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DC Justice Lab Helps Create Gun Violence Prevention Tool

Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Data shows that Black males ages 15 to 34 are shot at 21 times their white counterparts and shot by law enforcement at disproportionately higher rates than white Americans.

And according to several community groups, including the DC Justice Lab, unarmed African Americans remain over three times more likely to be shot and killed by police than white people.

The organization noted that amid an unprecedented surge in gun violence, primarily concentrated in Black and Brown communities, solutions that do not exacerbate the longstanding inequities are urgently needed.

With that, the DC Justice Lab joined groups like Cities United and March for Our Lives to develop a new tool they said could help ensure solutions to gun violence become centered in equity.

The Racial Equity Impact Analysis – or REIA – uses a set of questions to help decision-makers, including legislators, government officials and advocacy organizations, identify and assess racial equity impacts before implementing a policy.

The organization’s said the goal remains to develop effective and equitable policies.

“We collaborated with other organizations and received insight and support from many experts in the field,” said Dr. Bethany Young, the DC Justice Lab deputy director.

“Black people and Latino people and other BIPOC communities are disproportionately affected by police gun violence and community gun violence,” Young said. “So, we were looking for tools that would allow communities to address the gun violence epidemic while ensuring that they’re not contributing to or exacerbating existing racial inequities.”

The REIA counts as a product of a year-long collaboration among gun violence prevention groups, including Cities United, March for Our Lives.

Led by the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, organizations included the Community Justice Action Fund, Consortium for RiskBased Policy and the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

According to a news release, REIA builds on a public health model that identifies the social determinants of health as a critical factor in violence.

These include lax gun laws, concentrated poverty, environmental lead, and alcohol abuse.

Specifically, REIA identifies and assesses factors bearing on racial equity before implementing policy.

Officials could evaluate these factors to promote racial equity, reduce victimization and minimize arrests and incarceration.

If a policy already exists, this REIA tool can help guide ongoing implementation and amendments to that policy to address identified equity concerns.

Ideally, this tool should be a collaborative process within, and beyond the organization, the authors stated.

“The tool aims to address the root causes of violence in communities and set parameters around when law enforcement is involved,” Young noted. “Gun violence affects every community differently, so we want to get to the root of the problem and avoid interaction with law enforcement.”

The report accompanying the tool noted that the impact of gun violence on the lives of BIPOC communities remains devastating and the over-reliance on a heavily punitive criminal legal system to address violence.

The authors reported that Black men are arrested, denied bail, convicted and wrongfully convicted and issued long sentences much higher than their white counterparts.

As a result, the authors concluded nearly half of all Black men face arrest before 23.

Beyond laws that only focus on firearms, the authors maintained that the policy agenda of gun violence prevention should work in tandem with other advocacy initiatives.

Young noted that this includes addressing racial inequalities in housing, education, transportation and the criminal legal system, which all contribute to gun violence.

As an example, the authors examined Colorado’s extreme risk protection order statute – or ERPO.

The civil court orders are used to temporarily prohibit the possession and purchase of firearms by persons a court deems to pose a significant danger of harming themselves or others by possessing a gun.

The goal of ERPOs is to reduce firearm homicides and suicides by removing firearms from individuals at high risk of committing gun violence.

The lack of trust between law enforcement and African Americans in Colorado only deepened with the 2019 killing of Elijah McClain in Aurora.

“Colorado has quite the high rate of gun suicides attributed to white men, and one of the communities most impacted by guns is white males,” Young stated.

“Yet, you still see a situation where Black people are experiencing the brunt of harsh law enforcement tactics with a goal purportedly of reducing gun violence. But if they narrowly tailored it as we noted in the report, they can address the problem of gun violence in communities feeling the impact,” Young said.

WI

5 The Racial Equity Impact Analysis – or REIA – uses a set of questions to help decision-makers, including legislators, government officials and advocacy organizations, identify and assess racial equity impacts before implementing a policy. (Photo courtesy Racial Equity DC)

5 The price of gas at a station on Missouri and Georgia Avenues in Northwest is above the average rate per gallon in the city. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

PRICES from Page 1

March 26 hovers around $4.42, up from $3.77 a month ago. In comparison, in Maryland, the average cost of a gallon of gas comes out to $3.81, the website reported, as opposed to $3.59 four weeks ago. Virginia has $4.13 for a gallon gas during the same time period while a month prior, it stood at $3.43.

Increasing gas prices have forced Roger Sherman, the owner and founder of The District Pit, a barbecue-based catering business in Southeast, to charge his customers more for his food and services.

“When the price of gas goes up from $2.50 to $4, I pass it on to my customers,” Sherman said. “There is also the increase in the price of beef at a dollar, too. I have to pass on these costs because I want to remain competitive. I am in competition with bigger restaurants who offer basically the same services I do.”

Sherman said he sometimes gets his gas in District Heights, Md., due to lower prices as compared to those in the city and the pause on the state’s gas tax.

Joe Houston, an actor in the District, said the escalation in gas prices has caused him to change his routine, too.

“I try to find stations that have cheaper gas,” Houston said. “I also try to minimize driving.”

Cinque Culver, who co-manages a family with seven children in Ward 7, said the rising price of gas hasn’t hurt his family as much as it has others.

“We are saving and investing a little less but if the gas prices keep going up, it will have an impact,” Culver said. “I have two daughters who are driving and a son who will go off to college in the fall and if the price of gas is still high, that will be a hit on my pocketbook.”

RESIDENTS SEEK WAYS TO HANDLE RISING FOOD PRICES

The Dollar Tree discount store at the Hechinger Mall in Northeast has a steady stream of customers on March 26. For many years, Dollar Tree billed itself as the store where almost all of its products cost a dollar.

However, throughout the store, most items have recently increased to $1.25. Those items include: holiday decorations and products, juices, kitchen cleaners, cleaning fluids, air and fabric softeners, toilet paper, paper towels, soft drinks, frozen foods and pastries. An employee of the Dollar Tree told the Informer price increase went into effect on Jan. 10.

Shayla Brown, who lives in Ward 5, said price increases at the Dollar Tree don’t surprise her.

“I noticed a lot of items in the store are now $1.25 instead of a dollar,” Brown said. “Those items are supposed to be a dollar. Nevertheless, I will continue to shop here because everything is cheap. If I had to go to Safeway for cleaning supplies, it would cost me about $50.”

Alexis Mason, who came from east of the Anacostia River to shop at the Dollar Tree, said she doesn’t like the accelerating prices but understands the rationale behind the increases.

“These stores have got to make their money in order to stay open,” said Mason, who lives in Ward 8. “I come to this store because the cleaning supplies here are reasonably priced.”

Mason said some of the products in bottles and containers aren’t filled to the top but said that doesn’t bother her.

“I think I am getting the value for my money,” she said.

Like Mason, Ward 5 resident Zachariah Jackson accepts the rising prices.

“Everything has gone up,” Jackson

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said. “That is just how it is. I will say in many cases, wages have gone up too. I guess if wages go up, so do prices.”

A Safeway operates north of the Dollar Tree in an elevated section of the mall. Lawrence Lockhart, a Ward 5 resident who bikes to the Safeway, said food has long been expensive but he has noticed the bump in prices in recent weeks.

“I regularly buy a gallon of Deer Park water,” he said. “I noticed it increased sixty cents since the last time I was here.”

Lockhart said fruits and vegetables have remained at the same price at Safeway. He said he shops at Target to get better bargains and avoids Whole Foods stores.

“Whole Foods is a little too expensive for me,” he said.

Ward 5 resident Uranus Anderson said the soaring prices at Safeway have forced her to change shopping habits. "I wait for things to go on sale," Anderson said. "I look for markdowns on items and special discounts.” WI @JamesWrightJr10

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Angola on a Mission to Hunt for European Investors

The first-ever EU-Angola Business forum took place on Thursday, March 24, in Brussels with an objective of convincing European investors to bet on Angola’s reforms to support private sector investment and business links. Francisco Franca, the CEO of Angola’s Mota-Engil said, “Angola, today, is a country that is open to international investors, something that was not a few years ago, and so today there are many opportunities in Angola to execute projects. And, the government itself has established a series of rules that are in the legislation and that allow international investors to go to Angola and invest in Angola.” The hybrid event that attracted more than 800 participants, saw the signing of a memorandum with the Dutch consortium Flying Swans in order to develop a cold logistics chain, a vector that can attract foreign direct investment in Angola.

Reacting to the openness and the efforts that the Government in Luanda has done, the Minister of State Manuel Nunes Junior for Economic Coordination said, “There is a very big change here in the functioning of the foreign exchange market, those people who invest in Angola and who at the end of the year want to transfer their dividends out of the country, today they can do it with all the predictability, with all the transparency unlike what happened until 2017.”

Angola was successful in bagging a 50,000,000 euro loan from the European Investment Bank and a 7,000,000 euro grant from the European Union to support health resilience, both of which were signed in Brussels. But the partnership between Angola and the European Union is not only about money.

The EU Ambassador to Angola, Jeannette Seppen, expressed her views regarding the forthcoming elections.

“The elections of course will be a very important moment for Angola. The European Union is willing and is ready to deploy an election observation mission and we will wait – time is running a bit short because deploying such a mission takes a lot of preparation but we haven’t received the invitation as yet.” WI

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Bahamas is Final Stop of Caribbean Tour for Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, ended their tour to the Caribbean when they boarded their flight back to the UK on Saturday, March 26, at LPIA Airport in Nassau, Bahamas. The Cambridge’s week-long tour to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne saw them visit Belize and Jamaica before their final stop in The Bahamas. In Belize, the royal couple took part in some traditional dancing, visited a chocolate farm and learned about efforts to conserve Belize's barrier reef.

In Jamaica, they visited the neighborhood where reggae legend Bob Marley lived and played football with England forward Raheem Sterling, who was born on the island.

On Friday in The Bahamas, the couple raced against each other as part of a regatta off Montagu Beach in Nassau to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The trip also saw the duke meet members of the Bahamas Red Cross who had dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in 2019 before being deployed to Covid-19 hubs, while the duchess spoke to medics at the Princess Margaret Hospital about the importance of mental and physical health.

They also saw a traditional Junkanoo parade featuring performers in elaborate costumes and visited a primary school where students presented them with a portrait of the queen.

CAPTION: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge paid a courtesy call of Bahamas Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis shortly after they arrived in Nassau, Bahamas on Thursday, March 24. At right is Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, wife of the prime minister. WI

The American Heart Association and Healthy for Good sponsor Kaiser Permanente launch online conversation series to help you eat smart, move more and be well!

Roxana Hoveyda

In March the American Heart Association (AHA) hosted a conversation and cooking demonstration online to promote easy ways to improve eating habits for your heart and mind. Entitled Simple Cooking with Heart, more than 290 registrants had access to the lively program that was kicked off by the AHA executive director, Soula Antoniou. “At the American Heart Association, we’re all about bringing people together. Preparing great tasting meals that are good for your heart is easy and sharing time together with loved ones over a meal is good for more than just your heart, it’s good for your overall well-being.” An interactive discussion followed, led by WUSA9 Anchor, Get Up DC’s Annie Yu and experts from Kaiser Permanente, including, registered dietician and licensed nutritionist, Jessica Davis and, chief of cardiology, Dr. Ameya Kulkarni, who also serves on the board of directors for the American Heart Association, Greater Washington Region. The topics ranged from the food, body and mind connection to tips for kids to get involved with cooking and getting more variety in for those picky eaters. Note a protip mentioned by Dr. Kulkarni,” you can hide a bag of spinach in pasta sauce!” Viewers enjoyed a cooking demo by Dr. Kulkarni and his family showcasing a simple recipe of buffalo white bean hummus and sweet potato chips that was easy to make and enthusiastically kid-approved!

This is the first in a series of three free online conversations, co-hosted with Kaiser Permanente, based on the American Heart Association’s Healthy for Good pillars: Eat Smart, Move More, Be Well. The goal is to provide intimate experiences for community members to access experts in these areas and to have meaningful discussions to foster better health and well-being.

“A heart-healthy diet is good for a lifetime,” said Dr. Kulkarni. “Healthy lifestyle behaviors – such as regular physical activity and avoiding exposure to tobacco products – are key at any stage of life to lower the risk of developing things like high cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. Any incremental change you can do can have benefit.”

“One thing I like to share with my patients is to give yourself some grace. Eating well doesn’t have to be daunting. Know that at every meal, you have the opportunity to make a healthy choice again. If you happen to have an indulgent meal, the next one you have can get you back on track,” said Davis. The full program can be viewed on the AHA's Eastern State YouTube Page and will be followed up on April 6 at 5:30pm ET by the next conversation entitled, “Make Every Move Count” led by WUSA9 anchor Larry Miller. Spring is here and warm weather is calling us to get outside and get active. Hear

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HEALTH

Councilmember Henderson Wants Health Insurers to Cover Fertility Procedures

James Wright WI Staff Writer

D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson has introduced a bill, the Expanding Access to Fertility Treatment Amendment Act of 2022, mandating the District’s public and private health insurance providers to expand their coverage to include the diagnosis and treatment for fertility.

The bill received its formal introduction to the council on February 28. Henderson said fertility treatments in the District tend to be expensive.

“Many people don’t anticipate that they will have difficulty conceiving a child,” Henderson said.

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5 Christina Henderson is an independent at-large member of the D.C. Council. (Photo courtesy Office of D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson)

“Once they realize that they do and that there is a clear solution, they are then met with another obstacle – cost. One cycle of in vitro fertilization alone can cost between $20,000 to $25,000 and insurance providers are not required to cover this treatment. This legislation would change that, requiring private, Medicaid and DC Alliance insurers to cover assisted reproductive technologies.”

Henderson said state mandated coverage has proven to increase the use of fertility services threefold and is linked to better public health outcomes.

“It is time for the District to join 19 states that have already mandated this coverage,” she said.

Henderson said Maryland requires fertility treatments to be covered by health insurers. She knows of cases where people have left the District to move to Maryland mainly for coverage of fertility treatments. The councilmember said even West Virginia, known for its conservative politics, requires health insurers to offer that type of coverage to its residents. She said companies such as Starbucks and Amazon offer the coverage.

“I know people who have taken a second job at Amazon because they offer fertility treatment coverage once they are hired,” Henderson said.

The first-time lawmaker said women who don’t have insurance coverage remain at a disadvantage.

“We know women without insurance coverage are three times more likely to discontinue treatment after one cycle, compared to women with insurance coverage,” she said. “Insurance coverage also reduces the likelihood of births of multiples to one mother, given that the financial pressure to transfer more than one to two embryos is reduced. This is turn reduces the risk of complications and adverse health effects for the mother,” Henderson said.

Henderson said African-American and Latino mothers don’t seek in vitro fertilization treatments as frequently as whites. She cited the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention most recent analysis which reported 8% of Black women aged 25-44 seek medical help to get pregnant compared to 15% of white women.

Specifically, Henderson’s bill prohibits employers from imposing additional costs, waiting periods, or other limitations for the diagnosis of infertility; placing pre-existing condition exclusions or waiting periods on coverage for the treatment of infertility; or using prior treatment for infertility as a basis for excluding, limiting or otherwise restricting coverage and limiting on coverage for fertility treatment based on a class protected under the D.C. Human Rights Act.

Councilmembers Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), Anita Bonds (D-At Large), Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) and Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) have indicated they support the bill. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Business and Economic Development for further action.

Henderson said District women will be the primary beneficiaries of the bill.

“I realize that there may be a premium increase if my bill becomes law but it will be nominal,” she said. “They won’t have to take a second job in order to have fertility treatments in the city. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enhance coverage offered for future mothers and families in the District.” WI @JamesWrightJr10

EDUCATION

Ballou Senior High Wins Local Culinary Arts Competition

Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

For more than a decade, not one District school participated in the National ProStart Invitational which assembles promising young chefs from all over the country. But all that’s set to change in a matter of weeks when a group of culinary arts students from Ballou Senior High School get to showcase their skills at the Washington Hilton in Northwest.

These young chefs earned their spot in the national competition on Tuesday, March 29, when they won first place at the DC ProStart Invitational, held at THEARC in Southeast. The four Ballou students spent an hour preparing an Asian-inspired threecourse meal that included chicken satay with peanut sauce and scallions with Asian noodles.

Judges graded participants in the categories of skill, menu and taste. In the end, the Ballou students defeated their counterparts from Roosevelt Senior High School due to what Ballou freshman Laynard Hairston described as perseverance and attention to detail.

“We practice for about five hours every day,” Laynard said.

Ballou’s winning team included Laynard, his twin brother Laymont, Nevaeh Mclamore and Hassan Coles. The students, enrolled in Ballou’s Academy of Culinary Arts, honed their craft under the auspices of their teacher Chef Shanel Howard.

“I joined [the culinary arts academy] because of my brother,” Laynard said. “In this competition, I learned about sanitation, improving on seasoning and making [adequate room to work] for myself in small spaces. It was about teamwork, communication and cleaning up after we finished using the dishes.”

Sponsors of the DC ProStart Invitational include the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, the Richard E. & Nancy P. Marriott Foundation, DC Central Kitchen, Events DC, Ecolab and LINK Strategic Partners.

ProStart, a national culinary and management program from which the competition got its name, functions through the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The program, which fosters skills and career opportunities for high school students, established a local presence in collaboration with the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington [RAMW] and DC Public Schools.

The DC ProStart Invitational, five years in the making, had been originally scheduled to launch shortly before the pandemic. As Scott Attman, chairman of RAMW’s nonprofit arm Educated Eats explained, the events of the last two years further highlighted the importance of strengthening the pipeline of talent in the foodservice industry.

“There’s been excitement to get this program up and running to show people this is a tremendous career path to exercise creativity, utilize teamwork and build a life,” Attman said. “Post-pandemic, there’s more momentum and interest than ever before about shedding that light on the opportunity to work in the food service industry.”

Essinam Bislao, a member of Roosevelt’s team, said she walked away from Tuesday’s competition eager to improve her craft and explore a career in culinary arts. With the list of ingredients in her hand, she advised her peers, Mahmudul Hasan, Angel Pineda Fuentes and Mohamed Turay, Jr., as they whipped up bruschetta topped with chili sauce, curry chicken and strawberry and grape agar.

Since meeting Chef James Wiggins in the Roosevelt Culinary Arts NAF Academy several months ago, Essinam recounts developing her confidence and self-expression while experimenting with recipes. She told The Informer she would like to one day conquer a brunch menu, chicken alfredo and a steak dinner.

For the time being, Essinam and her colleagues will take to heart the lessons learned at the DC ProStart Invitational.

“It was really easy at first but there were things we disagreed on and we improved. I learned that if something isn’t going right, then to improvise and always take feedback seriously,” Essinam said. “At first, this class was nerve wracking [because] I was a shy person and didn’t have confidence being in the academy. Now seeing [when] things [go] wrong makes me want to speak out more.” WI @SamPKCollins

5 Culinary students Laynard Hairston and his twin brother Laymont are part of Ballou’s winning team with (not pictured) Nevaeh Mclamore and Hassan Coles, winning first place at the DC ProStart Invitational held at THEARC in Southeast on March 29. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

The D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue informs D.C. homeowners about the property tax process after mailing nearly 250,000 property assessments last month

Austin R. Cooper, Jr.

The D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) and The Washington Informer led a virtual community conversation to inform D.C. homeowners about property tax assessments and assistance ahead of the tax payment due date on March 31.

The virtual forum included participants’ questions focusing on issues related to their property tax bills, including the process for calculating tax assessments, conditions that impact property values, and how OTR will handle hardship cases.

Real property assessments reflect the estimated market value of a property. It is the most probable price for a property to be sold given normal terms and conditions. The most significant concern among the participants was the increased property assessments most District residents are witnessing across all eight wards.

“Property assessments are projected to increase the least in Ward 2 and significantly in Wards 8 and 3, by 19 and 10.26 percent, respectively,” said Yomi Omotoso, OTR’s chief appraiser. The rates for each of the eight wards, in chronological order, will increase by the following percentages: 5.33, 3.19, 5.03, 9.27, 7.47, 6.61, 8.93, and 10.26.

“We want to support our D.C. homeowners in knowing how their property taxes are assessed and resources available to them,” said Eva Liggins, director of operations.

Earlier this month, the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue led the 90-minute session during the “Community Conversation on Real Property Taxes and Assessments: What You Need to Know.” About 70 homeowners joined the virtual presentation.

In his welcoming remarks, Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White shared his concern about increasing tax rates.

“One time, I got a tax assessment, and within two years, the taxes on one of my properties went up about 11 percent, and it was about $300.00 [more]. I started thinking, ‘How many residents have an extra $300 to pay for taxes?’” he said.

In 2023, proposed assessments of residential properties are expected to change by ward.

Wanda Lockridge, chief of staff to Councilmember White and a homeowner, asked, “Is [the increase] due to new development or the redistricting efforts?”

Another homeowner, Brenda Jones, asked, “Does an uptick in crime in the area of your property or having a crime problem for a period of time affect the value of your property?”

“Crime is not a determining factor,” OTR said.

An OTR official said the inflation in property taxes is due to increased property values. Because housing in the District is in high demand resulting in higher property value, higher sale prices, and, ultimately, higher property taxes.

On January 1, OTR assessors determine the property value based on the housing market, sales of similar properties in the area, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the quality of construction, which collectively determine the tax rate.

Omotoso shared an example of how property taxes increase.

“For example, a 5 percent change in assessment value of a $400,000 property is $20,000. While a similar assessment change in a $1,500,000 property is $75,000. These assessment increases result in additions to a tax of $170 and $637.50, respectively,” he said.

Each year, the agency publishes an Appraisal Reference Material handbook online, which outlines the appraisal process.

Some homeowners are eligible for the Assessment Cap Credit, limiting the amount a homeowner’s property can be taxed.

“The Office of Tax Revenue implements a tax cap that limits the assessment increases to no more than 10 percent a year for a property owner receiving the Homestead deduction and 5% a year for a property owner receiving the Senior Citizen Tax Relief,” OTR said.

The tax cap will appear as an automatic credit against the property tax amount shown on the mailed bill.

Homeowners can reach out to the agency if they believe they’re eligible to receive the Assessment Cap Credit, but credit will not be applied to their bill.

Homeowners can appeal a property tax assessment, as well, for reasons including valuation, tax classification, property condition, or errors in property records. The First Level of Appeal Form must be submitted online or mailed and postmarked by April 1.

Property owners can also request a payment plan for delinquent property taxes by completing a form on the site. The agency also has programs for senior, low-income, and disabled homeowners to defer overdue and upcoming property tax bills. Applications must be filed by March 31 or September 15, the next upcoming deadline to pay the biannual assessments.

Ward 8 homeowner Linda Lynch said, “Thank you for your continuing work to help us keep our homes.”

Her sentiments speak to the mission of Our House D.C., an information hub for Black D.C. residents where they can read about homeownership challenges and solutions to protect and preserve their homes.

(DC Office of Tax Revenue and Assessment)

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