8-21-2025 Informer Edition

As Youth Return to School, Concerns about Federal Takeover Intensify

Harriet’s Wildest Dreams Activist Arrested

While Protecting Youth at Navy Yard Metro

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

District families are gearing up for a new school year at a time when hundreds of federal law enforcement agents and National Guard troops from red states have descended upon the nation’s capital, occupying marginalized communities and, as many have reported, targeting young people and immigrants.

For D.C. State Board of Educa-

DCPS Phone Ban: Brace for Impact

By Trevor Johnson and William Armstead WI Interns

With the new school year, D.C. students, teachers and guardians alike are entering a major transition: a ban on student cell phone use during the school day across District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter schools.

While many adults are ready for the change, students are bracing for a rocky adjustment.

“Most parents and educators, for the most part, are okay with this,” said Dr. Jacque Patterson, president and at-large representative on the D.C. State Board of

PHONE BAN Page 24

tion (SBOE) Representative LaJoy Johnson-Law, the current situation raises the question of what District youth can do to avoid confrontations with, not only the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), but the litany of federal

TAKEOVER Page 33

4Members of the National Guard stand outside of Union Station in Northeast, D.C. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

D.C. Celebrates Chuck Brown Day at Fort Dupont Park

By Demarco Rush WI Contributing Writer

pont Park in Southeast, D.C. on Aug. 16 for the 11th Annual Chuck Brown Day, not only celebrating

Students Navigate Challenges with Howard University Financial Services

Senior with GoFundMe Says ‘I

Don’t Think They’re Doing Enough’

By Ve Wright WI Summer Intern

Following a $64 million cut in federal funding, and what many students are chopping up to academic negligence, an increasing number of Howard University students are turning to GoFundMe to pay off account balances and avoid losing enrollment in the historically Black institution.

While university officials have said they are aware of the challenges being faced and are taking steps to address them— including offering flexible payment plans and emergency aid when possible— some students, such as Nylah Hughes Brown, are saying: “I don’t think they’re doing enough,” citing billing errors, past-due debts and limited access to financial aid.

“Speaking not only just for myself, but a lot of other Bison, Howard has afforded us the opportunities that not many schools can give you. [But] when

GOFUNDME Page 47 BROWN Page 31

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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wi hot topics

Touchless

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

PUBLISHER

Denise Rolark Barnes

STAFF

Micha Green, Managing Editor

Ron Burke, Advertising/Marketing Director

Shevry Lassiter, WIN-TV Producer

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Lafayette Barnes, IV, Editor, WI Bridge DC

Desmond Barnes, WIN Daily Editor

Anthony Tilghman, Social Media Strategist ZebraDesigns.net, Graphic Design

Mable Neville, Bookkeeper

Angie Johnson, Office/Circulation Manager

REPORTERS

Stacy Brown, National Reporter

Sam P.K. Collins, Political/Education Reporter

Brenda Siler, Lifestyle Reporter

Ed Hill, Sports Reporter

Jada Ingleton, Content Editor

Richard Elliott, Reporter

James Wright, Business Reporter

Skylar Nelson, Sports Reporter

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor

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Roy Lewis, Jr.

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INTERNS

Trevor Johnson, Summer Intern

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STACY M. BROWN,WI SENIOR WRITER; RICHARD ELLIOTT, WI CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

Airport Screening Expands to D.C. as Congress Considers Limits on Facial Recognition

5

TSA’s PreCheck Touchless ID technology, a facial comparison system that verifies identity without requiring a physical ID. (WI File Photo/ Ja’Mon Jackson)

Travelers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) are among those now using TSA’s PreCheck Touchless ID technology, a facial comparison system that verifies identity without requiring a physical ID.

The program, available to enrolled TSA PreCheck passengers with valid passports, is in place at Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New York’s JFK and

LaGuardia (LGA), Los Angeles, Newark, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle and at DCA in Arlington, Virginia.

“First time using TSA Precheck at LGA and I was done in about 7 minutes,” social media user Jose Gonzalez wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I could cry.”

The TSA is also using facial recognition in regular security lanes, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employs it at entry checkpoints. This month, CBP began Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP) at Nashville International Airport, photographing travelers with “auto capture technology” to confirm identity, check eligibility, and conduct enforcement screening before they reach an officer.

The process is touchless and automated, but travelers may opt for standard screening by notifying an officer. WI

Trump’s 401(k) Gamble Puts Black Retirement Security at Risk

President Donald Trump’s push to open 401(k) retirement plans to private equity, cryptocurrency, real estate, and other high-risk assets comes as many Black Americans are already facing new threats to their long-term financial security.

Recent mass cuts to the federal workforce — where Black Americans make up just under 20% compared to roughly 13% of the civilian workforce — have disrupted what has long been a source of stable jobs and reliable retirement benefits. Meanwhile, prices on consumer goods have continued to rise while the value of the dollar has dropped more than 10% this year.

Now, Trump’s executive order directs the Labor Department to rewrite its rules within 180 days to make alternative investments a standard 401(k) op-

tion, while instructing the Securities and Exchange Commission to find ways to increase access.

401(k) plans are employer-sponsored retirement investment vehicles that roughly 35% of Americans adults reported using in the 2020 census. The National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) wrote in a 2021 study that 63% of Black investors first invested into the stock market through a retirement plan.

The move could give Wall Street a path to tap into a portion of the $12.2 trillion in U.S. retirement savings, but critics warn it will shift far more risk to workers — particularly those without substantial wealth or investment experience.

“There’s not as much information about the companies,

Poll: Just 31% See Trump as Honest as Epstein Ties and Maxwell Prison Move Draw Scrutiny

Only 31% of Americans consider President Donald Trump “honest and trustworthy,” the lowest mark since the start of his second term, according to a new Economist/ YouGov poll. A majority — 53% — say the president is not honest, with the remaining respondents unsure.

The poll also finds deep public suspicion about Trump’s connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Most Americans — 71% — believe Trump knew at least something about Epstein’s crimes against underage girls before investigations began. That includes 44% who say he knew “a lot” and 27% who believe he knew “some.” Only 8% say he knew nothing.

Trump’s handling of the Epstein investigations continues to draw strong disapproval, with a net approval rating of -39. Democrats are overwhelmingly critical, with an -82 net rating, while Republicans give him a modest +14 net approval on the issue.

The controversy is further fueled by the recent transfer of Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum-security federal prison in Texas — a move opposed by 47% of Americans. Just 14% support the transfer, and 38% are unsure. Nearly half of respondents (48%) are uncertain whether Trump ordered the move, while 36% think he did, and 16% believe he did not.

Beyond the Epstein matter, Trump’s overall job approval stands at 42%, with 54% disapproving — a net rating of -12. While still negative, that’s slightly better than his rating at this point in his first term.

Support among Republican-leaning voters has slipped nine points since January, now at 83% approval, down from 92%.

The poll, which was conducted Aug. 9–11 among 1,635 U.S. adult citizens, has a margin of error of about 3.5 percentage points. WI

D.C. Sues to Stop Trump’s ‘Hostile Takeover’ of Metropolitan Police Department

Schwalb: ‘This is the Gravest

Threat to Home Rule that the District has Ever Faced’

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The District of Columbia has taken the Trump administration to court over what city officials call an unlawful and unprecedented federal power grab — the president’s attempt to wrest control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) from local leaders.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, directly challenges President Donald Trump’s Aug. 11 executive order and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Aug. 14 directive, which invoke a never-before-used section of the 1973 Home Rule Act. The administration claims the provision allows federal command of MPD, but the city says the law is clear — the president can only request the police department’s help temporarily, in an emergency, and strictly for federal purposes.

“By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the District’s right to self-governance and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk,” Schwalb said. “The administration’s unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.”

The lawsuit names Trump, Bondi, the Justice Department, Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terrance Cole, and U.S. Marshals Service Director Gady Serralta as defendants.

It seeks to block Bondi’s order installing Cole as “Emergency Police Commissioner” with the powers of police chief— currently under the leadership of Chief Pamela A. Smith— rescinding long-standing department policies, and directing

MPD to enforce local ordinances on homelessness and public space occupancy — measures far outside the scope of federal authority.

The Home Rule Act leaves MPD under the mayor and chief of police, and its Section 740 authority has never been invoked in the District’s 52 years of self-governance. Even when used, it limits any presidential request to 30 days and only for defined federal purposes, such as protecting federal buildings or personnel.

The complaint also dismantles the administration’s crime narrative.

While Trump has claimed violent crime is “out of control,” city and federal data show violent crime in D.C. has dropped 26% since last year, down 51% from 2023, and at its lowest levels in decades.

The suit calls the orders a “brazen usurpation” of local control, issued without a valid emergency and in direct violation of the statute’s limits.

The District is asking the court to declare the orders unlawful, block their enforcement, and keep command of MPD where Congress placed it — in the hands of the city’s elected leadership.

Attorney and former Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8C Chair Mike Austin took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to support Schwalb’s announcement of the lawsuit.

“Trump has lost his mind. We tried playing fair but his recklessness left us no choice,” said Austin, who recently lost his campaign bid to represent Ward 8 on the D.C. Council to Councilmember Trayon White– a leader who has said “Trump is not totally wrong,” about the National Guard’s presence in D.C.

Austin emphasized the importance of combating Trump’s continued takeover efforts.

“We have to bully the bully,” Austin declared. “Stand strong, defend our right and protect Home Rule.” WI

AROUND THE REGION

5 Many Washingtonians are celebrating the District of Columbia fighting back against President Donald Trump’s recent federal power grab. The District is suing the Trump administration over the president’s attempt to wrest control of the Metropolitan Police Department. (WI File Photo)

AROUND THE REGION

AUG. 21

AUG.21-27, 2025

facts

AALIYAH (CENTER)

ALTHEA GIBSON (RIGHT)

AUG. 25

1831 – Nat Turner leads a rebellion of slaves and free Blacks in Southampton County, Virginia, that resulted in the deaths more than 50 white people.

1904 – Count Basie, famed jazz pianist and bandleader, is born in Red Bank, New Jersey.

1932 – Melvin Van Peebles, actor, director and composer, is born in Chicago.

1936 – Basketball great Wilt Chamberlain, the only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a single game, is born in Philadelphia.

AUG. 22

1917 – Famed blues singer and guitarist John Lee Hooker, known as the “King of the Boogie,” is born in Mississippi.

1950 – Althea Gibson becomes the first African American on the U.S. tennis tour.

1978 – Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first prime minister, dies at 86.

1989 – Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, is shot and killed by a reputed drug dealer in Oakland, California.

AUG. 23

1900 – The National Negro Business League, which was founded by Booker T. Washington, holds its first meeting in Boston.

AUG. 24

1950 – Edith Sampson, a lawyer and judge, becomes the first Black U.S. delegate appointed to the United Nations.

1987 – Civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, dies in Manhattan.

1925 – A. Philip Randolph becomes head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, the first predominantly African American labor union.

1927 – Althea Gibson, the first African American on the U.S. tennis tour and first to win a Grand Slam title, is born in Silver, South Carolina.

2001 – Music star and actress Aaliyah and eight others are killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming a music video. She was 22.

AUG. 26

1946 – Singer/songwriter Valerie Simpson, half of legendary husband-wife duo Ashford & Simpson, is born in the Bronx, New York.

1947 – Brooklyn Dodgers’ Dan Bankhead becomes the first Black pitcher in Major League Baseball history in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, also hitting a home run in his first at-bat.

1960 – Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis is born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.

AUG. 27

1949 – A concert by famed singer and civil rights activist Paul Robeson in Peekskill, New York, is called off when concertgoers are attacked by locals screaming racist and antisemitic slurs. Robeson is lynched in effigy and a cross is set ablaze during the riot, which resulted in more than a dozen people being seriously injured.

1963 – Famed author, scholar and NAACP co-founder W. E. B. Du Bois dies in Accra, Ghana, at 95.

1975 – Haile Selassie, former emperor of Ethiopia, dies in Addis Ababa at 83.

2008 – Barack Obama officially receives the Democratic presidential nomination at the DNC convention, becoming the party’s first African American nominee. WI

P INT

BY MICHA GREEN

What do you think about the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and Public Charter Schools (DCPCS) cell phone ban?

HILARY DANIEL / NORTHEAST, D.C.

“I have mixed emotions because it doesn’t directly impact my daughter THIS year, but I don’t think it’s going to curb whatever they’re expecting to curb. Children will still get into things, they’ll still find ways to get distracted, they’ll still find their ways to cyber bully. The downfall of it — children won’t be able to get help in case of emergencies, and in the current climate, I think it’s that much more necessary for communication tools to be readily available.”

JOY LAWSON / LAUREL, MD.

“As an educator, I think for educational purposes it is needed. Cell phones can be a distraction during the school day and in class. In case of an emergency the staff and administration will be able to make the necessary contact.”

DIONNE MCDONALD / NORTHEAST, D.C.

“At my daughter’s school, which is a DCPCS, she has to turn hers in in the morning. I’m not mad at the enforcement. But of course the go to question is ‘what if something happens and my kid needs to reach me?’ I understand, and maybe there’s a way to resolve that isolated concern, but generally speaking, kids are on their phones, talking to their friends, plotting to meet up in the bathrooms, plotting fights, cyber bullying, recording other students without consent, and adding another layer of stress to the teachers who already don’t get paid enough. It’s a major distraction in the classroom.”

KIERELL GREEN / NORTHEAST, D.C.

“In today’s environment, I think that students do need access to a cell phone. On the same hand, I think that it might serve them better to not have cell phones during class and school.”

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

1989 Barry: ‘Support Not Intervention’ vs. 2025 Bowser: ‘Unsettling and Unprecedented’

The D.C. National Guard Enters D.C. Stripping the City’s Right to Direct its Own Policing

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

In 1989, the National Guard, under the direction of former President George H.W. Bush, entered the nation’s capital as a locally directed partner with a narrow support role. In 2025, under President Donald Trump, the National Guard has arrived as a federally commanded force, emphasizing how quickly the president can replace D.C.’s self-governance with direct federal control.

When the National Guard was deployed to D.C. in 1989, then Mayor Marion Barry made one thing clear — the troops would not patrol city streets or make arrests.

The mission, Barry said, was to support not take over District police, a stance shaped by the city’s fight to preserve its limited autonomy through home rule and avoid military involvement in everyday policing.

Today’s use of that authority is a complete departure from 1989. Trump has removed operational control from the city, placed the police under federal command, and deployed 800 Guard troops with powers to perform law enforcement duties, including ar-

rests.

Mayor Muriel Bowser, unable to block the move under the law, called it “unsettling and unprecedented,” warning that it strips away the city’s right to direct its own policing.

1989:

‘Support Not Intervention’

The deployment 36 years ago came at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, when D.C. faced record homicide rates. With $2.6 million in federal funding, 250 Guard members were brought in to handle clerical work, assist with intelligence gathering, provide logistical support, and manage crowd and traffic control at special events.

Barry, former Police Chief Maurice Turner, and then-Guard Commander Maj. Gen. Calvin Franklin agreed the Guard’s role would stay behind the scenes.

“We’ll be involved in interdiction and eradication efforts strictly in a support role,” Franklin said at a press conference when the move was announced in 1989.

The guard commander added that while the Guard could patrol,

“we do not think it is an appropriate role for the military.”

The District of Columbia Home Rule Act, passed in 1973, granted Washington an elected mayor and council but left ultimate power with Congress and the president. Under the Act, the president serves as commander-in-chief of the D.C. National Guard and can deploy it without the mayor’s consent.

Trump’s decision mandating federal control over the MPD on Monday, Aug. 11, which he called “Liberation Day for D.C.,” comes under Section 740– a rarely used law that exists only because the District lacks full statehood, authorizing the president to take control of the Metropolitan Police Department when “special conditions of an emergency nature” exist for 30 days.

In 1989, a Justice Department opinion confirmed the Guard could assist civil authorities under D.C. law without violating the Posse Comitatus Act. But Barry’s approach kept the Guard out of direct policing, ensuring city offi-

Page 9

INTERVENTION from Page 8

cials maintained operational control.

“We welcome the support of the Guard,” the late Barry, often called D.C.’s “Mayor for Life,” said at the time. “It will be one of support and not one of direct intervention on the streets.”

2025: A ‘Black City… Denied Rights and Protections of Statehood’

For Mayor Bowser, the president’s decision means she no longer has operational control of her own police department.

All decisions on how and where officers are deployed now run through the Justice Department. That includes the ability to redirect D.C. police from neighborhood patrols to guard federal buildings, secure national monuments, and police protests — even if it leaves fewer officers in local communities.

Further, Trump named Terry Cole interim federal administrator for MPD.

For African Americans in the District — who make up nearly half the city’s population — the change places local policing under the direct control of a president who has repeatedly called for racial profiling, attacked other predominately Black-led cities such as Baltimore and Chicago, and used “law and order” policies that disproportionately target Black communities.

“The man who wanted to lynch the [Exonerated Five] is now unlawfully deploying the national guard and taking over the police department of D.C. — a beautiful, vibrant majority Black city that has been denied the rights and protections of statehood,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Trump justified the takeover by citing D.C.’s 2024 homicide and vehicle theft rates, even though other cities he has singled out — all with large Black populations and Black leadership — have seen major crime reductions this year.

This is only possible because D.C. is not a state — a political reality that leaves its leadership vulnerable to federal override and its residents without full control over their own local government.

Residents could see federal priorities override local crime prevention strategies, with increased policing around demonstrations and broader latitude for aggressive enforcement tactics.

In his Aug. 11 press conference, the president noted what he felt was the best way for officers to deal with people who are resisting arrest in the District.

“They fight back until you knock the hell out of them,” Trump said.

Todd A. Cox, associate director-counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), noted the potential dangers in deploying the National Guard in District streets.

“The show of force through the deployment of National Guard units and the takeover of D.C. Metro Police is an affront to safety that will instead embolden law enforcement officers to operate with unchecked violence,” Cox wrote in an Aug. 11 statement. “It goes against the will of the residents of D.C. who democratically and lawfully elected a mayor and city council representatives to make decisions regarding safety for their District.”

Cox particularly expressed concern considering Trump’s efforts to “cleanup” the District through vowing to forcibly remove homeless residents from D.C., promising to relocate them “far from the capital.”

“The government’s action [Aug. 11] threatens individuals who are unhoused and residents in vulnerable, aggressively and disparately policed neighborhoods that will likely be profiled,” he said before, emphasizing the need for full representation for District residents in the House and Senate. “It also underscores the need for D.C. statehood to empower D.C. residents, who pay taxes and are equal contributors to the U.S. economy as other U.S. residents, to vote for representatives who can protect their interests.”

Mayor Bowser has also long pushed for the District to become the 51st state.

“We know that access to our democracy is tenuous, that is why you have heard me and many, many Washingtonians before me, advocate for full statehood for the District of Columbia. We are

AROUND THE REGION

American citizens. Our families go to war. We pay taxes and we uphold the responsibilities of citizenship,” Bowser said during an Aug. 11 presss conference.

Assuring residents, Bowser had a clear message after Trump’s announcement.

“We will continue to operate our government that makes you proud. We will balance our budgets, we will deploy our services, our kids are going to start school on Aug. 25 and we will work with the federal government for them to do the things that they should do for our city,” she said, “including: making sure that we have the judges that we need; including making sure that all federal parks are supported, not just with law enforcement, but with other clean and safe activities; and including making sure that our economy is supported by rational federal actions as it relates to the federal workforce, federal workers and federal property in the District of Columbia.” WI

AROUND THE REGION

Health care leader Tony Oby, co-owner of H.O.P.E Behavioral Health Counseling, joins team members Ashley Dixon, India Jones, Angelica Batts, Imani Carter, and Shante Taylor to promote behavioral treatment services during the Charles County Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Health and Wellness Expo, held at the Velocity Center in Indian Head, Maryland on Aug. 16. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

D.C. Among the Hardest Hit as Trump Targets SSI Benefits in Majority-Black City and Across the Nation

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The District of Columbia — a majority-Black city where poverty and disability rates outpace the national average — is bracing for a devastating blow as the Trump administration moves to slash Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for poor seniors, disabled adults, and children. Roughly 1,400 D.C. residents could lose benefits entirely, part of nearly 400,000 people nationwide targeted under the proposal.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the plan would strip away a critical safeguard that protects the poorest households — including many in D.C.’s Black communities — from having their SSI payments reduced by one-third simply for living with relatives. Currently, families receiving public assistance such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are shielded from the harshest cuts, recognizing that SNAP-qualifying households cannot afford to subsidize an SSI recipient’s living costs.

The Trump proposal would remove SNAP from that list, reverting to outdated 1980 rules that ignore economic realities. The typical multi-person SNAP household with an SSI recipient survives on $17,000 a year — well below the poverty line. For many, that would mean losing hundreds of dollars a month, forcing impossible choices between food, housing, and medicine.

“SNAP is more than just a policy. It’s deeply personal. It was the safety net that caught families like mine when we fell on hard times,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “But now, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have slashed the SNAP budget by 30%, leaving working families and vulnerable Americans with too little to afford groceries.”

Advocates warn that the cuts

could push more D.C. residents — disproportionately Black — into homelessness or institutional care, while burying struggling families under invasive new paperwork requirements.

“To understand how the Trump administration’s SSI benefit cut would hurt struggling families, consider an adult with Down Syndrome requiring daily support from her parents, who themselves have low incomes and receive SNAP,” CBPP researchers explained. “Today, her monthly SSI benefit is $967, the full federal benefit rate — which is only about three-quarters of the poverty line for a single person. But because she lives with her parents, the expected Trump rule would subject her to the in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) penalty, which would count the cash value of her bedroom and reduce her SSI benefit. She could see her benefits slashed by one-third, leaving her with less than $700 a month to get by.”

The already underfunded Social Security Administration (SSA) would face a surge of red tape, while the savings from these cuts would barely cover a single

day of the massive tax breaks for the wealthy Republicans pushed through in July.

Using the same example of the adult with Down Syndrome, CBPP researchers continued: “She would also need to make a detailed report to SSA each time her family’s circumstances change — and the depleted SSA staff would have to analyze the report and determine whether her benefits need to change.”

The CBPP notes that the damage would be nationwide, from California’s 57,600 residents who would be impacted to 200 in Wyoming.

But in D.C., where the racial wealth gap is among the widest in the nation, the blow would land hardest on those who have the least.

“The Trump administration should reconsider,” CBPP wrote. “Rather than returning the public assistance household rule to an out-of-date standard that does not reflect changes over the past four and a half decades, they should continue to protect financially precarious older and

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Officials Ask for Answers About Baltimore ICE Facility, Braveboy Plans Partnership with Colin Kaepernick

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Politicians, business executives, civic leaders and even surprise celebrity guests gathered in Ocean City, Maryland for the annual Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) summer conference (Aug. 13-16)— where

they held meetings, attended seminars, and discussed opportunities to combat challenges and strengthen communities across the state.

In his address, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) offered warning about President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” and the potential impacts on health care, food assistance,

and local governments.

“At a time when the federal government is actively stepping away from its responsibilities – launching a direct assault on our people and our economy – Maryland is stepping in and stepping up, and with the kind of urgency that proves we understand the gravity of this moment,” said Moore. “The path forward will not be easy, but in Maryland, we always find a way to support our people, to defend our values, and to leave no one behind. This time will be no different.”

Leaders discussed topics from the economy, to opportunities for students, and addressing immigration concerns– particularly Baltimore’s ICE facility.

A panel featuring Baltimore Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field director Nikita Baker, drew some criticism and questions from attendees such as Prince George’s County Councilmember Eric Olson (D) and Baltimore Councilmember Odette Ramos (D), and advocates with CASA— a nonprofit organization working to support immigrants and working class families and protect their rights.

Change, Technology, and the Wisdom We Carry Forward

By Alexander Austin President & CEO, Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that change doesn’t knock anymore—it just walks right in. Technology is moving faster than ever, and whether it’s the latest app, artificial intelligence, or digital platforms, it’s clear: the way we work and live is being rewritten in real time.

But here’s the thing—we don’t have to start from scratch. Our communities, our families, and our businesses hold years—sometimes decades—of experience. This institutional knowledge is like a well-worn map. It shows where we’ve been, the paths that worked, and the ones best avoided. Too often, it’s tucked away when someone retires, or lost when a business closes.

What if we bridged the gap? Imagine a young entrepreneur with fresh ideas learning from someone who’s navigated multiple market shifts. Picture a tech-savvy startup building its strategy with the guidance of a seasoned business owner who’s weathered recessions, policy changes, and changing customer needs.

When we blend wisdom with innovation, we get the best of both worlds—solutions that are bold but grounded, forward-thinking but informed by the lessons of the past.

Embracing change doesn’t mean letting go of what came before. It means carrying it with us into what’s next. As technology keeps reshaping the world, let’s make sure we’re not just running to keep up—but moving forward with purpose, guided by the people and stories that brought us here.

“Why is it that the agents are operating in this manner: very violent, picking up our people; masked and not identifying yourself? It is really abhorrent that this is happening,” asked Ramos, the first Latina council member in Baltimore’s history.

Ninfa Amador-Hernandez, who works with CASA, questioned Baker about why individuals without criminal records were being targeted.

“While I am doing those enforcement actions, and I come across somebody that is not a criminal, but they’re here illegally, they have no status, I am going to take those individuals into custody,” Baker replied.

Maryland Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk, who chairs the Health and Government Operations Committee, pleaded with Baker for agents to behave with compassion and humanity.

“I know this is not easy. I know you have to do your job, but do you have to do it in a manner where windows are broken in a car, where they’re doing it in front of small children that are in a car seat?” Peña-Melnyk questioned. “Can you tell your officers to be humane; be respectful? Because we are lacking empathy right now in this country.”

Braveboy Announces Partnership with Colin Kaepernick Promoting Student Literacy

While politicians from across Maryland were present for the convening, several Prince George’s County leaders held events, partici-

pated in discussions, and organized programming to empower Maryland residents overall.

In her first MACo leading one of Maryland’s largest jurisdictions, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy (D) held a reception in partnership with Employ Prince George’s about Lumi, an AI startup that aims to improve student literacy. Many state and national figures attended the newly minted county executive’s event, including: Gov. Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D), Prince George’s County Council Chair Edward Burroughs III (D), Prince George’s Board of Education Chair Branndon Jackson (D- District 6) and renowned activist and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

“AI is not some distant future. It is changing careers. It is changing the economy. It is changing industries. Now, we need to be at the forefront of it. Our students need to be at the forefront,” said Kaepernick, who is partnering with the county executive on using Lumi in Prince George’s County.

While full details of the partnership will be unveiled in the coming months, Braveboy underscored the importance of collaborating with Kaepernick

“This man sacrificed the career that he has worked for since he was a young child. That’s sacrifice, that’s leadership. That’s who he is. And that is why I’m so grateful that he has decided that he wants to bring his talent,” said Braveboy.

WI

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Maryland Leaders Criticize Trump Administration’s Takeover of D.C. MPD

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Maryland Democratic leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration’s takeover of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), offering sharp criticism and introducing bills to combat the president’s efforts.

With President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard, a sharp escalation in law enforcement presence across the District, hundreds of arrests made, and checkpoints erecting across the city, many people across the Washington area are being dissuaded from going out in the nation’s capital, causing a domino effect. In the first weekend after the takeover, nightlife businesses noted a sharp reduction in local commerce.

“The city of Washington D.C. belongs to the great people of Washington, D.C., not the occupant of the White House. If he actually cared about the wellbeing of the people of Washington, he wouldn’t have blocked D.C. from spending its own money in the way it saw fit,” said Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), who helped significantly reduce crime in Prince George’s County while serving as state’s attorney from 2011-2018, before becoming county executive. “This is not only drastic executive overreach but the latest marker in how far this president is willing to go to attack our democracy.”

The White House, which posted a statement on D.C’s crime statistics on their public site, is using social media to post the images of individuals who have been arrested, not convicted— mirroring the advertisements Trump purchased of the “Central Park Five” in major New York newspapers in the late 1980s.

Like several other cities led by African-American mayors, including Baltimore and Oakland, Washington D.C. is currently experiencing a major reduction in violent crime, with reports of rates being the lowest it had been in 30 years in January.

“The District of Columbia has made important progress on public safety in recent years, and can do more if Trump and House Republicans get the hell out of their way and stop blocking D.C. from ac-

5Maryland Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks says President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard and takeover D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department is an attack on democracy. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

cessing $1 billion of its own funds to strengthen policing and provide other public services,” said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D), who plans to introduce a joint resolution to restore local authority of MPD and the D.C.’s National Guard when the Congress reconvenes in September.

Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin introduced a joint resolution in the House of Representatives alongside Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D- D.C.), Rep. Robert Garcia (D- Calif.), and Van Hollen to end Trump’s federalization of MPD. Raskin argues that Trump is militarizing the streets, in part, to reduce the media coverage of a particularly controversial financier.

“The only emergency here is a lawless president experiencing a growing public relations emergency because of his close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his stubborn refusal to release the Epstein file despite his promise to do so,” Raskin said in a press release. “Trump has made clear that his efforts in D.C., where 700,000 taxpaying American citizens lack the protections of statehood, are part of a broader plan to

militarize and federalize the streets of cities around America whose citizens voted against him. The legislation we are introducing today would stop this campaign by ending Trump’s hostile takeover of D.C.’s police force.”

The National Guard: Absent on January 6, Moore Has No Deployment Plans

Van Hollen also noted a sharp parallel between the desire to protect public safety now, as compared to the U.S. Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021, under the encouragement of President Trump in the final days of his first term.

“Trump was AWOL when the District of Columbia actually need-

ed support from the National Guard to protect it from an insurrectionist mob on January 6. His current takeover is an abuse of power and nothing more than a raw power grab,” said the senator. “It is a direct attack on the ability of the people of the District of Columbia to govern their own affairs.”

The officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6 have also criticized the decision to deploy the National Guard without cause, while refusing to protect the Capitol and assigned officers that day. Four individuals died during the insurrection, and nearly 200 police officers were injured. Four officers died by suicide following the events of that day.

Officer Aquilino Gonell, who was

beaten by rioters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, believes Trump’s public safety stance is a deception.

“Whenever he says he’s all for law and order, I have a bridge to sell you,” he said in an interview with The Guardian.

While several Republican governors are supporting the president by deploying the National Guard to the District, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), a veteran who led troops in Afghanistan, said he would not send guardsmen unless the need is “mission-critical or mission-aligned.”

“I’m embarrassed, I’m angered and, frankly, I’m heartbroken for members of the National Guard asked to take on this mission,” said Moore in an interview with Newsweek. WI

BUSINESS

The Hazel and Hazel’s Hardware Set for The Parks at Walter Reed

African American Developers Spur Minority-Owned Retail Outlet

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Two African American District developers are working on a project at The Parks at Walter Reed in Northwest, D.C., that will be named for the first Black female general in the U.S. Army and include a minority-owned hardware store.

Banneker Ventures CEO Eric Jenkins and Earle “Chico” Horton III of Tiber Hudson LLC are working together to build “The Hazel,” a 18,000 square foot redevelopment on the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus in Ward 4 in concert with Hines, Urban Atlantic and Triden Development.

The building is named in honor of Brigadier General Hazel-John-

son Brown, the first Black woman to become a general in the U.S. military and lead the Army Nurse Corps, which held quarters on the site of The Hazel in 1915.

“We were looking for ideas to connect with the site and the community,” Jenkins, 52, told The Informer. “We wanted to honor someone who embodied leadership principles and a great work ethic.”

Jenkins said Johnson-Brown fit the description, adding she served two tours at Walter Reed, as part of her decades of service from 1955-1983.

He also noted the Army Nurses Corps were in Building 12 on the Walter Reed campus.

Given the history of the campus and Johnson-Brown’s role in the army, Jenkins said naming the

new development project in honor of the barrier-breaker’s contributions made the most sense.

“It kind of all came together,” he said.

The Hazel at The Parks at Walter Reed

The Hazel, scheduled to open later this year— likely in October— will consist of a True Value store, coffee shop and office space.

Jenkins emphasized that he is prioritizing residents in the immediate neighborhoods surrounding Walter Reed, adding the building that houses The Hazel will serve as a community hub.

The heart of the project will be Hazel’s Hardware, a 100% minority-owned hardware and home goods store that will serve as a onestop shop for customers.

“We looked at a number of out-

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fits,” Horton, 53, told The Informer. “This is a real estate deal, and we wanted to know how to best program the building.”

Horton said he and Jenkins noticed the dearth of hardware stores in The Parks at Walter Reed area and decided on that retail option to increase the economic diversity and offerings in the area.

Jenkins uplifted neighborhood residents having another retail option for their hardware needs.

“We want to provide a valuable service to the community,” he said. “Whether it is shovels or electric lawn mowers, we see ourselves as a community store. We are making sure we are vested in the community.”

As The Hazel comes into being, The Parks at Walter Reed remain an economic development priority for Mayor Muriel Bowser. On April 7, Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announced that some businesses, including the True Value store, had been awarded $500,000 from a new grant program to support local retailers at The Parks at Walter Reed.

“The Parks at Walter Reed is a project that I have worked with the community on for over 15 years, and I know that we are all proud to see our vision of a thriving mixeduse community come to life,” said Bowser, 53, who began working on the project as a Ward 4 D.C. council member. “I’m grateful for the businesses and entrepreneurs that have helped build this campus into the community that it is today, and we are proud to be supporting new businesses to be a part of the prosperity here at The Parks at Walter Reed.”

Putting The Hazel Together

Jenkins and Horton, who have worked on other projects together before, have been collaborating on The Hazel for two years.

However, like many projects that are small in nature, financing arose as an issue.

“This is a small project, but it is also complex,” said Horton. “We had a relationship with TD Bank, and we had built relationships with people at the bank in various departments. They were willing to take the chance with us. They rolled up their sleeves and got it done.”

TD Bank financed the project with a unique finance structure, providing nearly $6.6 million in funding and equity through New Markets Tax Credits and a U.S. Small Business Administration loan that was secured through the Biden administration.

“It starts with showing up with our community,” said David Hargadon, TD Bank’s regional vice president for Virginia and the District. “I sit on the D.C. Chamber board with Chico, and we have a longstanding relationship with his firm. We considered where they were going with this project and decided to take it on. The excitement has continued, and we have developed a meaningful partnership.”

In tackling the project, Hargadon explained The Hazel came with its share of challenges to overcome.

“It is the redevelopment of an important building,” he said. “We wanted to preserve its history in a new way. Hazel’s Hardware is a plus, but it was not easy because it is a complicated structure. But we worked on it and would not allow it to fail.” WI

Businessbrief

PRocon 2025

Set for Aug. 23 at Howard University

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

The PR Alliance announced that PRocon 2025, an annual conference for public relations, marketing, media and communications professionals, will take place on Aug. 23 at Howard University’s Armour J. Blackburn University Center in Northwest, D.C.

This year’s conference promises to be unique, with immersive activations and reimagined panels all bringing together industry leaders, innovators and rising stars to share insights, strategies, and inspiration.

“PRocon was created to fill a vital gap,” said PRocon Founder Keisha Brewer. “As a public relations professional myself, I’ve seen how easy it is to get siloed in our work and lose the opportunity to connect and learn from each other. We are the engines behind every brand and business, and this space is for us. This year’s theme, ‘From Influence to Impact,’ highlights that it’s not enough to be visible— we must make sure our voices are heard and drive real change.”

This year’s event will feature a lineup of powerhouse speakers, including top executives and communications experts from leading

organizations such as Sony Music, the WNBA, Meta, the GRAMMYs and more. Licensed therapist and mental health influencer Kier Gaines is set to take the stage as the 2025 keynote, exploring how mental wellness fuels professional clarity, creativity, and confidence.

“Spaces like PRocon remind us that we don’t have to do this alone,” said Gaines. “In an industry that often celebrates hustle over healing, it’s powerful to be in a space that values both ambition and alignment. Prioritizing our well-being while building our careers is the key to longevity. When we take care of ourselves, we’re better leaders, better storytellers, and better collaborators. That’s how we move from influence to lasting impact.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

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NATIONAL

AI’s Growing Reach Reshaping Jobs—But Mass Layoffs Remain Elusive

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Despite dire forecasts and corporate hype, artificial intelligence (AI) has yet to deliver the sweeping job losses many feared.

While some companies are clearly leaning into AI to cut costs and automate work once done by humans, a collection of new reports from Goldman Sachs, Brookings, CNN, The World Economic Forum, and tech industry insiders paints a more complex—and slower-moving—reality.

Instead of a “jobpocalypse,” data shows a workplace quietly evolving, with AI increasingly embedded into operations, transforming productivity, and altering who gets hired—but not (yet) decimating headcounts.

“AI’s impact on the labor market remains limited and there is no sign of a

significant impact on most labor market outcomes,” the Goldman Sachs team led by Chief Economist Jan Hatzius found in its Q2 2025 AI Adoption Tracker.

Job Loss? Not Yet, Say Analysts

Although AI-related job postings now account for 24% of all IT openings, they still comprise only 1.5% of total job listings, suggesting that most industries are still in the early stages of integration.

Meanwhile, a sweeping Brookings study concluded that AI adoption has not only avoided mass layoffs—it has often gone hand in hand with firm growth and increased employment.

“Contrary to common fears, we find that AI has so far not led to widespread job loss. Instead, AI adoption is associated with firm growth, increased employment, and heightened innova-

FIELD EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE SERVICES

tion,” wrote researchers Tania Babina and Anastassia Fedyk.

Even with companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce revealing that AI now performs up to 50% of their coding and software development, CNN found that most industry insiders believe displacement is happening in narrow areas—while most jobs are being augmented, not eliminated.

“I think we’re looking at a complex reshaping, rather than a straightforward elimination,” said Gaurab Bansal, executive director of Responsible Innovation Labs. “We need a new social contract for this era.”

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Entry-Level Jobs in the Crosshairs

While employment overall may not be dropping, early-career workers may be facing the sharpest edge of the AI transformation.

“Entry-level roles could be increasingly at risk,” wrote Till Leopold, head of work wages and job creation at The World Economic Forum.

The Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that 40% of employers expect to reduce their workforce where AI can automate tasks—often targeting junior staff who have traditionally performed routine, foundational work.

Bloomberg’s analysis, cited by The Forum, revealed that AI could automate 53% of tasks performed by market research analysts and 67% of those by sales representatives—compared to just 9% and 21% for managers in those same fields.

This reconfiguration could hinder social mobility and a recent survey found that nearly half of Gen Z job hunters believe AI has devalued their college degrees.

“Estimates suggest that AI could impact nearly 50 million U.S. jobs in the coming years,” the Forum noted.

AI Use Is Spreading—And So Are Productivity Gains

In the tech industry, AI use is soaring.

According to a 2025 survey by Howdy.com, 79% of U.S. tech workers report using AI more than they did six months ago. Of those, over onethird use AI regularly to generate basic code, automate documentation, and

3 According to recent reports, artificial intelligence (AI) has yet to deliver the sweeping job losses many feared.

(Courtesy Photo)

perform other tasks.

The same survey revealed that 38% of tech workers believe their companies will replace jobs with AI—particularly in data engineering, software development, and UI/UX design. But even there, the evidence is mixed. While automation is replacing some roles, 71% of workers say they want more AI training, not less involvement.

Goldman Sachs found that where AI has been fully deployed, productivity gains are already showing. Academic studies cited in their report indicate that labor productivity increases range from 16% to 30%. Company anecdotes reveal even greater gains, averaging 29%. These improvements are most concentrated in information, finance, and professional services, where firms are integrating AI into core workflows.

Brookings data backs that up. A one-standard-deviation increase in AI investment at a firm is associated with approximately 2% annual sales growth and a comparable increase in employment. AI-fueled growth also correlates with more product innovation and higher trademark and patent filings.

“Tech giants are dramatically increasing investments in AI, setting new standards for innovation and industry transformation,” the social media account AI Narrator wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Strategic government policies further aid in sharpening the focus on AI’s global impact.

Skills Gaps and Hierarchy Shifts

As companies adopt AI, they’re changing the kind of talent they recruit. Brookings found that AI-investing firms increased the share of college-educated workers by 3.7%, and the share of workers with master’s degrees by 2.9%. Meanwhile, the share of employees without a college degree dropped by 7.2%.

There’s also a shift in workplace structure.

“AI investments are associated with increased hiring of independent, deputized workers and decreased hiring of top and middle management positions,” Brookings reported.

In short, more highly educated workers are replacing mid-level managers in flatter, AI-empowered firms.

GROWING AI Page 17

CNN reported similar trends, with firms like Freshworks reassigning support agents to more client-facing roles after AI took over routine ticketing.

“AI will make an individual worker more productive and will help more people to be capable of doing a given job,” said Steven Adler, a former OpenAI researcher. “The net effect is an oversupply of labor, which pushes wages down unless there’s a big surge in labor demand.”

A Slower Burn, Not an Explosion

Still, this transformation is unfolding gradually.

“There have been no recent layoff announcements explicitly citing AI as the cause,” Goldman Sachs noted. However, they also acknowledged that some sectors—such as call centers— are showing signs of contraction, even if companies won’t admit it’s due to AI.

Brookings researchers noted that AI’s impact, although uneven, appears to be expanding opportunities in some sectors while quietly closing doors in others, especially for less educated workers.

The reality is nuanced.

“AI workers are just software,” Adler said. “There’s less friction to deploying a ‘virtual coworker’ product than ever before.”

401(K) from Page 4

and it could be hard to sell your investments — especially during a panic,” Robert Brokamp, a financial planning expert, told NBC News.

While traditional target-date mutual funds may charge around 0.3% in fees, private funds can take 1% to 2% in management fees and up to 20% in performance fees.

Stable coins are also not granted the same protections by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as traditional bank accounts.

Anh Tran, a certified financial planner and attorney, added that without strict limits, such as capping exposure to 5% to 10% of a portfolio, “investors could be exposed to unnecessary risk, misaligned expectations and potentially irreversible losses.”

But most tasks still require human input, and “most tasks for most jobs can’t be automated,” said Meta’s Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun.

The event is being held at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center with sponsorship by Raymond James, Stanton Chase, The Washington Informer, and Royal Neighbors Chapter 20163. GROWING AI from Page 16

Knut Rostad, president of the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard, said the result could be “a massive train wreck where many people are

Watching the Horizon

For now, most reports agree: AI’s largest disruptions are still on the horizon.

The Goldman Sachs report noted that “the seeds of transformation are being sown,” and urged leaders to keep watching how AI reshapes employment, productivity, and workforce needs.

What’s clear is that AI is no longer theoretical. It’s here—and spreading. But the feared collapse of the human workforce hasn’t materialized—yet.

“We’re just at the start,” said Bansal. “We’re entering a decade of uncertainty.” WI

5 Instead of decimating jobs, data shows workplaces are quietly evolving, using artificial intelligence as a tool, as opposed to replacing employees. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

seriously hurt. Their retirement accounts will be annihilated.”

For Black Americans, the stakes are higher. Studies show Black households have less exposure to the stock market, face barriers to homeownership, and often support extended family members — factors that widen the racial wealth gap over time. With the erosion of secure federal jobs and the introduction of riskier 401(k) options, financial experts say safeguards, transparency, and education are essential before any large-scale rollout.

As Tran told NBC News, “Otherwise, we could be setting the stage for not only financial loss, but economic and social consequences.”

Some banking executives, including former SoFi chief executive Mike Cagney, note that for every dollar moved into cryptocurrencies, a dollar is removed from the traditional banking system and bank deposits.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

LeadHERship Reimagined: Women Redefine Power and Progress in the Age of AI

By DC Black MBA

With a focus on LeadHERship Reimagined: Artificial Intelligence, Innovation, and Influence, the 7th annual Women’s Symposium is spotlighting how women leaders are driving change at the intersections of technology, culture, and power. This year’s gathering will showcase stories of resilience, innovation, and influence that redefine what it means to lead in the modern era. The event will highlight the transformative role of women in ensuring innovation remains equitable, inclusive, and impactful. Hosted by the DC Chapter of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), the symposium is designed to empower, connect, and equip women leaders across industries.

This year’s symposium reflects the urgency of the moment: as artificial intelligence reshapes industries, women leaders are stepping up to ensure that innovation remains equitable, inclusive, and impactful.

“I see a tremendous need for women to lead at the intersections of leadership, innovation, and influence—particularly in spaces where diverse voices have historically been underrepresented,” said Iris Drayton-Spann, Managing Director at Stanton Chase, an event sponsor. “Women bring a unique blend of lived experience, resilience, and vision that can transform organizations and communities. Leadership is not only about decision-making but about creating environments where others can thrive. As an African American female executive, I believe our presence at these tables is valuable and essential for meaningful, sustainable change.”

For Dr. Danesha Chisholm, the stakes are especially high in critical fields like infrastructure, finance, research, and technology. “Women leaders bring a unique ability to blend strategy with empathy, resilience with risk management, and innovation with inclusivity. In finance and infrastructure, that means strengthening systems for resilience and equity. In research and technology, especially in the age of AI, it means leading with foresight so that discoveries and innovations serve all communities rather than amplifying inequities. True leadership is not just about occupying seats of influence, but about expanding those seats and equipping the next generation to thrive in a future shaped by both human and technological intelligence.”

Podcast host and seasoned marketer, Camille Sanders echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the wide-ranging impact of women in positions of authority. “Everywhere, but especially in spaces where decisions shape the future: technology, policy, education, and global business. Wom-

en bring perspective, empathy, and resilience that organizations need. When more women are in leadership, innovation becomes more inclusive, and influence has a broader impact.”

The symposium also brings forward conversations on how AI is changing the daily reality of work. Marcella Wollon-Williams with Legacy Builder Group, shared her perspective that, “AI has helped me significantly reduce both costs and time by functioning as various team members within my business. This has freed me to focus on higher-value activities, such as deepening my connection with my audience. It has also opened doors to platforms I might not have considered before, like podcasting, allowing me to expand my reach and share my message in new ways.”

Beyond the technology itself, the symposium centers on the ripple effects of women’s leadership. “Events like the Women’s Symposium offer so much value to every individual who attends and to every community and workspace and household connected to the individual women who attend,” said Executive Producer and screenwriter, Lanee Blaise. “When we build up women, we set a movement in place that results in families thriving, entrepreneurs thriving, positive influence shifts, policies changing for the better, creativity and the arts expanding, science and technology having a wider scope, and everything under the sun being brighter and better.”

The Women’s Symposium is more than a gathering; it is a call to action. It reminds us that LeadHERship Reimagined means embracing innovation, advancing equity, and amplifying influence in ways that shape a more inclusive future. For the DC Black MBA, this event is another step in the ongoing work of cultivating spaces where women lead boldly pioneering change across industries and communities.

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Black Scots Trending on TikTok, African Americans Excited to Learn They Exist

Racism, Discrimination and the Fight for Black Representation in Scotland

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

Although Black people have lived in Scotland since approximately the 15th century and have significantly contributed to its history, many Black American TikTok users were recently surprised to learn that members of the African diaspora call the European country home.

African Americans on social media grew increasingly interested in Scotland’s Black population last week, especially after fitness influencer Torgi Squire posted a video on TikTok ranting about the country’s weather— a video that has since garnered 3.8 million views. In the comments and across platforms, social media users referred to the 43-year-old as actor Sterling K. Brown’s Scottish “twin.”

Therapist and political commentator Quentin R. Jiles was one of the Americans excited to see Black Scots trending.

“My heart is so warm and comforted because they act like us, or we act like them, or we are the same,” Jiles said on TikTok. “Get me a ticket to Scotland because I’m going down there. I just love that we are them and they are us.”

Similar Experiences Across the Diaspora

Following the large amount of positive and shocked reactions from Black Americans, other Afro-Scots took to TikTok to share their experiences living in the European country as members of the diaspora.

According to the U.K.’s 2022 Census, 65,414 Black people live in Scotland, making up 1.2% of the country’s population.

Because of the small percentage of Black Scots compared to white people in the European country, racism and prejudice is still a factor. Marketing specialist and Scotland native Deborah Mattaka used her platform to highlight the racism she faced growing up outside of Glasgow.

“In primary school, I was the only Black girl in my class, but there were two other Black boys,” Mattaka started.

5 Black Scots are trending after fitness influencer Torgi Squire’s TikTok complaining about Scotland’s weather went viral, garnering 3.8 million views. Many African Americans are taking to social media with excitement after just learning about Black people in Scotland and their contributions to the European country. (Courtesy Photo)

She told viewers about times she felt like the “other” in school, highlighting a story during her teenage years about how her white classmates proudly used racial slurs and weren’t apprehended by the school’s administration. Due to her school’s constant lack of sensitivity to racial issues, she was not surprised at the unbothered response.

“This is the same school that rewarded a white boy for dressing up as a Rastafarian man in Black face to a Halloween Party,” Mattaka continued. “He won best dressed.”

Many in Scotland believe the lack of representation and recognition in the media and history has contributed to such complacency among white Scottish people when it comes to racism and prejudice. Because of this, researchers in Scotland are pushing for the establishment of

the Scottish Museum of Empire, Slavery, Colonialism and Migration (SMESCM).

While an online resource exists, including a migration timeline, a blog and a virtual exhibit titled “Girls and their Mothers” by Kim Simpson, the researchers behind SMESCM and members of the Coalition for Racial Equity and Rights are still working toward building a physical space for the museum to come alive.

“Our goal is to develop equitable and accessible practices to innovate a community-driven space that counters the power structures existing in contemporary museum spaces,” the SMESCM wrote. “We want to involve the community in developing a space that is for the people by the people.”

WI

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HEALTH

Trump’s “Big Ugly” Law Set to Trigger Soaring Premiums and Cut Health Subsidies

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

With President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”— also called the “Big Ugly Bill”— now signed into law, health insurance premiums for millions of Americans are projected to spike in 2026, while critical subsidies for working families are being wiped out.

The law is a direct attack on the working class, the poor, and anyone not shielded by extreme wealth.

According to multiple filings reviewed by KFF and the Peterson

Center on Healthcare, premiums in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces are poised to jump by a median of 15% nationwide in 2026. More than a quarter of insurance companies are seeking increases of 20% or more.

“Early indications are that individual market insurers will be increasing premiums in 2026 by more than they have since 2018, the last time policy uncertainty contributed to sharp premium increases,” according to the KFF study,

KFF also found that, at the center of this spike, is the law’s provision to

end enhanced premium tax credits— financial assistance that helped more than 24 million people afford health coverage. Beginning in January 2026, these subsidies will disappear, and individual premium payments will increase by more than 75% on average for those who have been receiving them.

The impact will be especially devastating for low-income Americans. As healthier individuals exit the market due to rising costs, insurers

warn that the remaining risk pool will become sicker and more expensive to cover. That’s expected to push gross premiums even higher, with the Congressional Budget Office projecting increases of at least 7.9% beyond the subsidy loss.

“The enhanced premium subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2025,” Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont stated. “We expect that some healthy individuals with lower claims than average will forego health insur-

3Health insurance premiums for millions of Americans are projected to spike in 2026, while critical subsidies for working families are being wiped out due to President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

ance… this will cause the premiums to increase by 6.6%.”

Tariffs introduced under the new law are compounding the crisis. Trump’s tariffs on imported goods, including pharmaceuticals, are already pushing insurers to raise premiums beyond medical inflation. UnitedHealthcare, Optimum Choice, and other carriers cited the tariffs as justification for rate hikes ranging from 2.2% to 3.6% above their standard increases.

Prescription drugs made up 12% of private health insurance spending in 2023. With costs expected to climb under the new import restrictions, families will shoulder higher bills at the pharmacy and in their premiums.

These changes hit vulnerable groups hardest. In 2023, nearly 30% of U.S. adults delayed or skipped medical, mental health, or dental care due to cost. Black and Hispanic adults, uninsured individuals, and people in poor health reported the highest rates of unmet care needs.

About 16% of Black adults said they or a family member had trouble paying medical bills. Nearly half of all uninsured adults reported worrying about affording care if they got sick. That concern is now reality.

Insurers across the country are responding with steep rate hikes. Out of 105 ACA insurers reviewed, none proposed cutting premiums for 2026. Last year, at least some insurers lowered rates. The new law has erased that possibility.

The United States already spends more per person on health care than any other wealthy nation—$13,432 per person in 2023, nearly twice the average of peer countries. And yet, U.S. residents remain more likely to go into debt for care, avoid treatment due to cost, and face financial ruin from an illness.

“The expiration of these federal benefits increases premium costs for individuals and families and is expected to result in more people deciding to forego insurance coverage,” Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont warned. “This will shrink the population with coverage and worsen the risk pool, requiring higher premiums for the remaining members.” WI

HEALTH

Want to Live Longer? Skip the Cream and Sugar

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Drinking coffee may help you live longer—but only if it’s black.

A new long-term study analyzing the coffee habits of more than 46,000 U.S. adults found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of dying from any cause, but only when the coffee was consumed without significant amounts of added sugar or saturated fat.

Researchers from Tufts University published the findings in the journal Nutritional Epidemiology, drawing on two decades of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which was linked to National Death Index records.

The study tracked adults 20 years and older from 1999 to 2018 and examined not only how much coffee they drank but also what they put in it.

Participants who drank 1 to 3 cups of coffee per day saw up to a 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to non-coffee drinkers. But those

SSI BENEFITS from Page 11

disabled people and the families who care for them.”

A

City Already on the Brink

The CBPP warns that in D.C., where the racial wealth gap is among the widest in the nation, the impact would fall hardest on Black residents, a demographic under assault by Trump and his Project 2025 playbook.

Advocates say the cuts could push more residents into homelessness or institutional care, compounding the effects of steep Medicaid reductions and years of underfunding at the Social Security Administration.

The AFL-CIO has launched a national campaign against the cuts, with union leaders warning the move is designed to enrich the wealthy at the expense of the poor.

“This bill will make the rich even richer, put jobs at risk, endanger the lives of hard-working people, and take away two basic human rights: health care and food,” said Sandy Reding, president of California Nurses Associ-

benefits disappeared for people who regularly added cream, sweeteners, or other high-fat, high-sugar ingredients to their coffee.

Over the median 9 to 11-year follow-up period, researchers documented more than 7,000 deaths among participants, including 1,176 from cancer and 1,089 from cardiovascular disease. When broken down further, the data showed that drinking black coffee or coffee with minimal sugar and saturated fat was associated with a 14% lower risk of death.

“The health benefits of coffee might be attributable to its bioactive compounds, but our results suggest that the addition of sugar and saturated fat may reduce the mortality benefits,” said Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of the study and a professor at Tufts University.

The study defined “low” sugar as less than 2.5 grams and “low” saturated fat as less than 1 gram per 8-ounce cup. Most coffee drinkers in the study exceeded those thresholds. On average, each cup contained 3.24 grams of

ation, speaking at a rally tied to the AFL-CIO’s nationwide bus tour.

Lawmakers Respond

Democrats are preparing legislation to block Trump’s plan.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says his September bill — the “Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act” — would restore staffing, reopen shuttered offices, and make it easier for recipients to get monthly checks.

Sen. Ron Wyden’s (D-Ore.)

Senate bill would add $5 billion in funding and launch an investigation into the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has overseen the cuts.

“For 90 years, we’ve kept America’s greatest anti-poverty success story alive,” said Jessica Lapointe, president of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 220, which represents Social Security workers.

“We serve widows, orphans, the elderly, disabled, every vulnerable soul in your families and your communities, and they deserve respect and dignity when they come for their earned benefits.” WI

added sugar and 0.52 grams of saturated fat.

Researchers employed Cox proportional hazards models to investigate the relationship between coffee consumption and mortality. The strongest associations were observed among those drinking between 1 to 3 cups of coffee daily—primarily when consumed black.

The study’s authors stated that the findings support previous research indicating that compounds naturally found in coffee, such as polyphenols and chlorogenic acids, may offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. However, they cautioned that these benefits may be negated by the addition of sugary syrups and highfat creamers, which contribute empty calories and may increase health risks over time.

Also, a separate Harvard study tracking nearly 48,000 women over three decades found that those who drank at least one cup of coffee daily were more likely to reach age 70 in good health—free of major chronic

diseases and cognitive decline—compared to non-coffee drinkers. Researchers concluded that regular coffee consumption was associated with what they termed “healthy aging” in women.

“Given how common coffee drinking is in the U.S., it’s important for people to know that how they take their coffee can make a difference,” Zhang said. WI

EARTH OUR

Packing With Purpose: How REUZE is Reinventing the Way We Move

DMV-Based Business Offers Wide Selection of Sustainable Packing Supplies to Tackle Cardboard, Plastic Waste

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

3 The reusable storage containers offered to REUZE customers are both stackable and water resistant. The lids snap close, reducing the need for packaging tape, but if needed, customers are able to use the company’s recyclable zip ties for extra security. (Courtesy Photo)

Moving homes requires more than hauling furniture from one ronment.

place to another. It’s an act that leaves behind large quantities of cardboard boxes, styrofoam packing peanuts and plastic packaging tape.

Since these materials can negatively impact the environment if discarded in landfills, sustainable moving company REUZE is working to protect the environment by replacing single-use packing materials with reusable alternatives.

Founded in 2022, REUZE offers clients in the Washington Metropolitan Area a wide variety of environmentally friendly products to rent when moving from one home to another. From reusable and spacious moving containers and clothing bags, to biodegradable bubble wrap, packing peanuts and tape, this small business is adamantly trying to change the moving process by reducing the amount of waste generated.

“When we talk about the environment, it can be a little intimidating personally, because if you’re not doing everything right, it can be overwhelming,” co-founder Narissa Heggs told The Informer.

Heggs started becoming more environmentally conscious approximately 15 years ago after realizing she needed to play a part in ensuring future generations have access to a clean Earth.

After moving a few times, Heggs and her husband felt guilty about the amount of cardboard and plastic they disposed of, knowing that such waste could harm the envi-

“That was kind of where the concept came from,” Heggs continued. “If you did nothing good all year for the environment, at least you’re doing this [and] moving sustainably, right?”

REUZE has a plethora of packages available for its customers, containing different amounts of reusable boxes that can accommodate homes of many sizes. When a client wants to move, they can order their preferred package online, and the moving company will deliver the containers. When finished unpacking the boxes in their new home, REUZE will pick up the supplies, then sanitize and quarantine them to prepare for the next customer.

Meghan Johnson, who utilized REUZE’s services in 2023 when she suddenly had to move homes, said she was relieved and satisfied by how the company made packing supplies accessible, mitigating the stress of her situation.

“Meeting owner Narissa was truly divine timing,” Johnson said. “The peace of mind is worth it, [but] the boxes themselves are of high quality and honestly were the best part of the moving process.”

The Case for Greener Moving Practices

ending up in landfills. Although cardboard is biodegradable, the lack of oxygen in landfills causes it to decompose anaerobically, releasing methane and contributing to global warming in the process.

“Paper and cardboard waste constitutes about a quarter of municipal solid waste,” wrote the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), which funded the NREL’s research. “Fortunately, this category of waste is amenable to strategies–including reuse, recycling and composting– that can mitigate the drawbacks of landfilling.”

Although reusing other people’s cardboard boxes may seem like the ideal alternative to combating waste generation when moving homes, Heggs strongly advises against it, as they may be more susceptible to harboring unwanted bacteria and insects, including bed bugs and cockroaches.

According to a case report by Eduardo P. Dolhun and Andrew W. Antes, published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, corrugated cardboard could increase the risk of infection by insects, as its multiple ridges and grooves can harbor and transfer small arthropods from home to home.

“Adult triatomes may seek out shelter within larger corrugations or small tears or defects of a box, whereas the younger, soft-bodied nymphs and eggs themselves may be able to reside within the small-

3 Although cardboard is biodegradable, the lack of oxygen in landfills causes it to decompose anaerobically, releasing methane and contributing to global warming in the process. (Courtesy Photo/REUZE) REUZEPage 23

Research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that in 2019, approximately 110 million metric tons of paper and cardboard were thrown away across the United States, with 56% of that waste

REUZE from Page 22

est of corrugations found in commercial shipping and storage boxes, as has been observed in several other insect species,” Dolhun and Antes wrote.

Concerns like these reinforce the importance of utilizing more environmentally safe packing products and reimagining what those supplies can look like.

To reduce cardboard waste, REUZE boxes are 50% recycled materials and 50% plastic. While reusable boxes are not unheard of among various moving companies, Heggs prides her company’s commitment to sustainability, shown by the various biodegradable and eco-friendly products it offers.

“Our competitors have the reusable boxes, but they’re still selling plastic wrap on the side,” Heggs told The Informer. “So for us, we wanted to be very intentional not to have those types of products.”

Materials like bubble wrap, packaging tape and styrofoam packing peanuts are not biodegradable or recyclable like cardboard. When dumped in a landfill, these materials can take hundreds, if not thousands, of years to decompose and can release methane gas into the atmosphere.

According to a 2023 report by Roland Berger for the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, global plastic consumption has increased in tandem with the worldwide gross do-

mestic product. Per the report, approximately 460 million tonnes of various plastics are introduced into the market annually, with about 360 million tonnes of plastic waste generated worldwide.

“This surge in plastic waste poses a significant global environmental challenge, given that 70% of this waste remains uncollected, leaks into the environment, is dumped in landfills or openly burned,” Berger wrote. “In North America, roughly 75% of plastic waste is landfilled and 5% recycled.”

Hopes for the Future of REUZE

Heggs hopes to implement more alternative packaging into REUZE’s products in the future to help mitigate plastic use and waste.

Heggs hopes to implement more alternative packaging into REUZE’s products in the future to help mitigate plastic use and waste.

One of the replacements she’s interested in is mycelium, which is the durable and fast-growing root structure of fungi.

The REUZE co-founder also wants to combat electronic waste.

According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), a record-breaking 62 million tonnes of e-waste– any scrapped product

OUR EARTH

containing a battery or plug– were produced worldwide in 2022. She hopes to introduce an e-recycling initiative that encourages residents who are moving homes to donate unwanted electronics.

With the company’s current and future resources, Heggs has faith that REUZE will help people be more environmentally conscious in their everyday lives.

“Thinking about how you’re moving could be that thing to kind of change the trajectory of the things you do,” Heggs told The Informer. “Do I get it right every time? No, I hate those paper straws... but if you make things more accessible to consumers, to people, then they’re more inclined to want to do something.” WI

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Two Rivers PCS is soliciting price quotes for landscaping and snow removal services. To request a copy of the RFP, email Gail Williams at procurement@tworiverspcs.org. Proposals are due by September 5, 2025.

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SEPTEMBER 24–28, 2025

EDUCATION

PHONE BAN from Page 1

Education. “It’s the students who feel like they need their phones on a regular basis.”

This shift mirrors a growing national trend.

In recent years, districts across at least a dozen states, including Florida, California, Texas, Minnesota, and Virginia, have adopted restrictions on student phone use. These policies are often framed as efforts to reduce classroom distractions, combat bullying, and address student mental health concerns.

Some schools have reported improved focus, while critics argue that such bans fail to address deeper issues like curriculum engagement, digital equity, and student-teacher trust.

In D.C., the ban comes as part of a broader effort by school leaders and

city officials to reduce distractions and refocus students’ attention. However, the policy rollout has sparked questions about how it will be enforced, whether schools have the resources to manage it, and whether it addresses the underlying causes of student disengagement.

“[Students] felt they used their phones for more than just social media,” Patterson told The Informer. “They felt that grown-ups couldn’t understand how they could be used as instructional tools.”

The Board of Education president admits the transition may be bumpy.

“I think this is going to be an uneasy transition period for everybody – the teachers, the educators, the parents, and the students,” he said. “There will be some hiccups, but I think we’ll get over those. And in the long run, students’ attention will be more turned toward school and not distracted by

the potential distractions of a phone.”

‘There’s So Much Value in How to Leverage Your Phone as a Tool to Get Ahead’

For some students like Atrayu Lee, a rising senior at Thurgood Marshall Public Charter High School, the ban won’t be a significant shift, as his current school already collects phones daily. However, he said his previous experience at Bard Early College High School, where students were allowed

to keep their phones, helped shape his views.

“I feel like DCPS is banning phones because students aren’t paying attention,” Atrayu told The Informer. “But if the coursework were interesting, or we were being taught in a way that students want to pay attention to, I think the phones wouldn’t be a problem.”

The soon-to-be 12th grader feels the phone is just a symptom.

“If you look in the classrooms,” he added, “the teachers that students aren’t fond of, they’ll be on their phones more. But when it’s a teacher who teaches with passion… students naturally pay more attention.”

Brandon Best, Ward 6 representative on the State Board and one of the few who voted against the ban, is also concerned about the lack of cell phone usage in the classroom.

“We’re moving toward a society where there’s so much value in how to leverage your phone as a tool to get ahead,” Best said. “And I just believe we aren’t setting the right examples by trying to eliminate something because we may have seen some hiccups.”

Instead of banning phones outright, Best believes the district should have invested in professional development and support for teachers to learn how to use them meaningfully in instruction.

“Our school district hasn’t provided professional development or training on how to leverage cell phones to improve instruction,” he told The Informer. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Both Best and Atrayu said that banning phones won’t stop the behaviors administrators are trying to curb.

“The students told us straight up that everything they do on their phones, they can do on their school laptops,” Best said. “So what’s the real problem? It’s not the tool, it’s the behavior.”

3Despite the cell phone ban working to prevent distractions, some education advocates and students alike note that cell phone use can be a helpful tool for learning. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

Having been in an environment where phones are already confiscated, Atrayu confirmed that not much truly changes.

“If you look at your phone, it’s basically a small computer. So even if we ban phones, students can still message each other from their computers,” he said. “The behavior doesn’t go away just because you take the phone.”

Brace for Transition:

‘It’s Like They’re Stripping Away Contact’

While Patterson supports the ban, he explained the logistical complications schools will face, particularly when it comes to enforcement and infrastructure.

“We’re talking about thousands of phones now,” he said. “I don’t think every single LEA (local education agency) has the bandwidth to safeguard those phones. If you lose a phone, you’re responsible for it. Most phones are very expensive, and the manpower just isn’t there in every school.”

Best also raised concerns, noting the demands the policy places on under-resourced schools.

“Last time I checked, this was an unfunded mandate,” he said. “Schools, especially smaller ones, don’t have the money or infrastructure to do what this ban requires, like installing phone lockers or hiring people to manage collection.”

For students and families, the change brings not only logistical concerns but emotional ones, especially around communication and safety.

“Phones are communication. That’s what they were built for,” Atrayu said. “And it’s like they’re stripping away contact from parents, from anybody important. Sometimes you just need to contact your parents. The main office can be inconsistent and not swift enough.”

At a youth concert event held at Stanton Recreation Center in Ward 8, as a loud band played in the background, Cleopatra Green-Clarke, a parent and teacher’s assistant at The Children’s Guild DC Public Charter School, stood with her two children and voiced her concern and neutral stance.

“The school my kids go to already

PHONE BAN Page 25

EDUCATION

PHONE BAN from Page 24

uses the Yondr pouches, so they’re already accustomed to not having their phones on them at all times. But for them to be completely taken away, I don’t know how I feel about that,” she told The Informer. “I work at a school too, and we collect the kids’ phones. It helps with attention, because if they’re on their phones while we’re teaching, they’re distracted. I get it. However, I don’t think they should be completely locked away. If there’s an emergency, I can’t get to my kids. I have to wait for a staff member or administrator to call me and let me know something happened. So, a full phone ban? I’m not with that. But I understand.”

Despite concerns about contact, Patterson said schools will be required to develop emergency communication procedures.

“We want to reassure parents that in the case of an emergency, the school will have procedures to contact them in a timely manner,” he said.

Green-Clarke’s daughter, Heaven Woodson, a rising senior at Paul Public Charter School, said her school already has a phone policy in place and she said many of her peers are none too pleased.

“Honestly,” she said, “[the response has] been negative.”

Heaven feels that a ban is not necessary for all students.

“I support it for kids who can’t concentrate without their phones,” Heaven told The Informer. “But I know me and some other kids can, so it feels kind of unfair for people who hav en’t really done anything. But it is what it is.”

Students Feel Ignored: ‘If We Want Real Change, We Have to Meet Stu dents Where They Are’

For many students, what con cerns them most is the sense that adults are out of touch with how integral phones are to student life, not just socially, but ed ucationally and emotion ally.

Atrayu worries that decision-makers ignored the voices of those most affected.

“We had the agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, now it’s the next revolution,” he said. “To forcefully ban phones, something so crucial to a teenager’s life, just because you think it’ll make them more engaged, it’s just not true. And it’s not worth the drama.”

The rising senior believes there is a better solution, one rooted in listening, not restricting. Rather than enforcing a top-down policy, he said school leaders should have worked with students to understand why phones are being used in the first place.

“The better solution would’ve been to use the summertime to host meetings, workshops, and roundups. Bring DCPS students in and ask: ‘Why aren’t you engaged?’” Atrayu said. “But instead, they enforced a rule with no input from any DCPS student. If DCPS genuinely cared, there would’ve been some sort of space where they’re directly contacting the students on a large scale.”

Best emphasized that unless schools confront deeper issues of engagement and trust, the long-term impact of the ban will fall short.

“These phones aren’t going away,” he said. “When students go off to college or enter the workforce, they’ll still need to know how to manage them. We’re missing the opportunity to teach discipline and responsibility by simply removing the tool.”

For Best, real progress means more than restriction.

“If we want real change, we have to meet students where they are,” he said, “not just take away the tools

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Trump’s Takeover of D.C. Policing Reveals Urgent Need for Statehood

Showing Racist Undertones in His Attacks on American Cities Led by Black Mayors

President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) should alarm those who value democracy and local self-determination.

Even though Trump’s own U.S. Justice Department reports violent crime in Washington has decreased to a 30-year low— with total violent crime down 35% in 2024 and homicides down 32%, marking the lowest level since the early 1990s— the president ignored local progress to enforce his authority.

Meanwhile, in states he won in 2024, overall violent crime rose by 4.5% nationwide, with murders increasing 14.5% year-over-year— trends that contradict his selective law-and-order rhetoric.

Calling it a “historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor,” Trump framed D.C. as chaotic and beyond hope.

He also cast similar aspersions on

other Black-led cities—Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, and Oakland.

“You look at Chicago, how bad it is. You look at Los Angeles, how bad it is. We have other cities in a very bad situation, New York is a problem. And then you have, of course, Baltimore and Oakland,” the president said. “We don’t even mention that anymore. They’re so far gone. We’re not going to let it happen.”

This rhetoric reveals a pattern of targeting cities led by Black officials with racially charged language that undermines progress and local authority.

Meanwhile, residents of Washington, D.C.—hundreds of thousands of people of color who pay federal taxes, serve in the military, and contribute to the nation’s life— continue to lack congressional representation and remain vulnerable to federal overreach. No other jurisdiction would allow a president to take control of its police; only D.C.’s

First Ladies’ Calls

First Lady Melania Trump is rarely seen or heard from compared to other presidential spouses who publicly promoted their causes, ranging from a “Just Say No” anti-drug use campaign to women’s rights, literacy, health care, and childhood obesity, to name a few.

Yes, during her husband’s first term in the White House, the first lady launched “Be Best,” an anti-cyberbullying campaign which she continues to promote, but the public relations has been low-key, to say the least.

This week, however, as her husband met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a letter she wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin made headlines. In it, while not specifically speaking about the war in Ukraine, she called on Putin to protect the innocence of children, who she described “are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them – a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future.”

“Mr. Putin,” she wrote, “you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter.”

unique lack of statehood has made this possible.

Trump’s actions and rhetoric show that statehood for D.C. is not just symbolic; it’s vital for securing fundamental civil rights, democratic independence, and the ability to govern without political interference.

Until D.C. becomes the 51st state, its residents will remain second-class— vulnerable to racist power plays, with their hard-earned gains at risk of being wiped out overnight.

Rep. Oye Owolewa, D.C.’s shadow representative, emphasized the need for statehood to prevent politicians like Trump intervening in the District’s affairs.

“Only through D.C. statehood can we ensure that our public safety policies are guided by the will of our people,” Owolewa said in a statement, “not the political ambitions of a president who doesn’t live here, doesn’t represent us, and doesn’t answer to our voters.” WI

for Child Protection are Not Enough

Mrs. Trump’s letter was posted by her husband on his social media website, Truth Social, and according to Trump, the letter was “very well-received” by Putin, who he met with on Aug. 15 in an unsuccessful effort to strike a deal with the Russian president to end the war in Ukraine. Unlike the letter from Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska thanking Mrs. Trump for her appeal to protect children that was publicly presented to Trump during their meeting, no report indicates that the first lady’s letter was actually presented or received by Putin. And following Trump’s meeting with Putin, Russia continued to douse Ukraine with bombs, killing hundreds of people including children.

The devastation of the war in Ukraine and its impact on children is being tracked by international organizations that allege Russia is forcibly removing, abusing, and deporting children and denying them the ability to communicate with their families.

The stories and images of innocent child victims of war, not only in Ukraine, but also in Gaza, Palestine,

Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and too many more places around the world, deserve an outcry much louder than what these two first ladies are offering. Most of these children are Black and brown, suffering in countries that are unable or unwilling to invest in their futures.

Mrs. Trump closes her missive with an appeal that leaders across the world, including in the U.S., should execute immediately: that they can protect children and serve humanity “with a stroke of the pen.”

But children cannot wait for letters, photo ops, or symbolic gestures. Their futures are being erased in real time. World leaders must turn compassion into policy — demanding accountability from aggressors, funding humanitarian relief, and prioritizing children over politics. And we, as citizens, cannot sit idle. We must raise our voices, pressure our representatives, and support organizations working to keep children safe. Because every day of inaction is another day stolen from a child’s future — and silence is no longer an option. WI

TO THE EDITOR

“I hear the police department is being federalized. It’s ironic that the person who pardoned the mob that assaulted police and trashed the Capitol is going to be MPD’s commander. The chief is supposed to set the tone; in this case I hope not.”

Stephen Arbuthnot Retired MPD

Great to read stories that impact and bring awareness.

Tommy T.

Readers’ Mailbox

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

Holding a Vision

A few months before the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s official opening in September 2016, Dr. Rex M. Ellis, the museum’s founding associate director for curatorial affairs, spoke to college-aged servant-leaders who were preparing to teach in Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools summer programs. The museum was the

realization of a dream that had been a very long time coming, beginning more than a century earlier with Black Civil War veterans seeking a place to memorialize their contributions to our nation, and the ultimate work of constructing and completing the final vision seemed to mirror some of the stories shared inside its walls, requiring faith, determination and persistence.

Dr. Ellis described some of the joy and triumph his colleagues felt as they neared the finish line:

“When we began back in 2005, we had nothing. We had no building. We

D.C. has always been there for D.C., despite having to grapple with one of the largest wealth gaps in the country and a lack of statehood. The District is not the dangerous place that President Trump purports it to be. Are changes needed? Absolutely. Traumatizing our communities or criminalizing our youth and neighbors for a political agenda will bring

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said, “None of us is born to hate; intolerance is taught and can be untaught.” In March 2015, then-House Speaker John Boehner sent a formal letter to the Vatican, inviting Pope Francis to address a joint session of Congress. With his acceptance, the pope’s U.S. visit in September 2015 marked the first time a reigning

Marian Wright Edelman

had no collections. We had no land to put a building on and very little money. We had a very small staff of about three people ... Many said it could not be done. ‘How are you going to raise over $540 million and a building that you say will have over 300,000 square feet and seven stories? It’s too much,’ they said. ‘It can’t be done,’ they said. ‘It will certainly take more time to build, and what about collections? How are you going to find a world-class collection? Most of the stuff worth having museums have already collected. You’re not going to get

Guest Columnists

the good stuff.’” The audience began cheering as he kept speaking. “We’ve got Chuck Berry’s Cadillac, but that’s not all. We’ve got Maybelline, his guitar. But that’s not all. We got hip-hop artist Chuck D’s jacket. The original funkmaster George Clinton, we got his Mothership. We got Prince’s tambourine. We got Nat Turner’s Bible. We got Harriet Tubman’s shawl. We got Radio Raheem’s boombox from ‘Do the Right Thing.’ We got a training plane flown by Tuskegee Airmen. We got the Olympic torch that Muhammad Ali signed in the 1996

Income Equality, Not More Police, Will End Crime in D.C.

a fight they don’t see coming.

Decades of research show that increasing police and the police budget is not an effective or cost-efficient way of handling crime. Crime is not about certain people being inherently more criminal or less intelligent but about social and economic factors brought about by the wealthy elite. Wealth inequality is a leading component of violent crime, and in D.C., the wealth gap is substantial.

When you look at the top 10 cit-

ies for homicide per capita, which do not include D.C., these cities also have the country’s largest wealth gaps. Conversely, cities with the most equal wealth distribution have the fewest homicides per capita. This consistent link between wealth inequality and crime has been proven time and again, so why do we keep increasing police budgets to fight crime? The answer is simple. There is a lot of money in weapons, defense and so-called public safety. The United States has built a prison-industrial empire with

20% of the world’s prisoners but only 5% of the population. By stoking fear, those in power keep us turning over control, letting the federal government dictate policies instead of fighting for true statehood. Many stand to profit from criminalizing D.C. and other cities on Trump’s hit list. The private prison industry is booming, providing cheap labor for corporations eager to exploit imprisoned workers.

Over the past three months, more than 300,000 Black women across

Games in Atlanta, his headgear, his training robe, and on and on and on ... We never stopped believing that we could do it. We could build this museum. We could make it happen. We didn’t give up, didn’t turn back, didn’t listen to those who said that we would fail, and the more people saw and experienced our belief, they caught the fever too.”

He then explained how this alone should inspire this group of young teachers: “Believe me, if we can build a museum ... there’s nothing that you

pontiff had ever spoken before the nation’s highest legislative body. There are moments in our daily routine where many of us fail to stop and recognize that a highly significant event has just occurred. That speech was one of those moments.

In the 1920s, such a speech would have been unthinkable. Lost in the excitement of the pope’s visit was the fact that past generations of Protestant Americans maintained a deep hostility against people of the Roman Catholic faith. The warm reception extended to Pope Francis by members of Congress

illustrated how far we have progressed concerning the subject of religious intolerance toward Catholics. For centuries, the Roman Catholic pope was neither respected nor a trusted figure in America. Many white Protestants were fearful and mistrustful, believing that the pope, if given the opportunity, would seize control of the U.S. government. That belief, combined with other far-fetched fabrications, perpetuated deep animosities against individuals based on their religious views. Different viewpoints on the Bible and the debate over the role of the pope led to

a profound divide between Catholics and Protestant Christians. Despite being a nation built on the principle of religious liberty and freedom, a culture of religious intolerance, hatred and anti-Catholic bigotry was like a growing cancer spreading throughout a young nation.

The magnitude of cultural influences on an individual’s life cannot be taken lightly. Culture is an accumulation of knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors, which distinguishes one group of people from another. Culture is a way of life in which beliefs and val-

the nation have lost or left their federal jobs, a figure rarely reported in the mainstream. Meanwhile, in D.C., approximately 28,000 people stand to lose Medicaid and will likely face new, strict monthly work requirements just to maintain coverage under alternative plans. Once again, women of color and communities of color are bearing the brunt of this administration’s fallout. These devastating employment and health care

ues are passed from one generation to the next. The social traditions of a particular culture are communicated and transmitted through our language, architecture, institutions, religion, teachings, music, dance, arts, dress, cuisine, social habits, symbols, prized heroes, media and politics. Culture defines a particular region or area. It shapes what we believe to be right or wrong, as well as what is perceived to be acceptable or unacceptable. Through their culture, many people become conditioned and

Guest Columnist

King Trump’s Takeover!

He’s sent in more National Guard members — something he refused to do when his buddies he told he loved them trashed our Capitol and killed and injured police officers — then hired one of them to a high-level position in the U.S. Department of Justice! He seems to believe in law and order only when he decides the defini-

tion of law and order. He has normalized anyone who is trained or not to act like police officers who are trained to handle our cities. He seems especially gleeful about taking over Washington because our mayor and our police chief are Black women!

He has taken over our beloved Kennedy Center, expressing his grievance of never having been honored there. He said he wanted one, but never got one so maybe next year (with him in charge and being 98% in charge of what goes

on there). He will serve as host as he takes over our beloved Kennedy Center. (I am not making this up!)

Now he’s reviewing the Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, to determine if the museums are displaying anything that conflicts with his views! The White House has targeted the Smithsonian for historical rewrite. God help us with the actions of what is called a president who did warn us that we may never have an election again.

We see as he beefs up his authoritarian helpers (Pam Bondi, Pete Hegseth, Judge Jeanine Pirro — a television personality!). He has federalized our police and said he can extend his invasion without Congress’ approval. He’s acting like the king the Supreme Court authorized him to be! Of course, the wise women (Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan) were not a part of that vote!

Old Clarence was right up there with the Trumpers! Following after

that brother (notice I used a lower-case ‘b’), the one from South Carolina (another small brother with a small b), Tim Scott, instead of forgetting that Trump looked past him for his Cabinet, is right back in the game supporting bossman Trump.

He actually said to me: “Friend, I’m gonna shoot straight with you. The radical left is moving like a bat out of hell to sabotage the president’s agenda. And now we’re

Federal Overreach Seeks to Undermine the Success of America’s Black Mayors

vention, and healing.” — Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott

“Public safety is people having a roof over their heads, good-paying jobs, strong schools, and accessible mental health care. That’s what safety looks like.” — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

“The status quo has failed. We cannot police our way out of crime. We have to invest in people, pre-

American cities reflect the soul of the nation. From their skylines and cultural institutions to their small businesses and neighborhoods, cities are where American identity is built, tested and transformed. They are global symbols of innovation, diversity, and resilience, and their leadership is central to the nation’s future.

For generations, Black mayors have shaped that future by fighting for equity, accountability, and justice. Their leadership has centered mar-

ginalized communities and expanded access to opportunity. Today, that legacy is as vital as ever.

This past week, misleading statements from national leadership describing the District of Columbia as overtaken by “violent gangs,” “roving mobs of wild youth,” and “druggedout maniacs” evoked a familiar and troubling pattern. Once again, fearbased narratives are being used to justify federal overreach and to undermine local governance, particularly in cities led by Black mayors. These attacks are not only factually inaccu-

Your Vote Matters, But Voting Is Not Enough

“The political philosophy of black nationalism only means that the black man should control the politics and the politicians in his own community. The time when white people can come in our community and get us to vote for them so that they can be our political leaders and tell us what to do and what not to do is long gone. By the same token, the time when that same

white man, knowing that your eyes are too far open, can send another negro into the community, get you and me to support him so he can use him to lead us astray, those days are long gone too.” — Malcolm X, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” April 3, 1964

In theory, the fundamental premise of American democracy is “one person, one vote.” Under the original concept of Jeffersonian Democracy, in most states access to the franchise was limited to white males who owned at least a 50-acre plot of land. Toward the end of the 18th century and early into

the 19th century, states began lifting the property and education requirements for white males. African Americans were legally granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1870. Women were granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.

Even though the franchise had become constitutionally protected for African Americans, in many states, especially in the South and Midwest, African Americans faced state-enforced systemic disenfranchisement. Article

rate, but they are also politically motivated, racially coded, and historically rooted.

Across the country, Black mayors are demonstrating that community-based leadership is effective and transformative. The work of mayors past and present illustrates a sustained commitment to justice, even in the face of systemic barriers and public criticism.

In the 1970s, Detroit Mayor Coleman Young eliminated the city’s notoriously violent STRESS unit and implemented one of the earliest

models of community policing. He understood that policing without accountability erodes public trust.

In New Orleans, my father, Ernest “Dutch” Morial, fought to integrate city departments and create more equitable access to public services. As the city’s first Black mayor, he laid a foundation for representative governance at the local level.

During my own two terms as New Orleans mayor, our investments in innovative youth programs and a

I, Section 4, Clause 1, of the Constitution — known as the “Elections Clause” — gives state legislatures the power to prescribe the “times, places and manner” of holding elections for senators and representatives. There are other constitutional provisions that address presidential elections.

For decades, state-enforced, systemic disenfranchisement was the order of the day in many states across the country. Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. These laws affected all aspects of everyday life for African

Americans, from impacting the ability to go to school, access to housing, employment, travel and access to public accommodations to voting. The implementation of literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clauses and direct personal physical intimidation were all tools used to keep African Americans from voting.

Congress and the Supreme Court came to the rescue (or so it was thought) with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting

LIFESTYLE

Things To Do, DMV!

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

This weekend is all about embracing creativity, community, and reconnecting with one’s self, coupled with events like a creative wellness series, Arts and Culture Fest, and the unique opportunity to explore the legacy of Black arts in D.C.

Whether in the mood for something chill or exhilarating, here’s a guide to all the fun around the DMV this weekend, and remember to check out even more happenings in the Washington Informer Calendar.

Thursday, Aug. 21

Art and Memory: Telling Your Story

Through Creativity

10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Free Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE, Washington, D.C., 20020

Celebrate the power of storytelling and creativity with the Anacostia Community Museum, hosting “A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education.”

Using engaging stories, vibrant exhibits, and hands-on art activities, children will explore the legacy of Black arts education in Washington, D.C., building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for artistic expression.

Plus, discover how D.C.’s most influential artists and educators wove

Community College Preparatory Academy, Public Charter School Notice of Intent to Enter Sole Source Award GW Medicine – Department of Innovative Practice

The Community College Preparatory Academy has a need for GW Medicine – Department of Innovative Practice to provide Emergency Medical Training services. This includes the provision of medical equipment, instructional and administrative personnel, and demonstration space. These services are crucial to support the School’s operations as this Contractor offers highly specialized, critical support which is especially necessary as we continue to adopt a new performance metrics framework. Additionally, Contractors in the DC Metro Area with the capacity and licensure necessary to perform this work are few. The estimated cost of these services is $117,000.

their family, community, and personal experiences into their work. Then, guests can create meaningful pieces incorporating portraits or photos from their own life, connecting their story to the legacy of Black arts education.

How to Survive and Thrive After a Job Loss

6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. | $5.00+

Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road Mt. Rainier, MD 20712

Seeking the motivation, optimism, energy and focus to search for new employment?

With “FLOURISH: A Creative Wellness Series,” learn strategies to overcome negative emotions and regain energy, focus, confidence and perseverance.

FLOURISH is more than just a wellness series—it’s a space where creativity and care intersect, fostering resilience in uncertain times. This three-part workshop aims to stimulate the creative economy by offering activities, projects, and workshops led by wellness facilitators, artists, and teachers.

Get back on track and aim for employment that leads to success and satisfaction!

Workshop passes are on a paywhat-you-wish scale, starting at $5.00, with a goal to support a larger audience, especially those who have lost employment, in accessing wellness.

Friday, Aug. 22

GOODProjects Back-to-School Carnival

4 p.m. - 8 p.m. | Free King-Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20024

Let’s kick off the school year with a celebration!

Presented by GOODProjects and

community partners, this free backto-school carnival is packed with fun for the whole family, bringing joy, supplies, and community love all to one place.

In addition to free backpacks and school supplies, attendees can enjoy engaging in games, face painting and kids activities, while basking in live music, DJs and more giveaways, including city resources.

Whether a parent, student, or resident of Southwest, come through and get ready for a positive school year surrounded by support and good energy!

Experience South Africa Through Music

7:30 p.m. | Free Reston Town Center, 11900 Market Street, Reston, VA 20190

Join Sankofa Foundation, Inc., for a spectacular live performance featuring America’s Got Talent 2023 alumni group, Mzansi Youth Choir.

The event is part of the inaugural KidzAFest Cultural Exchange, running Aug. 17-31 and also featuring performances by Ugandan dance team Ghetto Kids.

With a means to foster meaningful human connection and inspire youth engagement in the arts, the evening of cultural celebration promises a firsthand look at the rhythm and harmony of the South African spirit.

Saturday, Aug. 23

District of Creativity: Arts and Culture Fest Noon | Free Oxon Run Park Amphitheater, 1200 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, D.C., 20032

District of Creativity: Arts & Culture Fest is a vibrant, one-day celebration transforming the Oxon Run Park amphitheater into a dynamic hub for

3Nearly two weeks after dozens of Washingtonians gathered for the “Save our Museum” rally and and march on Aug. 9, in support of preserving the Anacostia Community Museum, the Southeast hub is inviting families to learn about the history of Black arts in D.C., and create their own meaningful pieces of artwork on Aug. 21. (Courtesy Photo)

artistic expression, cultural pride, and community connection East of the River.

The festival creates equitable opportunities for local artists and youth to showcase their talents, engage with neighbors, and spark meaningful dialogue—while also uplifting small businesses and vital community resources.

As funding for arts programming continues to decline across the District, communities east of the Anacostia River are facing an urgent need for sustained cultural investment. District of Creativity responds to this gap— providing a joyful, empowering space where creativity, community, and opportunity converge.

Event highlights include: live entertainment and painting, fashion, vendors, and networking.

The National Hip-Hop Honors 2025 Noon | $55.20

Woolly Mammoth, 641 D Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20004

Join in the celebration as The National Hip-Hop Museum (NHHM) honors Kid ‘n Play, Jungle Brothers, DJ Red Alert, Dana Dane, Kwamé, Sweet Tee and DJ Hollywood at this grand induction ceremony/concert event, which will include live honoree canvases.

From noon to 4 p.m., Virginia-born rapper Big Pooh and Detroit-based producer Apollo Brown will host The Beat Konductaz Beat Battle, as Dj DVS live-crafts a cake into a hip-hop edible creation.

Throughout the day, attendees can visit the interactive exhibit of rare hip-hop artifacts from NHHM’s vast collection, such as vintage posters, one-of-a-kind stage worn jackets,

from Page 1

the memory of the late Godfather of Go-Go, but also emphasizing the unifying and healing power of music despite challenging times in the District, nation and world.

“What’s going on today is a community celebration,” Thennie Freeman, director of D.C.’s Department of Parks and Recreation, told The Informer. “There’s a healing power in music and we’re just happy that people came together and we’re excited [we were able] to put together a community event.”

Amid tensions, protests and heightened law enforcement after the Trump administration deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C. in a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Chuck Brown Day was a celebration of District culture and music, featuring performances from celebrated go-go bands: Black Alley, Trouble Funk, Be’la Dona, and The Chuck Brown Band.

Food vendors and exhibitors were on site and students could take home free school supplies, available through The Chuck Brown Foundation.

Brown is widely lauded for pioneering the go-go genre, a unique funk-based sound that originated in Washington, D.C. in the mid-1960’s to 1970’s, that he developed with his band, The Soul Searchers.

Despite his death in May 2012, his legacy lives on through his music and its ability to bring many people together in the name of the go-go swing and more.

“Today’s about celebrating our community, our history, and the sound of our city,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel

Bowser.

Keeping Brown’s Legacy Alive

As the crowd jammed to musical performances, they also witnessed internationally-acclaimed artist Demont Pinder in action, creating a portrait that honored Brown’s life and legacy–ahead of what would have been his 89th birthday on Aug. 22.

“It’s very important for us to come out here and celebrate this man because he gave so much to us,” Pinder told The Informer as he worked on his Brown installation. “He gave us a whole genre of music, so the least we could do is come out and celebrate [him] like it’s one big family reunion… if this was the energy 365 days a year, l think the world would be a beautiful place.”

For Wiley Brown, one of the late musician’s sons and lead singer of the Chuck Brown Band, taking the stage to honor his father is always a significant moment, but particularly during the annual celebration that highlights his memory.

“l’ve been listening to my dad practicing every night since I was a little kid,” he told The Informer. “For me to be able to be in this position now, it’s almost like life has come full circle.

The son and performer, who was also featured on “Ready to Love” Season 6, said his family appreciates all of the love that the community has shown his father during his life and more than a decade after his death.

“It means the world to me and my family,” he said. “It’s nothing like seeing so much love for my dad and the music that he created. [It’s been] 13 years

LIFESTYLE

5Black Alley performs at the 11th Annual Chuck

(Demarco Rush/The Washington Informer) [since] he passed away, it’s insane how much of an impact that he’s left on all the people through his music.”

Go-Go has now been enshrined in D.C.’s history through the Go-Go Music of the District of Columbia Designation Act of 2019, signed by Bowser, making the genre the official sound of the District.

“I know my dad is up there smiling down [seeing] how much love and support that go-go music has,” he said. “For them to put the stamp on it, it’s here to stay and it’s here to grow and keep going and going and going, because that’s what go-go is all about. Once it gets started, it doesn’t stop.”

As a D.C. native, attendee Antonio Cabbagestalk said he felt obligated to be part of the annual Chuck Brown Day celebration.

“I’m here because I’m a Washing-

tonian, and l’m a go-go fan,” Cabbagestalk told The Informer. “D.C. is the home city of go-go, so I [have] to be here to represent my city.”

Cabbagestalk noted the event was a great way to highlight the beauty of D.C. culture, particularly as the Trump administration continues to say nega-

tive things about the District in terms of crime, neighborhoods, unhoused residents and more.

“[Chuck Brown Day brought] people together. People came out, they partied, had a real good time, and enjoyed themselves,” he said. “That’s what life is all about.” WI

AL LETSON DIRECTED BY NICOLE BREWER

THINGS TO DO from Page 30

The Hip-Hop Declaration of Peace by KRS-ONE, and Gold and Platinum RIAA Awards, with each item possessing a scannable QR code that unlocks rare and unique hip-hop videos.

Additionally, browse through a pop-up experience with specialty items, including limited edition posters, t-shirts, hats, rare action figures and trading cards.

Don’t miss out on a chance to learn, explore and embrace the genre that’s shaped history!

Sunday, Aug. 24

Rooftop Yogalates: A Sunday Kind of Love 11 a.m. | $28.52

Washington Marriott Capitol Hill Terrace, 175 L St NE, Washington, D.C., 20002

This feel-good, low-impact workout combines the mindfulness of yoga with core-strengthening elements of Pilates–amplified by the views of D.C. Set to popular hip-hop and R&B sounds, the journey begins with gentle breathwork and body awareness before transitioning into rhythmic, flowing movements designed to enhance posture, core strength, and stability.

There will be wellness vendors showcasing products to maintain wellness post-session, along with an opportunity to connect with other like-minded individuals after the class.

All attendees have to do is bring their own mat and enjoy the rest–from pilates rings/resistance bands to the good vibes, communal experience, and great views every Sunday needs!

WI

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) invite you to review information about a proposed change in limited access control to Washington Boulevard (Route 27) along the east side of the 2nd Street South interchange

FHWA, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, proposes to construct operational and safety improvements to the Hatfield Gate intersection at 2nd Street South and Washington Boulevard, requiring the existing Washington Boulevard limited access lines to be adjusted to accommodate the proposed additional lane with shoulder on the westbound Washington Boulevard exit ramp to the gate. This project will involve changes in limited access control.

Materials are available for review online at https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/Hatfield or by contacting the FHWA Project Manager, Ms Eden Jemal, at 202-924-8897 or TTY/TDD 711.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will consider the proposed limited access change at a future meeting.

If your concerns cannot be satisfied, VDOT is willing to hold a public hearing You may request that a public hearing be held by sending a written request to Ms Eden Jemal, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, 22001 Loudoun County Parkway, Building E2, Suite 200, Ashburn, VA 20147 on or prior to September 9, 2025. If upon receiving public comments it is deemed necessary to hold a public hearing, notice of date, time and place of the hearing will be posted.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT Civil Rights at 703-259-1775 or TTY/TDD 711

TAKEOVER from Page1

forces, many of whom are covering their faces as they engage community members.

“We need our kids really listening because this is a life-or-death situation,” said Johnson-Law, a mother and Ward 8 SBOE representative. “This is a state of emergency. Traveling gives me so much worry for kids [and] some of them self-medicate [smoke cannabis]… a lot of times at the bus stop or Metro, and I don’t think that’s the time for that.”

On Aug. 14, Johnson-Law counted among hundreds of audience members at the rainbow graduation that D.C. Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) and D.C. Charter School Alliance hosted in the auditorium of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library in Northwest. As she and several other elected officials and education leaders celebrated the successes of those who spent the summer completing their high

school education, Johnson-Law thought, and attempted to speak with the recent graduates, about the road ahead during such a precarious time in the nation’s history.

“They’re trying to figure it out,” Johnson-Law said. “When I talked to them about this safety issue, they weren’t hesitant [but] they said they knew where we were coming from.”

While much of the conversation since President Donald J. Trump’s return to the White House has centered on D.C.’s lack of statehood, Johnson-Law told The Informer that District leaders need a “come to Jesus” moment about what they haven’t done to address inequities keeping young people mired in cycles of poverty, illiteracy and criminality.

“The council went back and forth, and they’re passing different laws [to address crime] but when I look at the proficiency rates in the Black community, for reading and math, how is that not a crisis?”

Johnson-Law told The Informer. “We have programs for our Black and Brown communities east of the Anacostia River, but these communities have experienced decades and decades and decades of not getting what they need.”

Johnson-Law spoke about plans in the works for a yet-to-be-announced town hall she said will help community members bring longstanding issues to the forefront.

In the interim, she continues to visit Ward 8 schools and assess what resources school officials need to properly facilitate safe passage programs this school year. As she continues to engage adults, she encourages District adults to support the youth in whichever way possible -- even if that’s giving an open ear.

the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), but the litany of

administration’s federal takeover of MPD. (WI File Photo)

“I think we’re afraid to talk to the youth,” Johnson-Law told The Informer. “Some of our children have been sexually abused. Some of our children are in parenting roles in their household. And then you have some parents who are doing everything they can. It’s a mixed bag, but we need more of the majority talking to our students.”

The Fight to Protect Young People Lands at Least One Activist Behind Bars

Last week, MPD declared Navy TAKEOVER Page 35

Nigerian Shawarma Captures Taste Buds in Downtown Silver Spring

Brenda C. Siler

WI Contributing Writer

Open almost a year, Laud Shawarma, a Nigerian restaurant located inside Solaire Social food hall in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, 8200 Dixon Avenue, serves a variety of tasty Nigerian dishes that is not only filling, but offers a memorable experience.

“Laud means ‘loud, lively, boisterous,’” said Kaosarat ‘Kozy’ Fawehinm, the restaurant’s owner and chef. “It’s a feeling I want people to have.”

The unique menu at Laud Shawarma offers a twist on many shawarma places, with rolled tortillas, available in two sizes, similar to burritos or enchiladas. The choice of proteins includes beef, chicken, shrimp, and fish variations, as well as vegetarian and plant-based options made with seasoned and

marinated tofu or mushrooms.

Both the shrimp and the mushroom shawarmas are moist with crunchy cabbage rolled in, and just enough spice.

Sides include jollof rice, sweet potato fries, and a soft bread from Lagos, Nigeria, known as Agege, a fluffy and buttery West African bread made with flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and vegan butter.

All of the shawarmas are wrapped with cabbage and the special 1981 sauce, representing the year that Fawehinm was born, and regardless which option diners try, many dishes are a bit spicy.

“Nigerian shawarma tastes very different,” said Fawehinm. “It’s creamy, mayo-based, and spicy.”

Diner Valerie Amafujo Simmons had the tuna melt shawarma, and experienced the surprise spice firsthand.

“The tuna melt was good, but a

little bit on the spicy side,” Simmons told The Informer.

While dishes have a kick, Laud Shawarma serves refreshing drinks such as: Fura, a creamy Nigerian smoothie featuring Greek yogurt and millet; iBile Almond Milkshake, a dairy-free milkshake made with almond milk, vanilla, honey, and water; and Zobo, a refreshing iced hibiscus drink made with hibiscus tea leaves, cloves, ginger, and pineapple.

Laud Shawarma’s menu offers breakfast from 8:00 a.m. to noon., special-priced lunch specials served from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and regular-priced selections until closing at 9 p.m. The restaurant also offers catering for group events.

Further, the food is plentiful at Laud Shawarma, giving guests enough food for leftovers.

Rave reviews stand out on the

Laud Shawrama social media sites.

“I came here before my trip to Africa,” one social media user said on Instagram. “The food was on fire! The flavor, the spices, the vibe––unmatched.”

Laud Shawarma is located at 802 Dixon Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, inside Solaire Social Food Hall. Phone number: Call: 301-454-9597. WI @bcscomm

EDDIE PALMIERI TRIBUTE • BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET • MARCUS MILLER • LALAH HATHAWAY • RON CARTER QUARTET • THE STRING QUEENS THE JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO • THE BAYLOR PROJECT • CECILE MCLORIN SALVANT • EMMET COHEN TRIO • GARY BARTZ NTU TROOP SUN RA ARKESTRA • KEYON HARROLD • CORCORAN HOLT SUPERGROUP FEAT. GEORGE CABLES, STEVE TURRE, SEAN JONES, BILLY HARPER, & JEFF "TAIN" WATTS • THE JAZZDC ALL-STAR ORCHESTRA DIRECTED BY ALLYN JOHNSON • DADO MORONI • MAKOTO OZONE & GREGOIRE MARET JONGKUK KIM • THE JAZZMEIA HORN QUARTET • STEVE WILSON • MATTHEW WHITAKER • BIRCKHEAD • CORCORAN HOLT QUINTET

PAUL CARR & VANESSA RUBIN • CHRISTIE DASHIELL • BRANDEE YOUNGER • ERIC BYRD TRIO • TONY MARTUCCI EARTH TONES • HIRUY TIRFE QUARTET AKUA ALLRICH & THE TRIBE! • BRASS-A-HOLICS • NEXT JAZZ LEGACY • BENJIE PORECKI • TODD MARCUS QUARTET • LYLE LINK

ALLAN HARRIS • HERB SCOTT • LEIGH PILZER STARTET • JOSHUA BAYER • ORGAN SUMMIT FEAT. CHARLES COVINGTON & ALLYN JOHNSON • HEIDI MARTIN • REGGIE BOWENS • LANGSTON HUGHES II • BEʼLA DONA • ELIJAH EASTON

IMANI-GRACE COOPER • JAHARI STAMPLEY FAMILY TRIO • DC JAZZPRIX FINALS: FRIENDSHIP, THE SMOOGIES, JOSÉ LUIZ MARTINS, DAVE MEDER 'NEW AMERICAN HYMNAL' QUARTET • AND MORE

TAKEOVER from Page 33

Yard a juvenile curfew zone, starting on Aug. 15 and ending on Aug. 18, meaning that youth under the age of 17 are prohibited from gathering in groups of nine or larger. Young people, no matter where they are in the city, would also have to adhere to the citywide curfew that went into effect for all youth earlier this summer.

On Friday, members of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, an abolitionist-led grassroots organization dedicated to protecting all Black lives at risk of state-sanctioned violence, canvassed the Navy Yard neighborhood as what members described as part of an effort to protect youth from overzealous law enforcement officials, agency or jurisdiction notwithstanding.

However, as seen on footage that circulated on social media, officers of the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) pepper sprayed, manhandled, and detained a Harriet’s Wildest Dreams activist by the name of Arianna Afeni Evans after she questioned why officers were questioning three Black youth.

On Saturday, Evans’ comrade Frankie Seabron described the moments leading up to Evans’ arrest.

“There was MPD. There was Metro Transit Police. There was [Department of] Homeland Security. There was FBI,” Seabron told a crowd of more than 100 people standing outside of H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse in demand of Evans’ release. “There was a checkpoint…taking drivers, taking their belongings, taking their mopeds, and the drivers, all of whom were

Black and brown folks.”

However, Washingtonians, Seabron said, have been working to make sure law enforcement officers do not abuse their authority.

“They shut down the checkpoint because there were people out there watching them,” Seabron continued. “There were people out there holding us accountable.”

As Harriet’s Wildest Dreams’ program manager, Seabron continued in giving her account, telling supporters that Evans stayed within the bounds of the law as she advocated for youth entering, and walking around, the Navy Yard metro station.

“It is within our legal right to film the police. It is within our right to keep the youth safe. It is our duty to protect the kids,” Seabron said. “In clusters of twos and threes, children were out past curfew. They did not know their rights. They did not know there was a curfew. We escorted children from where they were to safety.”

In a statement, MTPD identified Evans as a 28-year-old alleged to have evaded fare by use of a Kids Ride Free card. Throughout much of the night, as they struggled to locate the activist, Evans’ comrades organized for her release by calling on their lawyer, Andrew Clarke, and mobilizing hundreds of supporters, including D.C. Councilmember Trayon White (D-Ward 8) and the Rev. Graylan Hager.

By early afternoon Saturday, when legions of people converged on the H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse on Indiana Avenue in

IF

LIFESTYLE

President Unveils Kennedy Center Honors: Simmons, Gaynor, and Stallone A

Trump Critic, an LGBTQ Ally, and Presidential Hollywood Ambassador

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

President Donald Trump personally unveiled this year’s honorees for the Kennedy Center Honors— Gene Simmons, Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone— after boasting he was “about 98% involved” in the selection process and dismissing those he rejected as “too woke.”

The move broke from decades of nonpartisan committee selections, replacing them with a political litmus test.

Simmons, the KISS bassist who once called Trump a friend from his Celebrity Apprentice days, now says the president “allowed” people to be “publicly

racist” and empowered conspiracy theorists.

“Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist… now it’s all out in the open because he allowed it,” Simmons told SPIN, accusing Trump of bringing “all the cockroaches to rise to the top.” He’s also said Trump is “out for himself” and that more than 70 million Americans “bought it hook, line, and sinker.”

Gaynor, best known for her 1978 anthem “I Will Survive,” built a legacy as a disco pioneer and LGBTQ+ ally. But some critics note her decision to accept the honor from a president whose record on race, gender, and equality is widely condemned will be seen by many as a desperate bid for at-

tention — and a break from the overwhelming political stance of Black women voters.

Then there’s Stallone, a longtime Trump loyalist who’s been tapped as one of the president’s so-called Hollywood “ambassadors.”

Trump’s seizure of the Kennedy Center started with….chair of the board, followed by his decision to oust Deborah Rutter, the long-serving president.

Rutter has accused the new leadership of making “false allegations” and distorting audited financial records.

Under Trump’s watch, artist boycotts have multiplied, with cancellations from major names and productions, including “Hamilton.”

Simmons once warned, “When you get into a position of power, it does affect lives.”

TAKEOVER from Page 35

Northwest, Evans ran outside the doors of the courthouse in a white jumpsuit and with all charges (obstruction of justice, evading fare, and resisting arrest) dropped.

After much pandemonium and a moment of solitude, Evans returned to the middle of the courthouse plaza where, while encircled by comrades and supporters, she spoke about the bigger issue at hand.

“Clearly, I’m gonna be fine but the people who are gonna be directly and deeply impacted by this [are] people that don’t have a large community, that don’t have a bunch of resources, that don’t have a large…platform,” Evans said on Saturday. “This… is going to deeply impact them, so we just have to be very mindful that moving forward, this is the beginning and the people that really need our protection are the children east of the [Anacostia] River.”

On Friday, hours before Evans’ encounter with MTPD, a federal judge ruled in favor of D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who filed a suit against the Trump administration for its attempted takeover of MPD.

Though the Trump administration agreed to leave MPD under the purview of Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the local police department to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite the District’s sanctuary city law remaining intact. Republican governors from at least four states— Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina and West Virginia— also announced the deployment of National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, more than 700 total.

On Monday, after cutting the ribbon at the newly constructed east end of Stoddart Elementary School in Northwest, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser showed candor as she expressed her thoughts about the National Guard presence in the District.

“This doesn’t make sense,”Bowser said. “The numbers on the ground in the District don’t support a thousand people from other states coming to Washington, D.C. We’re in this beautiful school with children singing, about to go to school in a beautifully renovated building with the most prepared teachers in the country. You

know the facts on the ground don’t support this.”

Bowser addressed Evans’ arrest, telling reporters that she continues to review the reports to determine the need for further action. When asked how she can guarantee that youth will be safe while interacting with police, Bowser pointed out what she described as the avenues that community members can navigate to hold law enforcement accountable.

“How we interact with our police officers hasn’t changed,” Bowser said. “They’re always expected to follow the law and engage in constitutional policing. Our residents continue to have the safeguards that we have in place in our law and our protocols, including body-worn cameras, including the ability to make complaints to the police complaints board.”

Bowser also encouraged young people to do their part to get to and from school safely.

“All of our children have a Kids Ride Free card, and so they have access to use the Metro to get to and from school and to their after-school activities,” Bowser said. “So there should be no reason for a child to have a negative experience with Metro Transit or any other police related to fare evasion. And we continue to expect our children to behave in a good way, in a lawful way, and get to school and be ready to learn.”

Ty Hobson-Powell Stands Up for Young People

On Tuesday, during a press con-

ference announcing gains in District students’ standardized test scores, Paul Kihn, D.C. deputy mayor for education, declined to answer inquiries about what communication, if any, local education officials have made with parents about the federal law enforcement personnel navigating District neighborhoods as schools open.

By the time that Kihn, State Superintendent Dr. Antoinette S. Mitchell, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee, and D.C. Public Charter School Board Director Michelle Walker-Davis converged on D.C. Prep Public Charter School Benning Elementary Campus in Northeast to celebrate this academic milestone, the White House had already reported more than 300 arrests made amid the federalization of the local police department.

D.C.-based activist and author Ty Hobson-Powell said the significance of the current moment isn’t lost on him, especially as it concerns school-aged Black youth, who, unlike their older and more politically inclined counterparts, might be less informed, under normal circumstances, about how to assert themselves during interactions with law enforcement.

“Young people are less situated to know their rights in a world where we understand that…this current totalitarian regime that we have had federal officials engaging in extrajudicial interactions with civilians,” Hobson-Powell told The Informer. “That our young Black and brown people who are going

elected officials. On Wednesday, he and D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At large) also engaged in discussion about an issue that, in recent weeks, has united local political forces that have differed about stadium funding, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, and other hot-button issues.

For Hobson-Powell, this public engagement comes as social media followers and comrades alike continue to download copies of his newly released book, “The Fire Right Now,” what he calls a notso-gentle reminder to his contemporaries.

to be targeted, who are just automatically going to be young Black people to these patrol officers are going to be some of those who are least situated to know their rights, to know what it means to advocate lawfully, to get themselves out of situations, to get themselves out of extrajudicial detention or extrajudicial search warrants or searches without warrants.”

Last week, while out and about with his significant other, Hobson-Powell saw federal agents surrounding someone’s car across the street from Jake’s Tavern in Northwest.

Within seconds, he posted a livestream of the interaction, during which he questioned the officers’ rationale for stopping the driver and demanded that they immediately reverse course.

“We’re talking about this man [who] was…solidly an adult and he was…visibly shaking,” Hobson-Powell said. “I sat there and thought to myself, ‘Well damn, where would he be if I didn’t just so happen to be at dinner at this time and happen to get alerted to what’s going on by my girlfriend?’ Where would he be, because he seemed shaken. He seemed out of his element. He seemed unable to respond properly to what the moment was calling for.”

Over the last few days, Hobson-Powell has made the rounds on national media, including on the National Black State of the Union program alongside D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson (I-At large) and other local

“It’s a call to action… designed to inspire people to realize that the worst thing that we could be doing right now in this moment is nothing,” Hobson-Powell told The Informer. “To realize that organizer is a functional term. To get up and inspire people to organize. That activist is a functional term. To get up and get active, but realizing that we don’t have too much longer to sit on the sidelines and say, ‘Well, maybe later.’”

While opinions about what school-aged youth should do in tense situations with law enforcement run the gamut, with a subset of the community encouraging them to avoid the police at all costs, Hobson-Powell told The Informer that the current moment calls for young people to walk in the spirit of those who faced similar situations head on.

“If you don’t know nothing, know to pull out that damn camera when these folks show up,” Hobson-Powell said. “Know to record them, know to share information if you see checkpoints and things like that for some of our folks who may have the most to lose by interacting with these federal forces.”

Of course, Hobson-Powell acknowledged that, in what he likened to a gestapo state, all attempts to play by the rules may be futile— but it doesn’t hurt to try.

“I still believe what I was grown up to believe and raised to believe, that knowledge is power,” Hobson-Powell said. “That maybe in the immediacy of the moment where they are not following the law, that that knowledge won’t be power. But once you get free, maybe there will be some power in your ability to go get recourse because you understand that you were violated in some way.”

WI

review wi book

“Lead

Boldly: Seven Principles from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”

By Robert F. Smith

c.2025, HarperCollins Leadership

$31.99

240 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

Watch and learn.

If you’ve ever had to do something thorny or tricky, something you’ve never done before, that’s how you get good at it: you watch a video online or see someone do it in person before trying it and putting your own spin on it. See one, do one, show one, they say. As in the new book “Lead Boldly” by Robert F. Smith, it’s always best to learn by example.

Though he was there at the March on Washington in August of 1963, Smith doesn’t remember it. He was an infant in his mother’s arms then, but he grew up on stories of that day, and other accounts of Dr. Martin Luther King’s efforts. He cut his teeth on tales of Jim Crow, the Green Book, and the lack of generational wealth. Understanding this history is why, in his business, he reaches for the seven principles that Dr. King taught.

Leaders, he says, know the importance of equal opportunities and they work to change wealth gaps, and to raise up future generations of Black citizens — often through CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions), which help underserved areas.

Leaders build community, then they work to move everyone forward by encouraging STEM education in local schools, and by ensuring that the latest technology is within reach of all citizens. They meld both sides of America into one cohesive citizenry to harness the power of togetherness, and to create equity and opportunities. Leaders build bridges between their group and others, and they work to keep them strong. A good leader is brave enough and willing enough to step up and declare that something’s wrong, and to see that that thing is fixed.

And finally, you can “lead boldly” by taking the reins, gathering your team, and continuing on with efforts to better all citizens in all corners.

Looking for some inspiration from the C-Suite?

You might find it inside “Lead Boldly,” but you might also notice that what you’ll read here is somewhat inadequate. Rather than hearty information, it’s a lot of opinion — valid opinion, but opinion nonetheless — that may work better for younger up-and-comers. Worse: there’s really not enough of it.

That can be frustrating. Author and head of Vista Equity Partners Robert F. Smith starts each chapter with a different speech by Dr. King, and he then makes each relevant for anyone who hopes to make change. After those rousing words, though, readers may be left wanting more direction. You’ll be fired up … and then cooled down quick, probably because this book is relatively short, at just 240 pages, roughly half of which is speech transcripts. That leaves the other half to cover a lot of ground.

Which it does, but just not enough.

This isn’t a bad book; it’s full of great information but it feels incomplete. Perhaps the best way to get the most out of it is to study the speeches and use Smith’s lessons as a launching pad. Do your own homework and then let “Lead Boldly” inspire you further.

WI

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE

AUG. 21 - 27, 2025

ARIES Dynamic momentum propels professional breakthroughs as Mars activates your achievement sector, bringing recognition when assertive leadership transforms challenging projects through decisive action. Entrepreneurial ventures accelerate when competitive instincts balance expansion with sustainable growth. Lucky Numbers: 13, 27, 49

TAURUS Material abundance flows through patient accumulation as Venus enriches your security sector, bringing prosperity when methodical investment strategies compound modest contributions into substantial wealth. Real estate opportunities emerge when aesthetic intuition identifies undervalued properties requiring minimal improvement for maximum appreciation. Lucky Numbers: 4, 20, 35

GEMINI Intellectual versatility opens diverse revenue streams as Mercury accelerates your communication sector, bringing advancement through multifaceted networking connecting disparate industries while maintaining authentic identity. Publishing opportunities develop when research expertise translates complex information into accessible formats. Lucky Numbers: 17, 33, 46

CANCER Intuitive business acumen guides family enterprises as lunar wisdom illuminates your foundation sector, bringing security through nurturing environments fostering development and wealth preservation. Hospitality ventures thrive when emotional intelligence creates welcoming atmospheres encouraging repeat patronage building sustainable customer bases. Lucky Numbers: 6, 22, 41

LEO Creative authority commands marketplace attention as solar energy magnifies your influence sector, bringing leadership opportunities through generous mentorship inspiring talented individuals while building supportive communities. Entertainment ventures flourish when authentic passion combines with business acumen creating profitable artistic expressions reaching audiences. Lucky Numbers: 9, 25, 38

VIRGO Systematic optimization produces measurable improvements as earth energy perfects your efficiency sector, bringing recognition through consistent excellence demonstrating reliability inspiring confidence in expanded responsibilities. Health consulting advances when scientific research integrates with practical observation creating sustainable wellness protocols. Lucky Numbers: 2, 18, 44

LIBRA Diplomatic excellence creates beneficial partnerships as Venus harmonizes your collaboration sector, bringing mutual success through balanced negotiation honoring individual expertise while achieving collective objectives. Design consultancy flourishes when aesthetic sensibility enhances functional utility creating beautiful environments encouraging productive teamwork. Lucky Numbers: 11, 28, 42

SCORPIO Investigative depth reveals transformative opportunities as Pluto intensifies your research sector, bringing breakthrough discoveries when persistent exploration uncovers hidden potential within complex systems requiring patient analysis. Psychological consulting advances when intuitive perception guides methodical observation exposing unconscious patterns affecting performance. Lucky Numbers: 15, 31, 47

SAGITTARIUS Global perspective guides local implementation as Jupiter expands your horizon sector, bringing wisdom through cross-cultural learning applying international methodologies while respecting regional customs. Educational publishing develops when advanced knowledge creates practical applications serving multiple sectors through training programs. Lucky Numbers: 8, 24, 39

CAPRICORN Executive discipline builds enduring achievement as Saturn reinforces your authority sector, bringing advancement through structured construction creating permanent infrastructure rather than temporary solutions. Administrative mastery expands when proven competence qualifies for managing increased complexity while preserving quality standards. Lucky Numbers: 12, 29, 43

AQUARIUS Humanitarian innovation serves technological advancement as Uranus revolutionizes your community sector, bringing progress through unconventional solutions addressing social needs while honoring individual contributions within democratic frameworks. Sustainable technology emerges when environmental constraints inspire efficient alternatives demonstrating responsible principles. Lucky Numbers: 5, 21, 48

PISCES Spiritual wisdom enhances material effectiveness as Neptune clarifies your service sector, bringing fulfillment through therapeutic practices strengthening community bonds rather than encouraging retreat from practical responsibilities. Creative healing achieves deeper resonance when artistic expression supports authentic intervention without constraining natural processes. Lucky Numbers: 7, 23, 45

SPORTS

Inaugural HBCU Women’s Soccer Invitational Dawns A New Era for Black Athletes

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

Marking a triumphant win for young women athletes, and a momentous occasion for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), the historic rivalry between Howard University and Hampton University reached a new milestone on Aug. 17, as Audi Stadium Field hosted the inaugural HBCU Women’s Soccer Invitational.

The momentous matchoff –amplified by more than 500 attendees and 90 degree weather –saw the Bison best Hampton’s Pirates in a thrilling 4-1 play, though Howard University junior forward Samantha James said it’s about far more than securing their first win of the season.

“I think [this opportunity] can [show] other teams…other [student athletes] looking to come to Howard, or any HBCU, that they’re able to get these opportunities and achieve

their goals,” James told The Informer days ahead of the game. “Sometimes there’s a bad narrative…when people look at HBCUs, especially with soccer. This [can] really put us on the map and show that we’re more than just a HBCU soccer team–and we’re here to compete.”

Historic Matchup Sets

Goals Far Beyond Aug. 16

Hosted at the home of D.C. United (MLS), DC Power FC (USL Super League), and the Washington Spirit (NWSL), the inaugural invitational saw each team mark their first time playing in a professional stadium, setting the tone for a fiery matchup.

The Lady Bison and Lady Pirates met around this time last year at Powhatan Field in Norfolk, Virginia. The game resulted in a scoreless draw but this time, the Lady Bison, the reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) champions, came swinging in full force defeating the Lady Pirates.

Meanwhile, Hampton, touting a 16-member recruiting class, encompassing players from five continents, eight countries, and six states, faced Howard, a seven-member recruiting player, including one coming from Ontario, Canada, 24 returners with championship mindsets encompassing HBCU and NEC honors.

With locked down defenses on both sides, much of the first period remained scoreless until Bison sophomore forward Sinclaire Green prevailed with her first collegiate goal before halftime.

This marked the beginning of a trend that would soon carry post-intermission, tripled by goals from the reigning NEC titleholders: sophomore forward Gabriella Garcia-Terrell (Rookie of the Year), Rachel Suttle (Defensive Player of the Year), and a pivotal assist from James, reigning NEC Midfielder of the Year.

For Garcia-Terrell, coming into the Aug. 17 match-off meant channeling the spirit of resilience and collaboration

3Bison forward Sinclaire Green celebrates the first goal of her collegiate career after scoring against Hampton University in the historic HBCU Women’s Soccer Invitational on Aug. 17. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer)

In addition to building team morale, Hampton director of athletics Anthony Henderson said fronting the inaugural invitational presents a twofold opportunity on both ends: dawning a new legacy for HBCU athletics, and amplifying the principles of these institutions as a whole.

that propelled the Bison to an NEC championship last year. The star rookie noted some of the pre-game conditioning centered around elevating game fitness and tactical and structure work, such as building upon formation and chemistry to establish a precedent for the team going forward.

“I think that’s really what a pre-season is about,” she told The Informer, “getting on the same page before the actual season.”

Further, the invitational comes at a time of unprecedented success for women’s sports all around.

From sold-out stadiums to record-breaking viewership, including the Washington Mystics’ recent 34% surge, visibility and engagement in women’s sports is seeing an integral rise with events like the soccer invitational setting the backdrop.

The added importance, according to Danita Johnson, president of business operations for D.C. United, is ensuring HBCU talent is a part of the continued growth.

“This historic matchup between Howard and Hampton is a milestone that highlights the power of women’s sports and the importance of diversity in athletics,” Johnson said in a statement. “To see these talented student-athletes take the field at Audi Field is a testament to the growth of HBCU women’s soccer. We are honored to provide a professional stage for this inspiring moment.”

Forging New Paths for HBCU Sports

3Howard University sophomore Trinity Knox (left), the 2024 Northeast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, dodges a shot attempt from Hampton University during the Inaugural HBCU Women’s Soccer Invitational, held at Audi Field in Southwest, D.C., on Aug 17. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer)

A former football player of the Virginia university, Henderson emphasized how athleticism can showcase the wealth of excellence that exudes a historically Black education, exemplifying “that we’re just as good as everybody else,” especially in today’s times.

“We’re in a unique situation where, if we’re really good at certain sports, and not just the revenue sports…it’s going to be more than a local story,” he said, highlighting Howard’s Swim and Dive Sports Illustrated cover following the league’s NEC win in 2023. “It’s those types of opportunities that winning and being successful brings, not only to the athletic department…[but] so people can see all the other great things that are going on on campus.”

The athletic director parallels James’ vision to see opportunities like the invitational forge a new mindset among young athletes of color, notably one where they can “especially look at Hampton” while considering their collegiate careers.

Partnered plans to continue developing a “pathway-to-pro” pipeline— further investing in more playing opportunities in women’s professional soccer— include: DC Power FC working to host a joint training session with the winning team in spring 2026; an event featuring executive women leaders that intersect the HBCU and pro soccer communities; and a trial opportunity for an upperclassman seeking a future pro contract, according to the press release.

Beyond Sunday’s invitational, Henderson and Brent Leiba, head coach of Howard University’s women’s soccer team and the 2024 Northeast Conference Coach of the Year, tout similar hopes to create a legacy where all Black athletes prosper.

“These games matter, not just for the athletes on the field, but for the visibility and growth of women’s soccer across our communities,” said Leiba in a press release, “especially in communities who see themselves in our players.” WI

CAPTURE the moment

The Family Reunion: Guests Share Dishes That Represent Their Style

(Courtesy Photos/Phresh Ingredient)

Ephraim

Freeman

My name is Ephraim Freeman from Pittsburgh. I connected with Kwame through my wife two years ago, and this is our third year attending this event. If I had to pick a dish to represent my style, it would be a feast — a full table of eclectic pieces. I appreciate a lot of cultures and different foods, so it would be a bright spread: seafood, pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, greens, salads, and even edible flowers.

Hugh Struther

Harrison The Party

Yo, what’s up? My name is Harrison, and I’m from D.C. We’re here with the Lobby Band — we hosted last night at R&B Night, and we’ve got more partying to do at the Lobby tonight. If I had to describe a dish that represents my style, I’d say gumbo. I’ve got a lot of layers to me. We can go slow, we can go fast, we can party, and we can also smooth it out and croon a little bit too. That’s my style.

What’s up? It’s your boy, Hugh Struther. I’m from Jersey, but I live in Los Angeles, California. What brought me to the Family Reunion was seeing so many people who look like me all in one place. It felt like the perfect community to join, to get inspired, and to start building my own thing. If I had to pick a dish that describes my style, it would be soul food. Soul food is simple but powerful — chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, and candied yams. It’s repetitive, but it hits the same every time. That’s how I think about style: comfort, consistency, and confidence. It’s not about designer names but about how you feel in your clothes and in yourself.

Carla Hall

Chef Kwame Onwuachi

This is Kwame Onwuachi from the Bronx, New York. We’re here at the Salamander Resort and Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, celebrating the fifth annual Family Reunion. If I had to choose a dish that connects with my personal style, I’d say the peri peri salad. It’s traveled with me through my restaurants. Essentially, it’s a fruit salad, but we marinate cucumbers in green seasoning and make a peri peri dressing, often rooted in gooseberry juice. It’s seasonal, fresh, and a beautiful showcase of Afro-Caribbean cuisine. You might not immediately see it as Caribbean, but in its essence, it absolutely is.

My name is Carla Hall. I live in Washington, D.C., in the D, not the M or the V. A dish that represents my style would be a groundnut stew. I chose that for a few reasons. One, it’s healthy — full of vegetables, fiber, and nuts. Two, it’s a “chop-chop,” where you can add anything you want. And three, it’s greater than the sum of its parts. When you add the peanut butter, it brings everything together — beans, peppers, chicken, or beef. I also think soup tells a story of depth. It gets better with time, just like we do as people. At 61, I feel I’m getting better with time. I always say my bucket of buckets gets bigger, and with soup, it’s the same: it gets better each time.

Chef Andy Allo

Hi, my name is Andy Allo. I flew in from Los Angeles, but I’m originally from Cameroon, West Africa. I’m here for the community, to eat great food, and to support our people. The dish that describes my style is lamb pepper soup. It feels like a hug, like love. That’s all you really need — warmth, comfort, and a little bit of spice. That’s me.

Chef Osei Blackett aka Chef Picky

My name is Osei Blackett, aka Chef Picky. I’m from Trinidad, but I live in Brooklyn, New York. If I had to describe my style as a dish, it would be oxtails. That’s my thing — I’m the oxtail guy. Oxtails start off rough and tough, but when you work with them, give them care, and let them simmer, they transform into something delicate and flavorful. That’s like me. At first, I may come across as dry, quiet, or standoffish. But once I warm up, you’ll see the softer, richer side of me.

Ron Collins

My name is Ron Collins, and I’m from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. I came here for the food, the energy, and the vibes. The dish that describes my style would be rasta pasta. It has color, flavor, and texture — the meat gives it substance, the spice brings life, and the vibe ties it all together.

RELIGION

Rev. William H. Lamar IV Encourages Howard University Class

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

In the first service of the 20252026 school year on Aug. 17, Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Chapel was packed with freshmen, students, faculty and community members, ready for a call to action amid a challenging time for the District, nation and world.

“Guard our hearts,” said Bernard Richardson, dean of Rankin Chapel, during prayer. “We are envious of many things. Help us in this moment to release all that we are struggling with. Despite all that is going in and out of our lives, we have so much to be thankful for.”

of 2029

Many members of the class of 2029 are just beginning to live and learn in D.C. in a tense environment, with heightened law enforcement, hundreds of arrests, and protests in response to President Donald Trump’s recent decision to deploy the National Guard to the nation’s capital and takeover the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Despite challenges, the Rev. William H. Lamar, IV, pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church offered Rankin Chapel attendees a message of hope.

“As we worship God in an occupied place I want to reflect on the cost that got us to where we are to-

day,” he said, referencing the Biblical story of Job and his challenges after losing property, animals and 10 children.

Under the theme, “Mrs. Job Speaks,” Lamar said Job’s wife faced challenges because of her connection to her husband— a good man whose faith was being tested by God.

“Pain is coming our way that is not the result of who we are, but it is the result of who we are con-

NO JUSTICE NO PEACE

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DMV Let’s get on the bus! Please Register at www.nationalactionnetwork.net Call 202615-2139. Your seat is already paid for. Greater DC Chapter, National Action Network. Nia 2X, Humble, Servant, President.

nected to. It is the result, rather, of our connection. Pain is coming to Washington, D.C., and already exists because we look a certain way,” Lamar said. “Be careful as you move around because they’re ready to unleash collateral damage on people who look like us, on people who study in places like this.”

He particularly spoke of Mrs. Job’s incredible frustration after so much loss–including the burial of seven sons and three daughters.

“Is there anybody today with that same type of anger?” Lamar asked the congregation. “You are studying at a time of reconstruction. They are unplugging protections—justice protections, economic protections.”

Lamar pushed back on Trump administration policies that prevent forward progress, and denounced the president’s supporters who use Christianity to spew discriminatory and hateful rhetoric. He noted that while some Christian nationalists believe that “God is a blood-thirsty warrior,” the God he serves is different from the God of “Jesus loving MAGA Christians.”

“There are some Gods that we have to kill,” Lamar said. “That’s who said that a woman can’t preach. That God of the Speaker of the House. The God of Paula White and Billy Graham’s son.”

Lamar warned the students to be

careful as they navigate throughout the District of Columbia, and encouraged them to remember God’s message of love to combat hate and fight against injustices.

“I need you all to know that in a world of erasure and hatred, we must love one another so much,” said Lamar. “We must be connected and so concerned, that when collateral damage comes our way, we lift one another up. We hold one another in our hands.”

For Diane Oneuchekea, a member of the Friends of Rankin Chapel, today’s justice fight is a sad reminder of years past.

“As a child, I was not able to visit a public park until I was 10 years old because of segregation,” she told The Informer. “As a resident of Danville, Virginia, we had our Bloody Sunday and Dr. King visited our community several times.”

Having witnessed historic activists like King rally people toward change, Oneuchekea was inspired by Lamar’s sermon and hoped that it offered inspiration for the students throughout their Howard University tenure.

“I was glad that Rev. Lamar spoke to the students and admonished them that they are our future,” said Oneuchekea, “and [they] have the responsibility to respond to acts of injustice and unlawful behavior.” WI

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” — Psalm 100:3

Have you ever wondered how a bumblebee manages to fly? Its body is large and heavy, while its wings appear far too small for the task. For years, scientists have puzzled over this mystery. They’ve placed bumblebees in wind tunnels, measured their oxygen intake and tried to apply the laws of aerodynamics — yet the answers never quite add up. Even with all of our advanced research, the secret of the bumblebee remains beyond human understanding.

That’s because some things are God-ordained. The bumblebee’s flight is a reminder that not everything in life can be explained by logic or science. Sometimes, all we can do is watch in amazement. And just as the bumblebee defies the odds, so can you — when you place your faith in God.

Think about Charles Blondin, who on Sept. 14, 1860, became the first person to walk a tightrope across Niagara Falls. He didn’t just cross once — he repeated the feat in astonishing ways: on stilts, blindfolded, carrying a stove, even cooking an omelet in midair. What seemed impossible became

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

How Can a Bumblebee Fly? the religion corner

reality because he dared to trust, to step out in faith.

Bumblebees teach us a similar lesson. Did you know they flap their wings about 160 times per second and burn the energy equivalent of 180 candy bars in just one hour? They use oxygen as efficiently as birds and bats, yet — unlike birds — they don’t need more oxygen to hover than to fly. This alone contradicts scientific theories. In fact, one research director admitted that no current model truly explains how bumblebees stay airborne.

And here is where Scripture speaks: “It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves.” God created every living thing, including the bumblebee. He knows exactly how and why it flies, even when human reasoning fails. If he can sustain a tiny creature in the air, surely he can sustain you in your journey.

So keep moving toward your goals, even if others don’t see how you’ll reach them. I’ve experienced this truth myself. For years, I spoke in faith, declaring that one day my phone would ring with the blessing I was waiting for. I didn’t know the day or the hour — but I believed. And just as I had envisioned, the call finally came.

Allow me to tell you about that first day. It was back in 1983 when my sisters and I had opened a small, family-owned business.

We called it “Critique Career Management Services,” or “Critique” for short. We had applied for D.C. government contracts, and then one day, the D.C. Department of Employment Services came through! What an exciting day that was. We received the phone call after hours (we had an old-fashioned telephone answering machine). When I checked my messages the next morning, the message said “Critique Career Management Services Inc. has been awarded a contract in the amount of $98,000 to conduct a job-training program for the D.C. Department of Employment Services.” The program was called the Job Training Partnership Act.

How exciting was that! What seemed impossible for a woman with no business experience, coming from a sharecropper’s daughter beginning, had become reality — I now had a contract. It worked out perfectly, and we conducted job-training programs for several years, until our company changed its focus. Just like the bumblebee, we defied the odds, and suddenly we were interviewing potential students and buying or renting typewriters. It all came together. God is truly good, and what he has done for one, he will do for you too!

Faith makes the impossible possible. The bumblebee is living proof. And so are you. WI

RELIGION

School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon

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

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

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant

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."

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

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 773

Abdulah Muhammad

Decedent

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

Hadiyah Muhammad, whose address is 1876 Bryant Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Abdulah Muhammad who died on April 10, 2020 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 2/7/2026. 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 2/7/2026, 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: 8/7/2025

Hadiyah Muhammad Personal Representative TRUE

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 000780

Margaret LaVerne Paige Decedent

Maria K. Day-Marshall 6329 Joslyn Place Cheverly, Maryland 20785 Attorney

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

David R. Paige, whose address is 6331 Joslyn Place, Cheverly, Maryland 20785, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Margaret LaVerne Paige who died on February 3, 2025 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 2/7/2026. 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 2/7/2026, 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: 8/7/2025

David R. Paige

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

2025 ADM 000446

Anthony C. Stone, Sr. Decedent

Darrel S. Parker, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW #440 Washington, DC 20015-2052

Attorney

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

Darrel S. Parker, whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW # 440, Washington, DC 20015-2052, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Anthony C. Stone, Sr. who died on May 27, 2020 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 2/7/2026. 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 2/7/2026, 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: 8/7/2025

Darrel S. Parker

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

2025 ADM 000829

Estate of Pearlena Rogers

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Alberta Lindsay 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.

Admit to probate the will dated July 23, 1997 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witnesses or otherwise

Date of first publication: 8/7/2025

Alberta Lindsay 1331 5th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

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

2019 ADM 693

Arthur William Stanley Jr. 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 Arthur William Stanley Jr. who died on June 5, 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 2/7/2026. 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 2/7/2026, 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: 8/7/2025

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq.

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000090

October 28, 2024

Date of Death

Henry Christopher Lamb Hermans Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Jennifer Lamb Egner whose address is Plot 17578 Mogodiri Drive, Gaborone, Botswana was appointed personal representative of the estate of Henry Christopher Lamb Hermans, deceased, by the High Court for State of Republic of Botswana, on May 26, 2025.

Service of process may be made upon Zora Hermans 2701 Connecticut Ave., Apt. 408, Washington, DC 20008 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned District of Columbia personal property. 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: August 7, 2025

Jennifer Lamb Egner Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000766

Barbara Harris Decedent

Vernon M. Williams whose address is 125 Oglethorpe Street NE, Washington DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Barbara Harris who died on June 16, 2020 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 2/7/2026. 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 2/7/2026, 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: 8/7/2025

Vernon M. 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

2025 ADM 000622

James Henry Smith, Sr. Decedent

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

Terry Smith, whose address is 5814 Cheryl Lane, District Heights, MD 20747, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of James Henry Smith, Sr. who died on June 18, 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 2/14/2026. 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 2/14/2026, 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: 8/14/2025

Terry Smith

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

2019 ADM 001158

LaNelle L. Daughtry aka LaNelle Leevette Daughtry Decedent

Anna Nathanson Norris Law Group 600 14th Street NW, Fifth Floor Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

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

Kaamalah Lucas, whose address is 1637 Hauiki Street, Honolulu, HI 96819, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of LaNelle L. Daughtry aka LaNelle Leevette Daughtry who died on 9/15/2018 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 2/7/2026. 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 2/7/2026, 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: 8/7/2025

Kaamalah Lucas 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 001469

Isabella V. Farrell aka Isabella Farrell aka Isabella Vashita Jefferson Farrell Decedent

Stephanie L. Royal, Esq. The Royal Legal Group. PLLC 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

Shena Marie Thompson-Jones and Gregory Douglass Farrell, whose addresses are 3436 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Frederick MD 21704 and 4405 Silverbrook LN, #G303, Owings Mill MD 21115, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Isabella V. Farrell aka Isabella Farrell aka Isabella Vashita Jefferson Farrell who died on 1/10/2020 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 2/14/2026. 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 2/14/2026, 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: 8/14/2025

Shena Marie Thompson-Jones Gregory Douglass Farrell 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

2025 ADM 000815

Estelle Elizabeth President Decedent

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

Eric President, whose address is 820 Macalister Drive, Leesburg VA 20175, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Estelle Elizabeth President who died on 11/24/2022 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 2/21/2026. 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 2/21/2026, 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:

8/21/2025

Eric President Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000099

March 9, 2012

Date of Death

Ernest F. Horn

Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Toi Jvhann Horn, whose address is 1113 Mount Olivet Road, NE, #4, Washington, DC 20002 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Ernest F. Horn, deceased, by the Register of Wills Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on July 30, 2012.

Service of process may be made upon Toi Jvhann – 1113

Mount Olivet Rd., NE, #4, Washington DC 20002 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: 3315 20th 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: 8/21/2025

Toi Jvhann Horn

Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000788

Kolyn D. Mincey Decedent

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

Jada Johnson, whose address is 5305 Charles Hill Blvd, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Kolyn D. Mincey who died on 11/24/2024 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 2/21/2026. 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 2/21/2026, 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: 8/21/2025

Jada Johnson Personal Representative

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000516

Ayesha Bakarr

Decedent

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

Mariatu Alghali, whose address is 4704 Halloran Ct., Upper Marlboro Md 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ayesha Bakarr 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 2/21/2026. 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 2/21/2026, 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: 8/21/2025

Mariatu Alghali Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

it comes to finances, the billing, bursar, financial aid and even scholarships, Howard can significantly improve,” Brown, a rising senior, told The Informer. “It’s hindering a lot of [students] from continuing their education.”

Brown categorizes the financial challenges impacting students into three groups: debt accumulation, an increase in tuition, which has gone up 6.3% in the past decade, and additional fees integral to student survival.

“The most serious category right now is the people that have debts from last year that still have to pay for this upcoming year,” she explained, adding rising tuition as the second. “The third category are Howard students that may be able to pay for school, but [have to pay] for food and housing if they don’t get it [from the university].”

Meanwhile, the Northwest institution addressed these challenges in a July 25 statement.

“Howard University works to support students facing financial aid and account challenges ahead

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000769

Denise Johnson Adams Decedent

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

Patricia A. Johnson, whose address is 136 Thomas St., NW, Washington DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Denise Johnson Adams who died on April 14, 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 2/21/2026. 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 2/21/2026, 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: 8/21/2025

Patricia A. Johnson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

of the fall semester,” the university said in a statement. “The university reaffirms its unwavering commitment to students’ success and to helping ensure that students are financially equipped to begin the academic year.”

Howard attributes the spike in reported balances – impacting roughly 1,000 out of 14,5000 accounts – to delays during the transition from BisonWeb to BisonHub, the digital self-service portal where students navigate access to registration, financial aid, and other key resources vital to matriculation.

Additionally, with the recent passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, resulting in $64 million in funding cuts, the university presents a larger challenge only adding fuel to the fire across campus.

“Recent federal cuts to research grants, education programs, and fellowships have compounded financial pressures on both students and faculty,” according to the university. “Those cuts are limiting opportunities for students to engage in academic research, internships, and other professional development programs.”

Despite assurances from university officials, many students say the financial support offered has not only fallen short of their needs, forcing them to rely on community fundraising to stay enrolled, but also has been difficult to access.

“At the end of the day, Howard is still a business—and I get that,” Brown said, “but they could be reaching out [to students] and could be more sympathetic.”

Efforts to Combat Financial Challenges: ‘We Would Like to See Changes’

With hopes of drawing attention to the growing financial issues, Brown and several other students have taken to social media, documenting their experience(s), sharing GoFundMe campaigns, and amplifying other students’ struggles.

Ssanyu Lukoma, a broadcast journalism student at Howard, tracks student fundraisers on her website “Ssanyu Speaks,” which currently lists more than 127 active GoFundMe campaigns

for tuition, housing and other school-related expenses.

Meanwhile, resources such as Whose Howard Is It?, a student-led movement created in the wake of financial restraints, has also worked to engage students, alumni and potential donors in the fight.

In addition to connecting more than 24 students with donors, and raising roughly $33,000 to help cover tuition and housing costs, the organization is calling for the resignation of Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Cynthia Evers and Chief Communications Officers Lydia Sermons, saying the two “have failed the student community in adequately serving us.”

“The movement wants to demand accountability from Howard’s administration in the face of its current complicity,” Ngei Clair, of Whose Howard Is It? told The Informer. “A lot of students were reporting [via social media] that they were notified of past due balances just this summer. For a lot of students, these balances were very sudden and they were upwards of tens of thousands of dollars.”

Amid continued challenges, Brown told The Informer she has, for the most part, received positive support for her GoFundMe and the awareness she is raising about the broader financial crisis many students are facing. Nonetheless, not all the feedback has been understanding or supportive.

“I see people saying, ‘You knew Howard when you signed up for it,’” she said, noting it a mindset she deems unfair and harmful. “You’re basically saying that because somebody doesn’t come from a financially stable background, they don’t deserve the education and experiences a school like Howard has to offer.”

With the fall semester officially starting Aug.18, students say they value the opportunities Howard has given them, but want to see changes in their offices.

“We appreciate everything that Howard has offered us,” said Brown, “but we are coming to you as students and as supporters of the university, telling you that we would like to see changes in the bursar and financial aid office.”

WI

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EDELMAN from Page 28

can’t do. There’s nothing you can’t reach. There’s nothing you can’t teach. But it begins with the vision, and it begins with a vision that maybe nobody else can see.”

That vision was made real in a transformational collection that has inspired and educated over 11 million visitors and helped light the way for the next generation of Americans

OWOLEWA/IRAHETA from Page 28

cuts come alongside sweeping reductions in social services, including drug treatment programs, at a time when the nation is grappling with an escalating drug crisis. This convergence of job losses and critical aid reductions spells disaster for vulnerable populations across D.C. and the country. Instead of pouring money into growing police budgets and surveillance, D.C. should invest in proven solutions that actually strengthen our communities. Housing First policies, combined with equity audits for developers, directly address our housing crisis and prioritize Black families, who are 85% of our houseless population, getting thousands immediate and permanent housing. Expanding wraparound drug treatment and mental health services would

MARSHALL from Page 28

passive. They do whatever the leading voices of their culture tell them to do with little thought given to the issue of fairness, respect and tolerance toward “others.” Passivity can be very dangerous. It leads one to believe their culture is superior. Passivity can open the door to blindly accepting and following the darkest ideas of subcultures.

There are cultures and then there are subcultures beneath them. Often, it is the dark subculture (a smaller part of the parent culture) that embeds the ugly side of manifesting itself in things such as racial and religious intolerance. It identifies “others” as those who are automatically dehumanized, rejected and hated. It is this subculture that spreads an “us against them” mindset. It determines which group should be kept out, removed or isolated from society. This subculture of hatred is often permitted by those in positions of authority who have responsibility to resist its rise and influence, but lack the moral conviction to do so. In 2016, the dark subculture found its leading voice and champion in Donald Trump.

since the day its doors opened. Now, just this week, the National Museum of African American History and Culture was named as one of the first eight Smithsonian museums targeted for a “comprehensive internal review” by the current administration in order to “ensure alignment” with the vision laid out in President Trump’s executive order on “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The National Museum of American History, the National Museum

help break the cycles of addiction and illness, saving lives and building healthier neighborhoods. We need to support cooperative ownership models for grocery stores and apartment buildings, empowering residents to generate wealth and keep resources within the community. Affordable, holistic schooling options, clean streets, and truly safe spaces for our children should be our priorities. By refocusing our budget on housing, health and socialized community care, we can build lasting equity and opportunity for all Washingtonians.

ICE now holds the fourth-largest military budget in the world, with funding set to triple next year to over $30 billion, surpassing many national militaries. Without real pushback, D.C. missed the opportunity to maintain sanctuary protections despite clear signs from Los Angeles

The Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Montgomery, Alabama, is a civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry while advocating justice for the most vulnerable members of society. Following the 2016 presidential election, the Southern Poverty Law Center developed an assessment report on the impact of the presidential campaign on our nation’s schools. The report, titled “The Trump Effect,” explained that every four years, teachers in the United States use the presidential election to impart valuable lessons to students about the electoral process, democracy, government and the responsibilities of citizenship. The study found that after Trump’s first election, 28% of K-12 teachers reported witnessing increases in students’ derogatory remarks toward minority groups, especially in predominantly white schools. Students were emboldened to make bigoted statements about immigrants, Muslims and other groups. The study also illustrated that cultural influences led to young Latinos experiencing more discrimination after Trump was elected. When asked about reactions to Don-

of the American Indian, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are among the other institutions named on the initial list. Will Americans stand — or fall — for any ongoing attempts to edit, reframe, hide or delete pieces of our shared cultural history? Or will the true stories of the vision, determination, exceptionalism and contributions of all Americans remain firmly out in the light? WI

County, where similar policies have led to increased fear, profiling, and policing in immigrant communities. Here in D.C., where police presence already doubles the national average, this sets a dangerous precedent. Migrants in our community are front-line workers who keep our city running; they deserve respect and protection. This situation also undermines the tens of thousands of visitors who come from around the world, raising serious questions about the city’s image and its economic future. The president’s scare tactics come at great cost, threatening city revenue and community cohesion. It is nothing more than a distraction from the real issues D.C. faces, a distraction we must not fall for.

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Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

ald Trump being president, a 16-yearold Black girl said, “I feel unsafe and not protected. The United States is supposed to be the land of the free but is really the land of racism.” Her words demonstrate that the voice of the nation’s leader has the power to establish the racial tone for the nation. A big part in this nation becoming more tolerant toward those of the Catholic faith was the election of John F. Kennedy as the first Catholic president of the United States. Kennedy’s example as a candidate and sitting president was able to silence the anti-Catholic lies, thereby proving his faith was irrelevant to his ability to govern effectively. The Trump Effect has the opposite impact, where young Trump supporters have decreased their race consciousness since his first term. The Trump Executive Order eliminating teaching racial and gender equity in schools will limit adolescents’ opportunity to learn about racism, sexism and inequalities faced by different groups. By making diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives illegal, it only emboldens discrimination while making it even more difficult for intolerance to be untaught. WI

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WILLIAMS from Page 29

staring down the barrel of a fullblown liberal takeover. That’s why I’m reaching out to YOU, Friend... I’m not here to wring my hands, I’m here to fight. And I need you standing with me. So I’m launching an emergency survey for TOP America First allies and you’ve made the cut. I need your voice on record before the end of the night. Every response will help guide me

MORIAL from Page29

commitment to police accountability slashed the rate of violent crime in half and transformed a corrupt law enforcement agency into a national model.

Washington Mayor Marion Barry expanded youth employment and education programs, launching the city’s first summer jobs initiative and establishing a precedent for municipal investment in young people. Today, that legacy continues.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy, grounded in community engagement and public health, has contributed to the lowest levels of homicides the city has seen in more than 30 years. In Chicago, Mayor Brandon

LEON from Page 29

Rights Act of 1965. The 1964 act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin and eliminated many of the voter discrimination tactics that had been used to suppress the African American vote. The 1965 act prohibited racial discrimination in voting and empowered the federal government to oversee state elections. The 1965 act is considered by many to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted because it changed the relationship between the federal and state governments relative to voting.

As America celebrates the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it is important to realize that it and other acts before it are under attack. These acts primarily deal with the processes or “mechanics” of voting, not the “business” of electoral politics.

For evidence related to the process or mechanics of voting being under attack, you can turn to the work of investigative journalist Greg Palast. In his piece “Trump Lost. Vote Suppression Won,” Palast documents how “if all legal voters were allowed to vote, if

and Senate Republicans as we fight back against reckless spending, open border chaos, and the ENDLESS attacks on American values.”

Tim has the nerve to rush me to give his bosses an answer! He goes on: “But here’s the catch: I HAVE to send my first round of results to our leadership team before midnight and time is running out! Don’t sit this one out, Friend. In the Bible it says, a house divided against itself cannot stand. We can’t afford to let the left

Johnson has prioritized early childhood education, youth employment, and mental health access, alongside a measurable decline in gun violence.

Mayor Karen Bass in Los Angeles is advancing housing-first strategies to address homelessness and has pushed back against federal attempts to criminalize urban poverty and violations of the Constitution with the attempted ICE takeovers this June.

These leaders and many others are governing with urgency, guided by data and driven by the needs of their communities. They are not only responding to crises. They are reshaping systems.

This is not new. Black mayors have long served as a moral compass in American cities, advocating for marginalized populations, resisting feder-

all legal ballots were counted, Trump would have lost the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Vice President Kamala Harris would have won the presidency with 286 electoral votes. … As in Bush v. Gore in 2000 … this election was determined by good old ‘vote suppression,’ the polite term we use for shafting people of color out of their ballot. We used to call it Jim Crow.”

Based upon Palast’s research, here are key data points that he was able to uncover related to mechanics of the process:

• 4,776,706 voters were wrongly purged from voter rolls according to U.S. Elections Assistance Commission data.

• By August 2024, for the first time since 1946, self-proclaimed “vigilante” voter-fraud hunters challenged the rights of 317,886 voters. The NAACP of Georgia estimates that by Election Day, the challenges exceeded 200,000 in Georgia alone.

• No fewer than 2,121,000 mail-in ballots were disqualified for minor clerical errors (e.g., postage due).

• At least 585,000 ballots cast in-precinct were also disqualified.

continuously divide the house we call America without a fight. We’ve got a country to save and it starts with the work we do here and now.”

Even if I were a friend of his, he’d know what I’d be saying to him now! This is a part of what we’re facing, but don’t be discouraged. We just have to work harder to find voters around the country who know right from wrong and will vote against Tim’s kind of foolishness!

WI

al overreach, and creating innovative local policies rooted in justice.

The challenges cities face — from public safety to housing, from education to economic inclusion — demand comprehensive solutions and collaborative leadership. What they do not need are politically charged narratives that undermine progress and demonize communities.

To be equal, America must trust the leadership of its cities. It must invest in their success. And it must recognize the historic and ongoing contributions of Black mayors who have turned local governance into a platform for transformative change. Their legacy is not one of chaos. It is one of courage, care, and commitment to what is right.

WI

• 1,216,000 “provisional” ballots were rejected, not counted.

• 3.24 million new registrations were rejected or not entered on the rolls in time to vote.

In the context of the “business” of electoral politics, since the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, corporations and unions have been granted the same First Amendment free speech rights as individuals. Corporations and other entities can spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns. Hence, the “business” of electoral politics.

According to an April 2024 article in The Guardian entitled “Pro-Israel US groups plan $100m effort to unseat progressives over Gaza”: “The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is betting that $100 million will be enough to fight back a wave of progressive dissent over Israel’s war in Gaza this election cycle. … The 2024 election will be bellwether of the enduring impact of these groups on U.S. politics amid shifting U.S. public opinion on Israel.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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