OpEd

Are We Ready for Back to School

Students across the region are getting ready to head back to school soon but the real question is, are school buildings, administrators and teachers prepared to receive their students?

COVID created significant disruption to students' academic lives over the past two years despite efforts by administrators, with the aid of local businesses and community organizations, that offered support to students and families through the process. In many ways, virtual learning failed for most students here and across the country who, according to research, suffered significant learning loss and social-emotional progress as a result.

To put it plainly, the last two academic years were a catastrophe and the 2022-23 academic year will prove how far and fast schools will have rebounded from all they have suffered.

DC Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee is expected to hold a town hall meeting on Thursday, August 18, according to a recent newsletter distributed by Mayor Muriel Bowser. Ferebee will share important dates and how “DCPS is preparing to welcome students and staff to School Year 2022-23” on Facebook Live at 5 PM. He will share updates on student immunizations, health and safety, academics, attendance, and more.

Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Department of Health forewarned parents about mandatory vaccine requirements. Students attending DCPS, private parochial, and independent schools must have an up-to-date immunization certification on file or present it within the first 20-school days of the school year. If not, they will not be allowed to attend school or participate in school activities.

In April, the D.C. Council voted to reduce the number of resource officers provided by MPD. Last year, teachers reported an increase in disruptive behavior among students in the classrooms and many of those incidents spilled into the streets. With reportedly 60 fewer school resource officers this year, schools will have to rely more on violence interrupters posted in neighborhoods surrounding the most troubled schools.

These are just two of the concerns Chancellor Ferebee is expected to address in his town hall meeting, which we would encourage DCPS to also post on its website at dcps.dc.gov. Other significant concerns include transportation, food, and before and after-school programs.

We strongly believe in the adage, “It takes a village to raise a child.” A successful school year for all students exists in the classroom but it begins at home and extends to the community beyond the school walls.

WI

Last year, teachers reported an increase in disruptive behavior among students in the classrooms and many of those incidents spilled into the streets. With reportedly 60 fewer school resource officers this year, schools will have to rely more on violence interrupters posted in neighborhoods surrounding the most troubled schools.

TO THE EDITOR

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

I loved this month’s health supplement — great, practical tips, as always. I look forward to the next one.

Gracie Myers Washington, D.C.

Perfect Combination

It’s very cool, yet long overdue, that the Jordan brand and Howard University are now in partnership for its athletics apparel. I’m sure for the student-athletes having the endorsement of the greatest basketball player ever will lift their confidence and spirits. I would like to see Jordan Brand partner with more HBCUs in the future.

Tema Wilkerson Bowie, Md.

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Guest Columnist

Julianne Malveaux

Secretary of State Races are Important

Democrats play checkers, and Republicans play chess. That's why the Reagan Revolution, which kicked off in 1980, worked. Then-President Ronald Reagan pledged to trim government bureaucracy, install conservatives into administrative government positions, and deliver a conservative agenda. He didn't do it in a day or a week; it took years for his plan to take hold.

Newt Gingrich's Contract on America, introduced in the 1994 congressional campaign, successfully ushered a Republican congressional majority, even though President Bill Clinton was the Democratic leader. Their theme: reduce taxes, enact welfare reform and cut the size of government. In the nearly 30 years since the Contract on America (they called it the Contract for America, but it was an attack on America) was implemented, its strange fruit is still being harvested.

Conservative Republicans have become rabid co-signers of the putrid agenda of the 45th president of the United States. Republicans who know better have chosen to be quiet in the face of neo-fascist election deniers who prefer winning to integrity. These folks think long term, while Democrats prefer to indulge in internecine squabbling, short-term thinking and unfocused resistance.

Thus, the Democratic focus on midterm elections has not sufficiently amplified Biden's victories, and there are many. More importantly, Dems have been far more focused on the top of the ticket than the bottom. Election deniers are running for state and local offices, and electing them will have ramifications in 2022 and 2024. The Democratic National Committee needs to spend money focusing on some of these down-ballot elections. Congressional and Senate races are important. So are secretaries of state.

In most states, the secretary of state determines how elections are run. They choose the voting machine vendors and decide on election rules regarding early voting, mail-in voting, and more. They certify election results. That's why the former president called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking him to "find" enough votes to overturn President Biden’s narrow victory in that state. Raffensperger declined to meddle in the election results, which resulted in the former president endorsing his opponent in the May Georgia primary.

That hasn't stopped the former president and his allies from their election denial. And it has not prevented the twice-impeached president from endorsing his supporters who might alter the course of future elections.

Secretaries of state certify election results. The former president's allies, supported by him, will likely bend the rules to "find" votes to prevail in

Guest Columnist

Ben Jealous

D.C. Delivers Some Good News — Yes, Really

We could all use some good news out of Washington. I've got some. The Senate's passage of the Inflation Reduction Act this month is good news for families, the economy, the planet, and even our democracy. As I write this, the House is poised to pass the bill too, giving Congress and President Biden a major win this summer. This is a big deal.

For starters, it is the biggest investment in fighting climate change in our country's history. The bill puts a whopping $360 billion toward developing affordable, clean energy sources.

It creates tax breaks if you buy an electric vehicle. Supporters say it will slash carbon emissions by 40% in just eight years; great news for our kids and grandkids, but also great news for all of us right now. Because not only will we have cleaner air and measurable progress against climate change, the investment in renewable energy generation should save families money on their electric bills. It also means we should suffer less from big ups and downs in oil prices caused by turmoil in unstable parts of the world.

I especially like the parts of the bill that include money for cities being hit particularly hard by climate change and for Native American communities. The harms caused by climate change aren't shared equally. This legislation recognizes that and does something about it.

The bill also promises to put more money back in families' pockets by using the government's bargaining power to lower Medicare prescription drug prices. That is great news for seniors in our communities.

And it tackles a nagging problem we've had for years: getting big corporations to pay their fair share in taxes. The bill creates a 15% minimum tax on corporations that make more than $1

Guest Columnist

Dr. Tekeema Dixon

Maryland School Kids at Risk Due to Low Vaccination Numbers

Declining vaccination rates among Maryland children are creating the potential for another public health crisis. As demonstrated by the recently reported polio case in New York, skipping routine vaccinations can create serious public health issues. The CDC reported that Maryland's vaccination rate for children entering kindergarten plunged from an average of 95% for MMR, DTaP and varicella in 2019-2020 to 88.2% for 20202021. Maryland schoolchildren are vaccinated at a rate almost 6% lower than the national average of 93.7%. And among states, both Maryland and Washington, D.C.'s proportion of kindergarteners attending school without proof of required vaccinations were at 8.3% and 4.8%, among the greatest in the country.

As COVID-19 evolves from a pandemic with unknown risks to a part of our lives, it is imperative to return to pre-pandemic health care routines. During the first year of the pandemic, research suggests that 41.3% of children missed routine well-child visits and 33.1% missed recommended vaccinations. Reasons for skipped visits included COVID-19 exposure concerns and vaccination hesitancy. These visits are critical to establishing children's health as they grow.

As school starts in the fall, preschoolers are required to get critical vaccinations for kindergarten registration, and it's not too late to catch up on missed vaccinations. And now, with the COVID-19 vaccine available for children six months and older, you can provide more protection for your child.

Remember the following four vaccination facts and make it a priority to keep your child up to date MALVEAUX Page 49

billion in profits. It gives the IRS more money to collect taxes from big businesses and wealthy people who use loopholes and legal tricks to avoid paying what they owe.

The bill will also put downward pressure on inflation. It may take a little while to see all the effects, but saving families money on health care, prescriptions and energy — while reducing the deficit — is a firm push in the right direction for the economy.

JEALOUS Page 49

with immunizations.

Immunizations save lives: Getting vaccinated is the most effective way to protect against infectious diseases that can cause severe illness and death. If parents follow the CDC recommended schedule, their children will be protected from 14 potentially deadly diseases before they turn two years old. Thanks to vaccines, many of these

DIXON Page 49

Guest Columnists

Dr. Shawn Joseph and Dr. Matthew Daniels

Teaching Dr. King as an Antidote to Violence

What Happened to Praying?

Both at home and abroad, we are witnessing a rising tide of violence. Those who may think these trends are disconnected must confront events such as the recent tragedy in Buffalo — a senseless act of hateful violence committed by a violent extremist.

In killing 10 people, the American gunman consciously copied far-right extremist who murdered 49 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. In copycat fashion, the Buffalo shooter also authored a venomous manifesto and livestreamed his crime in the hope of inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.

Seemingly purposeless murders are terrible enough. But those who single out people of a particular faith, race or ethnicity pose a unique threat to our increasingly diverse and divided country. In these times of tragedy, we must be reminded that our common humanity unites us, and we must strengthen our resolve to teach people about the power of love and nonviolence.

All too often, we look for a quick fix to identify and stop violent extremists. In any system, it is difficult to prevent the spread of hateful and violent ideologies. Censorship of ideas, no matter how malign, is tremendously difficult.

Strategies that focus on playing defense against the forces of racism and violence are not enough. We need to go on the offensive and challenge those who preach hatred and violence. We must offer a positive, inspiring alternative to their divisive and destructive views.

The best antidote is the philosophy advanced by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He emphasized our shared humanity and insisted on respect for the dignity, equality and liberty of all. His message transcended our differences.

Dr. King eloquently appealed to our better natures. Although he was not a perfect man, flawed and human, he lived his principles of respect for humanity and love for mankind, which gave his words special power. He was an activist and organizer. He did not leave the hard work of doing good and what was just to others but acted to change the world. He insisted on nonviolence even when he received hurt in return. Ultimately, he died as he had lived, pushing America to honor its oft-proclaimed values.

Today's young people desperately need to hear this message. The MLK Educational Initiative was launched to teach young people how to advance Dr. King's unifying, nonviolent principles in the Digital Age. That is important,

JOSEPH/DANIELS Page 50

Guest Columnist

Dr. Alveda King

Friends, I am saddened at the mockery of our leaders. Everything from the unprecedented invasion of President Donald J. Trump's home to the insensitive mocking of President Joe Biden for falling off a bike is evidence of a nation in need of prayer. I am convinced that we need a miracle to avoid civil war in America. After more than half my life in the ministry and studying the Gospel, I am confident that miracles come when we stop and pray.

I encourage people of faith to take counsel from 1 Timothy 2:1-4: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."

Throughout my travels this week to meetings in West Palm Beach and through sleepless nights with tears and prayers flowing simultaneously for this nation, I know that, like me, many Americans are angry and confused. Our nation is experiencing a season of great tumult. We feel angry and grieved.

But I am also hopeful and prayerful that in this season, Americans will exercise the great freedom to pray for each other openly and boldly. Wisdom dictates that we stop attacking and devouring each other.

We must put politics aside and pray and face the "unseen" enemy head-on. I agree with my friend Dr. Ben Carson when he wrote, "Never in my lifetime did I think I would see an American law enforcement agency be run and weaponized like the FBI this evening. This is a frightening development in our modern political arena." "This is the way of Mao and Castro, not Washington and Lincoln," Carson wrote. "Our Republic is one where we have the freedom to think, say, and believe what we want without fear of government intimidation, that includes the President. If we lose those basic freedoms, we lose it all. I am praying for our country right now because I’m not sure anything else can fix what is transgressing. Pray for our country this evening. It can and will be saved because We the people are waking up."

I implore people of faith to take a moment, breathe deeply, pray out loud, and believe the power of God's word.

The great abolitionist of the 19th century, the former slave Frederick Douglass, once wrote: "I prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until I prayed with my legs."

Pray on your knees, get direction from God, then get to work. Get ready to vote in all elections. We have a God to serve and a nation that needs Jesus!

WI

Guest Columnist

Marc H. Morial

Nichelle Nichols' Legacy: 'Out Of This Madness, Uhura Appeared'

"Everybody, come quick, come quick; there's a Black lady on television and she ain't no maid!" — Whoopi Goldberg

Fed up with racist insults on set and longing to make her way as a Broadway musical star, "Star Trek" actress Nichelle Nichols already had given showrunner Gene Roddenberry her letter of resignation when she met Martin Luther King Jr. at a Beverly Hills fundraiser.

He implored her not to quit, telling her that "Star Trek" was the only television show he and his wife allowed their three young children to stay up and watch: "For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent, quality, beautiful, people who can sing dance, and can go to space, who are professors, lawyers. If you leave, that door can be closed because your role is not a Black role, and is not a female role; he can fill it with anybody — even an alien."

Nichols retrieved her resignation letter — Roddenberry had torn it into pieces — and went on to inspire not only a generation of entertainers and artists but real-life astronauts as well. Before launching into history aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992, Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to travel into space, called Nichols to thank her for the inspiration.

Nichols, who passed away last month, portrayed a character who exuded intelligence, glamor, competence and an authority that was respected by men and women of all backgrounds at a time when such roles were rare not just on television, but in American life. "Black people of all abilities and professions were still being relegated to the corners of restaurants, hotels and offices," journalist Stacy China wrote in the New York Times. "Black women, if ever mentioned in the larger media, were portrayed as either loud, undignified troublemakers or genial, overweight maids and nannies who supposedly delighted in doting on white folk's children. "Out of this madness, Uhura ap-

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