’s pan-

try, school uniforms, transportation support and toiletries.

For the John Hayden Johnson Connected Schools manager, maintaining the family unit and reducing truancy counts as a major part of her work.

“If [students] have siblings in other schools, we connect with them to make sure those children are in other programs,” Harrod said. “We have partners we can connect them to, to help alleviate that situation.”

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF A BUDGET SEASON MIX-UP

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal included significant cuts to D.C.’s Rapid Rehousing program, a shortterm subsidy intended to help one stabilize housing while working with

a case manager to secure permanent accommodations.

By May, when budget season had been well underway, D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) estimated that 2,200 families were exiting the Rapid Rehousing program. This was around the time of an annual point-in-time count conducted by The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness that recorded a 40% increase in homelessness among District families.

Throughout the budget season, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At large) sifted through Bowser’s budget proposal, looking at tax increases, salary lapses, and agency underspending as possible revenue sources for extra vouchers.

As a staff member in the council’s Committee on Housing explained, Mendelson and White did so us-

ing financial projections submitted by the D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA). At the beginning of the budget process, the local subsidy portion of the housing authority’s budget experienced a top-down reshuffling to clarify what the staff member called a complicated document that, for years, didn’t reflect DCHA’ true expenditures.

The budgetary revamp, the staff member said, led to a small percentage budget reduction that the Committee on Housing reinvested into the human services and housing portion of DCHA’s budget. A large part of that reinvestment, the staff member said, funded the remaining local vouchers for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and the more than 400 allocated for FY 2025.

The committee staffer went on to tell The Informer that they incor-

DCPS Page 52

DCPS from Page 1

RELIGION

Remembering the Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

In life, the Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant was a faith leader who inspired people in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.) around the world.

When her husband became the 106th Bishop of the A.M.E. Church, she quickly fell in love with the people Bishop John Bryant served and they fell in love with her.

The late Bryant, a mother of two, found herself mothering and ministering to many throughout life.

Renowned faith leader Pastor Jamal Bryant, celebrated his mother’s contributions and influence.

"We were blessed to share life with this anointed and dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and liberated global citizen,” said Bry-

ant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Dekalb County, Georgira, in a statement after his mother’s death on Sept. 26. "I am not the person I am today without her prayers and love, which have been my north star throughout my life."

The late mother and religious leader was not only influential in her family’s life, but served as a guiding light for many throughout their faith journeys.

Faith and political leaders filled Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore on Oct. 5 to eulogize Bryant, affectionately known as “Mother Cee,” who died at the age of 77 after a long illness.

Powerful religious leaders, including barrier-breaking women such as from Bishop Vashti McKenzie, the first woman ordained a bishop in the A.M.E. Church,

spoke about, to and the Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Browning, co-pastor of Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Washington, Maryland, remembered Bryant and her legacy.

McKenzie called Bryant, a “Warrior Queen Mother,” who was, “personified by prayer,” and was an example of “Holy Boldness.”

“Mother Cee’s greatest achievement is that she stood as a prophetic voice to guide a generation of women in ministry,” said Mckenzie, adding she was brought to her knees, when she learned Bryant died.

THE LIFE OF CECELIA WILLIAMS

The faith leader, wife and mother was born Cecelia Williams on October 31, 1946, to Pauline Williams, an AME Zion stewardess, and Booker T. Williams, a World War I veteran, in Yonkers, New York. She was the second of 10 children.

During the service, most of Bryant’s siblings lined up to speak. Bryant was educated at Elizabeth Seton Junior College, where she obtained an associate's degree. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Boston University, a Master’s of Divinity from Howard University, and a Doctorate of Ministry from United Theological Seminary.

While studying at Boston University, Cecelia met the future Bishop Bryant. They were married in 1969 and their 55-year relationship resulted in the births of a son, Jamal-Harrison, and a daughter, Dr. Thema Bryant.

In 1988, after her husband was elected bishop, the Bryant family answered the call to serve in Liberia and throughout the 14th District of West Africa.

While in Africa she built a school for children and was instrumental in helping Bishop Bryant establish many new A.M.E. churches in West Africa.

While Pastor Bryant and his father didn't speak, Dr. Thema Bryant had much to say about her mother.

The daughter remembered her mother’s lessons and highlighted her legacy.

“Ma, as Jamal and I called her, was known for her commitment to youth and education but what you don't know was Cecelia Bryant

summer preparatory enrichment camp that had two attendees, Jamal and Thema,” she told the crowd.

“We had to memorize chapters of the Bible and go to nursing homes where she served communion. Jamal read scriptures and I would praise dance between wheelchairs.”

Dr. Bryant, a professor at Pepperdine University and former president of the American Psychological Association shared what her mother’s lessons meant throughout life.

“All of this prepared us to catch the baton and carry the movement forward,” she explained.

The professor and minister highlighted her mother’s legacy.

“In the natural she birthed two children, but in the spirit she birthed a movement,” she noted.

“She smothered generations of intercessors…she routinely longed for intellectual debt, she trespassed denominational borders… And she slayed the giant of misogyny while drinking green tea.”

The daughter said her mother’s work was influential on earth and people should thank God for the gift of her life and contributions to the world.

“She came with an assignment to set the captives free and she held up the mirror for women of African descent to see and embrace the truth of our glory,” Dr. Bryant said.”Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, grave, where is your victory? But thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” WI

5The Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant, who died on Sept. 26, walks hand in hand with her daughter Dr. Thema Bryant. (Courtesy Photo/Dr. Thema Bryant, Instagram)

5The Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant, a faith leader who inspired people in the African Methodist Episcopal Church around the world, died on Sept. 26 at the age of 77. (Courtesy Photo/Dr. Thema Bryant, Instagram)

Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, established in 1816 in the territory of Old Georgetown, invites the Washington community to celebrate its 208-year legacy. Join the pastor and congregation as they pay tribute to the vision, tenacity and courage of the freed and enslaved people who founded what has become the oldest African American congregation in Washington, D.C.

A series of events in October will celebrate the continuing legacy of these ancestors, whose actions and accomplishments predated the Civil War. This year's theme is "Unity in the Community."

The 208th-anniversary worship service and musical program will be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13 at Mt. Zion UMC, located at 1334 29th Street NW. The guest

WITH

LYNDIA GRANT

Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Celebrates 'Unity in the Community' on 208th Anniversary the religion corner

speaker will be Rev. Jaleesa Hall, ordained deacon at the Emory Fellowship United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.

Following the service, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated space, made possible through a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Fund for Sacred Places, along with matching funds from the Mt. Zion Historic Preservation Capital Campaign efforts. The day will culminate with a light lunch in the church's fellowship hall.

To RSVP, visit the website at www.mtzionumcdc.org for more information. The optional church colors for the day are blue, gold and silver.

Come out and celebrate this historic milestone of "Unity with the Community" at this 208-year-old historic church.

Other activities include an outdoor worship service and church cookout that was held on Oct. 6, a special Laity Sunday on Oct. 20, and a Student Sunday on Oct. 27.

Thanks to Alice Walker for the following information:

Here is the early history of Mount Zion, whose members originally formed part of the congregation of the Montgomery Street Methodist

Church (now the Dumbarton Avenue Methodist Church). The Black members of this congregation elected to form their own church and on June 3, 1814, purchased property on Mill Street (now 27th Street) from Henry Foxall, a Methodist church leader. The group, known as the Colored Members of the Georgetown Station, erected a church which was variously called "The Ark" and the "Meeting House" until 1844 when it was renamed Mt. Zion. The congregation did not have a Black minister, however, until the Reverend John Brice was appointed in 1864. The present structure, which was constructed between 1876 and 1884 with the help of members of the congregation, is a brick church with Gothic decorative elements. It has a gable-roof, stained glass lancet windows, and a second floor sanctuary. The visual interest provided by the articulation of the Gothic Revival facade of the church and the scale of the structure make it a contributing element in the Georgetown Historic District.

Mount Zion has been thought to have been a station in the Underground Railroad, and the church records give some credence to this idea. The congregation also sponsored one of the city's first Black schools in 1823. WI

MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC

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

RELIGION

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

Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 Fax : 202-338-4958

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

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant Pastor

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

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

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

www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “ The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson

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

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

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Promised Land Baptist Church

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001103

Cheryl Diane Summers Decedent

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

Robert Lee Summers Jr., whose address is 2950 2nd Street, SE, Apt. 31, Washington, DC 20032, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Cheryl Diane Summers who died on 8/24/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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:

9/26/2024

Robert Lee Summers Jr. Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 968

Lateessha Terry Decedent

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

Traye Laster, whose address is 1418 Howard Rd, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lateessha Terry who died on November 7, 2023 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Traye Laster Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 FEP 000107

July 2, 2015

Date of Death

Corinne Raymond Gantt Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Gloria Raymond whose address is 7200 East Spring St., Landover, MD 20785 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Corinne Raymond Gantt, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on 9/1/2016.

Service of process may be made upon Franklin D. Hicks, 4272 E. Capitol Street, NE Apt. 101, Washington, DC whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate.

242 57th Place, NE, Washington, DC 20019. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 9/26/2024

Gloria D. Raymond Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2015 SEB 328 2024 ADM 001068

Ferdie H. Williams aka Ferdie Henry Williams Decedent

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

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

Teresa Marie Seldon, whose address is 400 Oglethorpe Street, NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ferdie H. Williams aka Ferdie Henry Williams who died on May 2, 2015 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Teresa Marie Seldon Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001079

Dorothy G. Collins aka Dorothy Grace Collins Decedent

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

Attorney

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

Hyacinth Collins, whose address is 300 M Street, SW, Unit N. 615, Washington DC 20024, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Dorothy G. Collins aka Dorothy Grace Collins who died on March 20, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Hyacinth Collins Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001085

Frederic Tcheliebou Decedent

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

Erwin Nouwezem Tcheliebou, whose address is 2005 Maryland Ave., NE, Apt. 105, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Frederic Tcheliebou who died on June 12th 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Erwin Nouwezem Tcheliebou Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001062

Eleanor Craft Decedent

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

Bridget Lawrence, whose address is 1209 20th PL, NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Eleanor Craft who died on 3/4/2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Bridget Lawrence Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2024 ADM 001076

Gilda Sherrod-Ali Decedent

James Larry Frazier 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney

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

Zindzi Malika Ali, whose address is 3233 Pope Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gilda Sherrod-Ali who died on June 25, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Zindzi Malika Ali Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 000382

Ellen McKinney Decedent

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

Saretta McKinney, whose address is 5047 13th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ellen McKinney who died on 11/15/2023 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Saretta McKinney

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001044

James W. Johnson Decedent

Brian L. Kass, Esq. 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 434 Washington, DC 20008 Attorney

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

Henrietta Thomas, whose address is 207 49th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of James W. Johnson who died on May 3, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Henrietta Thomas Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 1073

Lee Andrew Pearson Decedent

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

Brandi Sharice Zimmerman, whose address is 612 Knightsbridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lee Andrew Pearson who died on June 17, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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:

9/26/2024

Brandi Sharice Zimmerman 612 Knightsbridge Drive Hagerstown, MD 21740

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2023 ADM 000694

Phillip Doyle Decedent

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

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Phillip Doyle who died on July 31, 2019 without a Will. 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 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

J. Anthony Concino III

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: "Henry Pirtle IV© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ HENRY PIRTLE IV ", corp.sole Dba.: " HENRY PIRTLE; PIRTLE IV, HENRY; PIRTLE, HENRY© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as an: American Moor, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Al Maghreb Al Aqsa, Estados al Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as an: American Moor. am that I am: " Henry Pirtle IV© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " kalifa pharoh bey© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: County of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk Office : STATE FILE NUMBER: 10481423374: " HENRY PIRTLE IV© ", is as a special deposit order, conveyed to " Muuristic Empire Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: "Kalifa pharoh bey© ", nom deguerre: " Henry Pirtle IV© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Muuristic Empire Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 1050

Quanda Renee King Decedent

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

Jacqueline King, whose address is 19352 Sandy Lake Dr., Gaithersburg, MD 20879, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Quanda Renee King who died on May 15, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Jacqueline King

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Maria Chevelli’a Caldwell© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ MARIA CHEVELLI’A CALDWELL ", corp.sole Dba.: " MARIA C CALDWELL; CALDWELL, MARIA C; CALDWELL, MARIA CHEVELLI’A© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as an: American Moor, but not a citizen of the United States. declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Al Maghreb Al Aqsa, Estados al Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as an: American Moor. I am that I am: " Maria Chevelli’a Caldwell© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " yemaya bey© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: The Wisconsin Vital Records Office : STATE FILE NUMBER: 1990066709: " MARIA CHEVELLIA CALDWELL© ", is as a special deposit order, conveyed to " Goddess Warriors Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: "yemaya bey© ", nom deguerre: " Maria Chevelli’a Caldwell© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of " Goddess Warriors Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

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

2024 ADM 001099

Virginia H. Washington Decedent

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

Alan G. Washington, whose address is 1226 Faraday Place, NE, Washington, DC 20017, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Virginia H. Washington who died on 8/29/2022 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Alan G. Washington Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001015

Catherine Ann Jackson Decedent

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

Wendell E. Jackson Jr., whose address is 521 K Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Catherine Ann Jackson who died on September 15, 2021 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

Wendell E. Jackson Jr. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001084

Reginald Ray Bynum

Decedent

Howard Haley, Esq. 7600 Georgia Ave., NW #416 Washington, DC 20012

Attorney

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

Fatima Lewis, whose address is 336 55th St., NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Reginald Ray Bynum who died on 8/29/2021 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/26/2025. 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 3/26/2025, 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: 9/26/2024

Fatima Lewis

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 FEP 000110

December 31, 2023

Date of Death

Edward Garfield Jones aka Edward G. Jones

Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Zaiafanice Jones Lipscomb whose address is 12507 Pleasant Prospect Road, Mitchellville, MD 20721 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Edward Garfield Jones aka Edward G. Jones, deceased, by the General Court of Justice Superior Court Div. Court for Caswell County, State of North Carolina, on March 19, 2024.

Service of process may be made upon Jeffrey K. Gordon, Esq. at 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW #400, Washington, DC 20015 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 3704 26th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 10/3/2024

Zaiafanice Jones Lipscomb

Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001115

George E. Belton Sr. Decedent

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

George E. Belton Jr. & Gia E. Lawrence, whose addresses are 3113 S. Dakota Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20018 & 2971 Brookwood Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of George E. Belton Sr. who died on 8/5/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

George E. Belton Jr.

Gia E. Lawrence Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001160

Michaela Sylvia Godette Decedent

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

Pierre Michael Godette, whose address is 5418 8th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Michaela Sylvia Godette who died on February 14, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

Pierre Michael Godette Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001139

Isadore Lane

Decedent

Andre O. McDonald, Esq. 10500 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 420 Columbia, MD 21044

Attorney

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

Kelechi J. Lane, whose address is 1420 Cowsill Drive, Severn, Maryland 21144, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Isadore Lane who died on 6/27/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

Kelechi J. Lane Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2021 FEP 000004

August 9, 2020

Date of Death

Norris E. Millard aka Norris Edward Millard Jr. Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Andre K. Bland and Kevin Millard whose addresses are 3204 Accolade Dr., Clinton MD & 10500 Westwood Pl., Cheltenham MD were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Norris E. Millard aka Norris Edward Millard, Jr., deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on July 8, 2024. Service of process may be made upon Aimee D. Griffin, Esq., Life and Legacy Counselors, 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 440, Washington, DC 20015 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 3468 23rd Street SE, Washington, DC 20020. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 10/3/2024

Andre K. Bland Kevin Millard

Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001124

Joyce Ann Wilson Decedent

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

Sherika J. Wilson, whose address is 1911 Savannah Street, SE Apt 203, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joyce Ann Wilson who died on July 27, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

Sherika J. Wilson

1911 Savannah Street, SE, Apt 203 Washington, DC 20020

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2024 ADM 001138

Roseline McKinney Decedent

Andre O. McDonald, Esq. 10500 Little Patuxent Parkway Suite 420 Columbia, Maryland 21044 Attorney

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

Jesse E. McKinney, whose address is 3436 Coach Lantern Avenue, Wake Forest, NC 27587, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Roseline McKinney who died on May 17, 2021 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

Jesse E. McKinney Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 000915

Laverne Seegers Decedent

Donald Marlais, Esq. 411 10th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002

Attorney

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

Catrice Simpson, whose address is 2800 Jasper Street SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Laverne Seegers who died on 11/21/2010 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

Catrice Simpson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001136

Troy Nathaniel Bullock Decedent

Andre O. McDonald, Esq. 10500 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 420 Columbia, Maryland 21044 Attorney

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

Troy N. Goode, whose address is 44 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Troy Nathaniel Bullock who died on December 7, 2022 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

Troy N. Goode Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 1122

Mack R. Walston Decedent

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

Gralan M. Walston, whose address is 2962 2nd Street #31, SE, Washington, DC 20032, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mack R. Walston 5120 Sargent Rd #305, Washington, DC 20017 who died on December 13, 2021 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

Gralan M. Walston

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 1143

Shelley D. Massey Decedent

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

Janice E. Hutton, whose address is 929 Bonifant Street, #1110, Silver Spring, MD 20910, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Shelley D. Massey who died on 1/21/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/3/2025. 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 4/3/2025, 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: 10/3/2024

Janice E. Hutton Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001158

Jannie B. Holland Decedent

Robert Clayton Cooper 6856 Eastern Ave., NW Suite 350 Washington, DC 20012

Attorney

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

Jannie M. Latta, whose address is 821 Avis Drive, Largo, MD 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jannie B. Holland who died on April 20, 2018 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 4/10/2025. 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 4/10/2025, 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: 10/10/2024

Jannie M. Latta

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2024 ADM 001159

Charles Marshall Holland Decedent

Robert Clayton Cooper, Esq. Cooper & Crickman, PLLC 6856 Eastern Ave., NW, Suite 350 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

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

Jannie M. Latta, whose address is 821 Avis Drive, Largo, MD 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Charles Marshall Holland who died on March 18, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/10/2025. 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 4/10/2025, 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: 10/10/2024

Jannie M. Latta

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001163

Deborah Lorraine Totten Decedent

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

Lakisha Totten, whose address is 6823 Hawthorne Street, Landover, Maryland 20785, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Deborah Lorraine Totten who died on July 12, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/10/2025. 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 4/10/2025, 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: 10/10/2024

Lakisha Totten Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001228

Estate of Ferdinand W. Tolson

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Brian-Eric Henderson for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

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

Date of first publication: October 10, 2024

Brian-Eric Henderson 4125 19th Street, NE Washington, DC 20018 Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001153

Bernice Johnson Reagon Decedent

Michelle Lanchester, Esq. 9701 Apollo Dr., Suite 295 Largo, MD 20774

Attorney

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

Toshi Reagon, whose address is 315 Flatbush Ave., #131, Brooklyn, NY 11217, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Bernice Johnson Reagon who died on July 16, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/10/2025. 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 4/10/2025, 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: 10/10/2024

Toshi Reagon

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 1150

Dorothy L. Thornton Decedent

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

Terry L. Thornton, whose address is 743 Hobart Pl., NW, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Dorothy L. Thornton who died on August 23, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/10/2025. 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 4/10/2025, 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: 10/10/2024

Terry L. Thornton Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 001185

Carolyn W. Harrison Decedent

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

Lisa L. Williams, whose address is 5119 Astor Place, SE, Apt. 104, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Carolyn W. Harrison who died on March 20, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Date of first publication: 10/10/2024

Lisa L. Williams

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001161

Gracie Douglas Decedent

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

Leonard Douglas, whose address is 9519 Traverse Way, Fort Washington, MD 20744, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gracie Douglas who died on September 23, 2023 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/10/2025. 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 4/10/2025, 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: 10/10/2024

Leonard Douglas 9519 Traverse Way Fort Washington, MD 20744 Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001155

Carolyn Matthews Decedent

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

Valerie Matthews and Wayne Matthews, whose addresses are 2727 Fairlawn Ave., SE #302, Washington, DC 20019 and 1459 Ridge Pl., SE, Washington, DC 20020, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Carolyn Matthews who died on July 18, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/10/2025. 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 4/10/2025, 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: 10/10/2024

Valerie Matthews Wayne Matthews Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001171

Richard Grays Decedent

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

Donald R. Simpson and Gregory Grays, whose addresses are 9104 Friar Rd., FT. Washington, MD 20744 & 8105 Highland Meadows Dr., Clinton, MD 20735, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Richard Grays who died on May 29, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/10/2025. 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 4/10/2025, 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: 10/10/2024

Donald R. Simpson Gregory Grays

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 000818

So Ching Ng Decedent

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

Walter T. G. Lee and Julia Infante, whose addresses are 234 Santa Margarita Ave., Menlo Pk, CA 94025 and 1511 Baylor Ave., Rockville MD 20850, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of So Ching Ng who died on March 17, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/10/2025. 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 4/10/2025, 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: 10/10/2024

Walter T. G. Lee

Julia Infante Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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porated this math throughout most of the budget process, up until the council’s final votes on the FY 2025 budget. Along the way, the staffer said, the committee, and Mendelson in particular, maintained contact with the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM).

EOM raised numerous concerns, albeit nothing about the reconfiguration of DCHA’s local subsidy that funded new vouchers, the housing committee staff person said.

“We left more money than they projected to spend,” the staffer told The Informer. “That was our goal. And we incorporated a 3% growth factor. Through all these votes, we got feedback from the mayor’s office and the concerns went into the chairman’s analysis.”

In June, Mendelson and White relished a council-approved Fiscal Year 2025 budget that funded more than 450 Permanent Supportive Housing and Local Rent Supplement Program vouchers.

However, in September, with less than a month before the start of Fiscal Year 2025, the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) circulated a letter revealing that it would only be able to match families with 38 Permanent Supportive Housing vouchers during Fiscal Year 2025.

In the letter, A.D. Rachel Pierre of DHS’ Family Services Administration said the council “swept” resources that DCHA already allocated when it funded the 450 vouchers.

To this day, Mendelson denies that assertion, citing what he called a thorough budget process.

“Everything we did with the budget, including what Councilmember Robert White did with his committee, was double checked and cross checked,” Mendelson said. “We used the agency’s data and assumptions for voucher costs. We tripled checked with the chief financial officer. If we got the numbers wrong, it’s because the agency had the numbers wrong.”

An OFCO representative responding to an Informer inquiry said that, based on the estimated costs DCHA provided, historical trends, and LSRP spending to date, OFCO didn't see any issues with the council’s FY 2025 budget adjustments.

A staff member in the council’s office of the budget director also confirmed Mendelson’s account.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

ASHLEY from Page 30 account for non-English native language speakers, students with disabilities, students identifying as part of the LGBTQ community, or students in varying socioeconomic backgrounds.

outlawed segregation based on race in public schools. At the time of the ruling, roughly 90% of students were white. Since then, public school demographics in America have continued to morph into being more racially and ethnically diverse: less than half of students are white, meaning that about 55% of public school students identify as minority populations, with more than a quarter being Hispanic and nearly 15% being Black. These numbers don't even

MORIAL

from Page 30

abama from imposing racially discriminatory voting restrictions more than 100 times.

Three days after the Supreme Court's Shelby decision, Alabama announced plans to enforce the restrictive photo I.D. law at the heart of the case. After making driver's licenses one of the few forms of I.D. required to vote, Alabama announced it would shutter 31 driver's license offices around the state.

A series of additional laws and policies, including closing polling places in predominately Black counties and purging hundreds of thou-

Across the country this fall, people will go to the polls and cast votes that will have a major impact on the future of our country. With over 21,000 seats up for election this year, SBP is among the groups working to ensure voters realize the importance of school board elections specifically. The reality is that the tensions we're witnessing

sands of people from voter rolls, have driven the white-nonwhite voter turnout gap from 6% in 2014 to 13% in 2020. In some counties, the Black-white voter registration gap has grown to double digits.

Election changes in Alabama have prompted at least 17 lawsuits since Shelby.

Alabama is where school children peacefully protesting segregation were pummeled with water hoses and savaged by police dogs. It's where Gov. George Wallace declared in his inauguration speech, "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever," and stood in a University of Alabama doorway

MARSHALL from Page 30 innovative ideas to address the health and well-being of cancer patients?

It was from his parents that he learned about the dangers of cancer. Bekele said, "I have a really basic 5-year plan mapped out, including acquiring FDA certification, conducting human testing and making sure that this all works. But then by 2028, I hope to turn this passion project into a nonprofit organization where I can provide equitable and accessible skin cancer treatment to as many people as possible, because honestly at the end of the day, that is what this project is all about."

Living in Fairfax, Virginia, Bekele's family came to the U.S. from Ethiopia when he was 4. In many ways, he is a typical 10th-grade student who plays the flute and trombone in his school's marching band. Outside of school, he enjoys playing basketball, reading, and playing chess. Who would not want to see Heman Bekele or anyone like him succeed? Who would not want to see our youth develop

around education will continue to compound — but we have the collective power to choose a better future by electing a more diverse candidate pool who will advocate for policies and procedures that meet the needs of students, no matter their background. By nature and design, school boards were established by the people, for the people. It's time to bring our school boards into the present and deliver on that founding promise. The future of democracy depends on it.

to block Black students from registering. It's where white supremacists murdered four little girls in the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. It's where the late John Lewis and other activists were beaten nearly to death as they marched from Selma to Montgomery.

The savage brutality America witnessed on the Edmund Pettis Bridge galvanized support for the Voting Rights Act in 1965. We can only hope Alabama's ongoing hostility to voting rights galvanizes support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. WI

Bekele's positive accomplishments, along with his passion for skin cancer research, counter the stereotypes often being painted about immigrants of color. His work validates that America remains the land of opportunity for people of all backgrounds and nations. As Time's 2024 Kid of the Year, Bekele's work and compassion for others is the answer to the racist question once presented by then-President Donald Trump. According to an aide, when a bipartisan group of senators came together to discuss immigration from Africa, Trump asked why America would want immigrants from "all these s--hole countries" and that the U.S. should have more people coming in from places like Norway. The answer: Heman Bekele.

Those of us who have grown tired and weary of the constant anti-immigrant sentiment against people of color can be proud to highlight the hard work

and accomplishments of this young man from Africa. Trump's statement will always bring anger and disgust, but Bekele puts a face and name on the truth regarding immigrants. It brings a sense of satisfaction. Not every young person will find a cure for cancer, but many immigrants of color will contribute to their local communities in other ways. They deserve our recognition as well. Time will tell what the outcome will be for Bekele's innovative research.

Each year, more than 5 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer. Skin cancer is most prevalent among white patients. According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma is 20 times more common in white people than in Blacks. We know that if Bekele's soap becomes FDA-certified and is available as a successful treatment for skin cancer, many whites who share Trump's thoughts and rhetoric about immigrants of color will be the first in line to obtain Bekele's product. WI

CARR from Page 31

2. We demand greater representation. 82% of Black women said it's important to them that Black women be elected and nominated to more positions of power in our government.

3. We are motivated by pressing issues. From the rising cost of housing to restrictions on abortion access to threats on honest education for our children, Black women are far from single-issue voters.

4. We honor our history. We vote to honor the blood, sweat, and tears of those who fought for our right to vote.

5. We're more motivated than ever. Nearly two-thirds of Black women said they are more motivated to vote now than ever before.

But perhaps most importantly, we understand the ripple effect of our engagement. As I often say, "When you fire up a Black woman, she does not go to the polls alone, she brings her house, her block, her church, her sorority, and union." This multiplier effect is the secret weapon of Black women's political power and the key to successful GOTV efforts.

At Higher Heights, we see this surge as both a challenge and an opportunity. It's a challenge to

GRANT from Page 31

gible con man. And marketing gold sneakers is not identifying, it is exploiting.

Benefitting from Black Republicans organizing "barbershop meetups" and luring Black men to MAGA rallies is nothing but cheap ploys designed to manipulate the uninformed.

To be fair, Trump does not limit his selling of snake oil to receptive Black men only. His demagoguery

ensure that every registered voter actually casts their ballot. It's an opportunity to harness this energy and enthusiasm to drive meaningful change in our communities and our country.

As we look ahead to Election Day, we're focused on key races that can protect, defend, and expand Black women's representation. Our GOTV efforts are in full swing, including:

• Phone banking and text banking campaigns

• Ride-to-the-polls programs

• Community outreach events

• Social media campaigns to raise awareness about voting deadlines and locations

• Partnerships with local organizations to provide childcare and other support services on Election Day

But our work goes beyond election day. Through our Sunday Brunches, convenings, and debate watch efforts, we're building a community of educated, engaged Black women who are ready to lead. We're tapping into networks of historically Black sororities and professional organizations, creating a powerful coalition of change-makers.

The surge in voter registration we're seeing today results from

has convinced millions of uneducated, poor white Americans that he is a populist advocating on their behalf. What a joke! The only voters who seem to enjoy Trump's concern are those who he has called "rich as hell."

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have track records worthy of all American voters — including Black males. They are the real "champions of the people." Compare their economic agenda with Trump and Vance's Project 2025 blueprint for

years of grassroots organizing, community building, and relentless advocacy. It's a reminder that when Black women lead, democracy wins. Now, our task is to translate this registration surge into record-breaking turnout.

As we ramp up our GOTV efforts, let's recognize this moment for what it is: a turning point. The rising tide of Black women voters is not just changing elections, it's changing the face of American democracy. We at Higher Heights are proud to be at the forefront of this transformative movement.

To every Black woman who has registered to vote, who is planning to vote, who is encouraging others to vote, who is considering running for office, or who is simply engaging in political discourse: your voice matters. Your vote matters. You are the change we've been waiting for.

The path to a more representative, more equitable democracy runs through the ballot box. This election season, let's commit to turning this surge into a tidal wave of civic engagement. We may be tired, but we continue to soldier on, often shouldering the responsibility of safeguarding our democracy and keeping our country on the right path. WI

more "trickle-down economics."

The stakes in the election are too high to allow showmanship to prevail. As the more American voters — of all stripes — study the priorities of these candidates, it will become crystal clear that most white and Black voters share more in common than they might realize. The public record, if thoroughly studied, should cause the overwhelming majority of the electorate to stifle Trump's pursuit of power and force him to face his day of reckoning. WI

Together, these 10 HBCU students drive the summer internship of a lifetime with Black-owned newspapers

Imani Waters Howard University

NNPA Journalism Fellow

Mattie Moore North Carolina A&T University

NNPA Journalism Fellow

Harrison Buck Morehouse College

NNPA Journalism Fellow

Stefon Young-Rolle Alabama State University

NNPA Journalism Fellow

Juan Benn Jr. Howard University

NNPA Journalism Fellow

Kynnedi Jackson Southern University A&M College

NNPA Journalism Fellow

Kayla Hare North Carolina A&T University

NNPA Journalism Fellow

Amyah Fountain Clark Atlanta University

NNPA Journalism Fellow

Erinn Gardner Spelman College

NNPA Journalism Fellow

Joseph Tilaye Alabama A&M University

NNPA Journalism Fellow