2018 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT
FROM THE EDITOR
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When Will We Heed King’s Warning? We Can’t Wait
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In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com
PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF D. Kevin McNeir, Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Dr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings columnist Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince George’s County Writer), Eve M. Ferguson, Hamil Harris, Tatyana Hopkins, Jade James-Gist, Edwin Lake, Daniel Kucin, D. Kevin McNeir, Lauren Poteat, Dorothy Rowley, Brenda Siler, Sarafina Wright (General Assignment Writer) PHOTOGRAPHERS John E. DeFreitas, Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Demetrious Kinney, Mark Mahonny, Lateef Mangum
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. witnessed the atrocities and multiple inequities that Blacks in Birmingham, Alabama, faced day in and day out. They were overwhelmed with a rigid system of segregation. They were unable to vote. They were denied employment opportunities that would provide them with a decent wage. They could not try on clothes in the stores in which they spent their hardearned money. Black children were barred from the city’s better public schools. Even liquor stores had separate waiting lines for Blacks and whites. Dr. King pondered these and other forms of injustice as he sat alone in a Birmingham jail cell. There he would compose a note to the city’s white clergy who had severely criticized him, labeling him an outside agitator. In his note, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he would offer one phrase to encapsulate his defense for pressing on and continuing the boycott for which he had earlier called, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The struggle in Birmingham served as a primer for Dr. King and other leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. Given the problems and divisions facing our nation today, we would be wise to both revisit and apply the
lessons that were learned from the Birmingham encounter – most notably King’s admonition that “We can’t wait.” “We cannot wait, because the jails are full of young Black men, including many who are fathers but unable to parent their children. We can’t wait, because we know now that failing to make education a priority cheats the country of latent talent. We can’t wait, because our young men and women are being programmed to kill (it’s called ‘serving our country’),” King writes in his collection of thoughts first outlined during his time in solitary confinement, later published in the book, “Why We Can’t Wait.” In his conclusion, he shares his optimism for a brighter tomorrow. “Many are searching. Sooner or later all the peoples of the world, without regard to the political systems under which they live, will have to discover a way to live together in peace . . . Nonviolence, the answer to the Negroes’ need, may become the answer to the most desperate need of all humanity.” Perhaps Dr. King remained unexplainably optimistic because he understood that as bad as things
were, we, the African-American community, have faced far worse conditions. And there have always been those courageous enough to stand up, to sit down, in the case of Rosa Parks, to tell the truth, expose the lies and be a witness for justice and love. As Dr. Cornel West, my intellectual mentor and instructor at whose feet I learned so much during my matriculation at Princeton Theological Seminary has often said, “Just as [we] had to break the back of white supremacist slavery to save democracy, [we] will have to break the back of American apartheid or [we] will lose [our] democracy. We have made real progress in America since 1963. Yet, many things seem to have gone unchanged. If we are truly committed to King’s vision of the “Beloved Community,” we must contend with the inevitability of becoming embroiled in a particularly messy struggle – one that will require hard work, the elimination of naïve prophecies of the future and the truth, as West likes to say, that we press on with “hope on a tightrope.” So be it. We can’t wait. We really cannot wait. MLK
Perhaps Dr. King remained unexplainably optimistic because he understood that as bad as things were, we, the African-American community, have faced far worse conditions. And there have always been those courageous enough to stand up, to sit down, in the case of Rosa Parks, to tell the truth, expose the lies and be a witness for justice and love.
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2018 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT
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Memphis 1968 Sanitation Workers Honored by NAACP
Surviving Strikers Receive ‘Vanguard Award’ “I AM a MAN” became the powerful slogan behind an initiative led by Memphis Sanitation Workers during their 1968 strike in which they demanded better working conditions and more equitable pay. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., joined their fight during which he delivered his “I Have a Dream” sermon on the evening of April 3, 1968. An assassin’s bullet ended his life in Memphis on April 4, 1968. /Courtesy photo
By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir The 14 surviving union members who participated in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final protest for civil rights, the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike, before a sniper’s bullet tragically ended his life, received the prestigious Vanguard Award during the 49th NAACP Image Awards on Monday, Jan. 15. The program, broadcast live on TV One, took place in Pasadena, CA. The NAACP has emerged in the forefront as the nation’s first major organization to recognize the workers as part of the “I AM 2018” campaign launched by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees [AFSCME] and the Church of God In Christ [COGIC]. The Vanguard Award serves as an “honor presented in recognition of the groundbreaking work that has increased understanding and awareness of racial and social issues,” said an NAACP spokesperson. Previous honorees include: Tyler Perry, Aretha Franklin, Stanley Kramer, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Retired AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer William “Bill” Lucy, a pivotal force behind efforts to organize the Memphis sanitation workers in 1968, received the NAACP Chairman’s Award during the ceremony. Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME, expressed humility in the Memphis workers being honored. “Imagine the courage it took
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for African-American municipal employees in the Jim Crow South to defy the local power structure and go on strike – not just for a living wage, and not just for decent working conditions,” Saunders said. “These brave men were striking to demand dignity and respect.” “I AM A MAN” – A Slogan that Would Ground a New Movement for Equality Last summer, Saunders and Charles E. Blake, Sr., Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), along with U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and other leaders from the labor, religious and civil rights movements, announced the launch of “I AM 2018,” a new campaign commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike and the assassination of Dr. King. The long-term initiative will connect the legacy of the strikers and the civil rights icon to issues that now threaten to tear America apart. “I AM 2018” represents a grassroots voter education and mobilization campaign that will train thousands of activists to create change in their communities and carry on the legacy of Dr. King and the sanitation workers. “I AM A MAN” became the slogan of the 1968 striking workers in their efforts to shed greater light on the deplorable working conditions they faced and to assert their humanity. Organizers of the campaign say they will continue the work for which Dr. King paid the ulti-
mate price and will address issues of economic justice including health care, a living wage and paid sick leave. “As we approach the 50th anniversary of those history-making events, we need to tell the story of Memphis again,” Saunders said. “’I AM 2018’ is about drawing inspiration from the heroes of Memphis but it isn’t just a reflection on the past. It’s an urgent call to fight poverty and prejudice, an urgent call to advance the freedom of all working people and to remind America of the inextricable link between racial justice and economic justice,” he added.” Leaders of the COGIC say they’re proud to continue in the collaborative spirit fostered among religious, civil rights and labor organizers that came to fruition during the 1960s. “The vision of COGIC Urban Initiatives is to build healthy individuals, families and communities for a successful future. By attacking problems in communities across the nation from interrelated perspectives, we maximize the likelihood of success,” said Charles E. Blake, Sr., presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ and a major partner in the campaign. Lewis, who organized sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in Nashville while a student at Fisk University and who helped form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee under the tutelage of Dr. King, said the march for progress must continue. “The day that Dr. King
dreamed of – that day has not come,” Lewis said. “Make no mistake about it, we’ve come a long way. There’s been a lot of progress but there are still millions of people who are left out and left behind.” “AFSCME, the church, organized labor, and all of us are saying that when you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to say something and to do something. And that’s why we must go to Memphis,” he said. In addition to events being planned this spring on April 3 and 4, the campaign plans to train thousands of community activists over the coming year and work with groups committed to promoting economic justice in cities and states across the country. “These are challenging times for civil rights,” said Vanita Gupta, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “But we will not stand idly by while the White House or Congress seek to turn back the clock on our hard-fought progress. We will continue to protect our most vulnerable and to demand that everyone has a seat at the table.” On April 3, 1968, Dr. King stood in the pulpit of Mason Temple in Memphis – the global headquarters of the COGIC – and delivered his prophetic “Mountaintop Speech” to a sanctuary overflowing with community supporters, church members and the city’s sanitation workers, members of AFSCME Local 1733 then en-
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2018 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT
gaged in a strike protesting low pay and poor working conditions. Dr. King would be assassinated less than 24 hours later. Other national organizations, including the NFL Players Association [NFLPA], have already pledged their support in the ongoing battle for the rights of union workers. “We are a union that cannot forget that every benefit that we have is inextricably tied to the rights already paid for by the courage of others,” said DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA. “As in years past, the February date of the Super Bowl will be played during our annual celebration of Black History Month and as a tribute to AFSCME and other labor unions.” Learn more about upcoming events and take action at www. iam2018.org. AFSCME’s 1.6 million members – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families. The Church of God In Christ is the largest African-American Pentecostal denomination with 8.3 million members worldwide and 12,000 churches in the U.S. Bishop Blake’s home church, West Angeles Church of God In Christ in Los Angeles, has 24,000 members and stands as one of the largest congregations in the country. MLK
Martin Luther King III: Walking in his Father’s Footsteps
Martin Luther King III is flanked by NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes and NNPA Chair Dorothy Leavell as he received the 2017 NNPA Lifetime Legacy Award. /Photo by Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS; ONLY LIGHT CAN DO THAT. HATE CANNOT DRIVE OUT HATE; ONLY LOVE CAN DO THAT.
The DC Lottery honors Martin Luther King, Jr. and the countless African-American heroes who’ve contributed in our journey toward civil rights, equality and freedom.
Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the late civil rights legend and Coretta Scott King, was just a few months shy of 11 years old when his father died at the hands of an assassin in Memphis on April 4, 1968. He went on to graduate from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Among the many high-profile roles King has taken on are that of community activist, county commissioner and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Council, the organization for which his father served as its first president. Like his father, King has led protest marches and has convened police brutality hearings. “There’s a barbaric mentality today with police shootings of African Americans but all of that can change when people rise up which is why I applaud Black Lives Matter,” King said. “One of the things we’ve not done in the past is mobilize people and different groups and this election coming up in November is important because we need a stopgap in Congress because this president doesn’t have an understanding of what goes on in communities of color,” he said. King continued: “Right now the Republicans have the presidency, the House and the Senate. But, this coming election creates prospects of one or both houses being flipped to people who would have some sensitivity to these issues.” King, the National Newspaper Publishers Association 2017 Lifetime Legacy Award recipient, said he’s calling on African-American groups, Latinos, women’s organizations, the LGBTQ community and others to get out and vote. “That is what needs to happen in Novem-
ber so that come January 2019, we can get legislation that will help,” he said. With the nation observing the holiday that honors his father, King said his mother deserves a lot of credit for the late activist’s success and for keeping his legacy alive. “My mom is partially responsible for what my dad’s legacy is today because she stayed on the battle field, lived 40 years beyond my dad and was able to establish the King Center just months after he died – this year marking 50 years since she did that,” King said. He said the holiday doesn’t mean individuals should take a seat or a timeout. “For us, it’s a day of being engaged, cleaning up communities, helping seniors, helping our young people. It’s a holiday that’s something significantly different,” said King, whose schedule for the holiday included a speech at the National Action Network’s annual breakfast in the District. During the annual observance, he also joined others in laying a wreath at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and participated in a service project in honor of his father. He recalled his father’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech and declared that the dream has yet to be fully realized. “The dream has not been fulfilled. There’s an aspect that’s been accomplished because we have African-American billionaires and that was part of the dream. But we still have African Americans in poverty, we disproportionately lead the pack in every major area whether it’s heart disease, diabetes or hypertension because of the level of stress that we as a people are forced to live under,” he said. Today’s society remains racist, a factor that causes stress, King emphasized. “We’ve seen communities from around the world who come here and are able to get a loan and start a business while we’ve [Blacks] been here forever and we’re unable
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Keep marching March because “darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” March because “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” March because “hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Comcast celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with an exhibit inspired by his words. Take a virtual tour of the artwork created by Philadelphia area students by visiting VoicesOf TheCivilRightsMovement.com.
Personality rights and copyrights of Dr. King are used with the permission of The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. Represented by Greenlight. © 2018 Comcast. All rights reserved.
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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2018 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT
Former MLK Aide Celebrates Civil Rights Icon Clarence Jones, Martin Luther King III and Andrew Young. /Photo courtesy Courieronline.com
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Dr. Clarence Jones met Martin Luther King, Jr. at the ages of 29 and 31, respectively. Jones joined King’s legal team in 1960 when the government accused the civil rights leader of tax fraud. The two formed a bond and Jones, who would become the first Black man to make partner at a Wall Street investment bank, would go on to assist King in penning somae of his most memorable speeches including the unforgettable, “I Have a Dream.” Now, a visiting professor at the University of San Francisco and a writer-in-residence at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute, Jones once again prepared for the annual King Day observance during which he paid tribute to his old friend. “I think we have to be careful that we don’t fall into the trap of
sanitizing Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Jones said. “African Americans in particular have to fight against this because the sanitized version tells us that he was someone who simply gave moving speeches and so forth. Indeed, he was, but make no mistake about it, that brother was deep,” he said. History has revealed that the two men held mutual admiration for one another. In 1962, King reportedly wrote a letter that recommended Jones to the New York State Bar. In the missive, King wrote: “Ever since I have known Mr. Jones, I have always seen him as a man of sound judgment, deep insights and great dedication. I am also convinced that he is a man of great integrity.” Jones continued to function as King’s lawyer and advisor throughout the remainder of King’s life, according to the online “King Encyclopedia.”
If I attempted to wake up and live in his shoes, I’d fail miserably but it’s a major blessing to have his name and to try to carry it in such a way to make my parents proud. Martin Luther King, III
He assisted King in drafting the “I Have a Dream” speech and preserving King’s copyright of the momentous address, acting as a member of the successful defense team for the Southern Christian Leadership Council. In addition, Jones served as part of King’s inner circle of advisers known as “the research committee” and contributed with Vincent Harding and Andrew Young in the development of King’s “Beyond Vietnam” address which the civil rights leader delivered at New York’s Riverside Church on April 4, 1967. Jones praised King as one who successfully dealt with the “jugular vein of the American system: power and money.” “If there had been media polls when the March on Washington occurred in 1963, Dr. King would have had at least a 70 percent approval rating because even white people loved him,” Jones said. “They’d say, ‘I’ve never heard a
Negro speak like that before’ and he’s committed to nonviolence,” he said. Among those King would influence in the assistance of African Americans in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality, would be the then president of the U.S., Lyndon Johnson, Jones noted. At one crucial moment in the Civil Rights Movement, King referred to Johnson as the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln because of Johnson’s success in securing both the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, Jones said. “But, we had to tell him that he wasn’t being honest because we knew how to count and when we looked at the Treasury, King told Johnson, ‘There’s no way in the world that you can spend all that money on the Vietnam War because there will be nothing left to do the things you’ve said you want to do,’” Jones said. “It was a practical thing. We
understood that Lyndon Johnson had wrapped himself into this great 20th century emancipator next to Lincoln and, don’t get me wrong, he was a bad dude. The baddest dude there was in terms of civil rights,” Jones said. “But, he got lost because apparently he didn’t know how to count. King told him if he had 100 cents and spent 80 cents on the war, that would leave just 20 cents remaining and that it would hurt us and our cause,” he said. Jones recalled that King maintained a healthy respect for several of the country’s historically-Black institutions. “The two essential pillars of support of the Civil Rights Movement were, first, the Black Church and then the Black Press,” Jones said. “The Black Press was critical and very important in telling our story and in our efforts to increase support for our cause,” he said. MLK
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dad around the world that many may not realize until you visit places like Bosnia where the town of Tuzla has its city hall situated on a street named Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. His message resonates there and in other parts of Eastern Europe, China and, of course, parts of Africa,” King said. “When you speak in universal tones, people understand. They understand that their plight could have been different and that my father spoke for them and others who had no voice,” he said. If his dad were alive today, his biggest concerns would include the threat of nuclear war, healthcare and poor communities, King said. The elder King would also cringe at the violence in communities like Chicago, Atlanta and other urban areas that have been plagued by killings, his son said. “It’s at epidemic levels and we’ve
got to do better. We can and must do better because we have the ability,” King said. “We’re currently looking at discussions around responsible gun legislation. For example, if someone wants to use a cell phone they must put in a code. Gun manufacturers can put a code on guns too so that we can determine the owner of a gun if and when it’s used to carry out a crime. We have the technology.” Finally, King reminisced about his father’s close relationship with the Black Press. “Not just ownership but the writers for the Black Press. Papers like the Chicago Defender, the Atlanta Daily World, the newspapers in Washington,” King said. “The Black Press was tremendously important then and it is important now because that’s where we get our information.” MLK
to get business loans,” he said. “This isn’t to suggest that we should have a victim’s mentality. You have to acknowledge the problem and know that you can overcome it,” King said. Living in the shadows of his father isn’t easy but he admits that it provides certain unique opportunities to contribute. “If I attempted to wake up and live in his shoes, I’d fail miserably but it’s a major blessing to have his name and to try to carry it in such a way to make my parents proud,” he said. “I want to continue the legacy that my parents forged – a legacy of fighting for freedom, justice and equality for all.” King said his mother always encouraged him to think globally. “My mom used to tell me there was a greater appreciation for my
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County’s ‘Top Ladies’ Honor King’s Message of Service By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill A group of Prince George’s County women have long-committed themselves to ensuring that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of and directive for offering service to local communities continues where digital technology and social media reign supreme in today’s society. The county’s chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction [TLOD] hosted its sixth annual prayer breakfast Saturday, Jan. 13 at Martin’s Camelot in Upper Marlboro. The nonprofit organization, since receiving its charter Aug. 30, 2009, has served by example including conducting visits to senior citizen homes and women’s shelters and participating in the county’s annual health fair at the Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. “When you live in the area, you have to impact the area because you’re not just a resident where you live,” said Kristen Kimble, who chaired the breakfast and serves as the group’s chaplain. “I have learned as a woman, you can’t help everybody. But you can use the gifts you have to make a difference for somebody.” Chapter Organizer and former president (2009-2013) Lady Jacqueline L. Wilcher, shares the following message about the mission which the group’s members believe lies ahead. “Prince George’s County is the ‘wealthiest’ county for African Americans in the nation and according to 2013 estimates, there are 900,000 residents. But we still face challenges with crime, deteriorating schools and health care, among others that lead us to one of two responses,” she writes. “The first is to turn away from these problems and focus on creating a good life for ourselves and our small personal circle. The second response is to decide that there are so many problems on so many levels of our society that the only chance we have of making progress is if we, as individuals and families and groups, all chip in. This response is based on the idea that ordinary people, not just the government, have an important day-to-day role
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to play in addressing problems and in making life better in our communities.” “In other words, there are a lot of ways for all of us to make a difference and our communities would be better if we all did a little more. Yes, there are challenges facing our community. But with challenges bring opportunities,” she notes. The Prince George’s County Chapter provides mentoring and networking opportunities for middle and high school students 13 and older, working toward encouraging youth to reach higher academic standards and collaborating with other organizations in order to “raise awareness of the negative words used to describe African-American youth and women and obtain greater appreciation for ethnic and cultural heritage.” The 146 women and 139 teenagers in the TLOD Prince George’s chapter represent the largest in Area II with groups from Vermont to Richmond, Virginia. Kym Elder, chapter president, said every woman and teenager are members of both the National Council of Negro Women and the NAACP. When women are inducted into the organization, they all receive the title of “Lady.” She added that the organization recently volunteered in the Mayor’s Masked Ball, held on Jan. 27 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Northwest – a social event that raises money for the United Negro College Fund. “Without giving back and helping one another, and specifically assisting those in need, we all fall short of living out our full destinies and potential,” she said. “We all have something to offer and assist someone. As a community and nation, we will fall short if we choose not to aid a fellow man [or] woman.” Wilcher says their mission remains the same, just as it has been since the organization’s founding in 1964 in Tyler, Texas – to provide quality service to youth and adults, serving the community with enthusiasm, energy and excitement aligning with their national theme of “investing in values that support, enhance and sustain.” WI Editor D. Kevin McNeir contributed to this article. MLK
The Ladies of PGCC 2017-2018. /Courtesy photo
MLK Holiday DC Essay Contest Winners 2018 Elementary School Tyaiona Jones 1st Place- $300 W.B. Patterson Elementary School Malaysia K. Hylton 2nd Place- $200 Center City PCS-Capitol Hill Darrell Boyd 3rd Place- $100 W.B. Patterson Elementary School
Middle School Miguel Coppedge 1st Place- $300 Washington Global PCS Kechelle Settle 2nd Place- $200 John Philip Sousa Middle School Tionna Gay 3rd Place- $100 John Phillip Sousa Jr. High School
High School Hans Capozzi 1st Place - $300 McKinley Technology High School Kayla Rowles 2nd Place - $200 BASIS DC Lauryn Renford 3rd Place and MBYLI Winner - $100 Thurgood Marshall Academy
TYAIONA JONES 1ST PLACE- ELEMENTARY W.B. PATTERSON
As I walk through my Bellevue neighborhood, I see children throwing many types of objects at the buildings. I am terrified of any foreign object coming through my window. Throwing dangerous objects at people’s windows is an issue that really affects the safety of my daily life. I even think about it when I am at school. As I am reflecting on this issue of vandalism, I recall one day I heard a big crash near the window. There was a big brick on the floor in my living room. I jumped out of bed and screamed as loud as I could for my mom. Finally, when she came in my room she saw a big hole in the window. As my mom called the police, she looked outside and saw two kids throwing bricks and rocks at another building. I was anxious that it would happen to me again and I did not feel safe at all. When I think about how I can make my neighborhood safer, there are some changes I can implement. The first thing I would do is to call our ward’s councilman, Trayon White, to hold a town hall meeting to highlight this issue. In addition, I would ask parents in my community to form a neighborhood watch group that could work closely with the police. Also, I would ask adults for a donation to rebuild the apartments. In addition, my friends and I would have a bake sale, collect pennies and collect bottles to add to the donation. Last, I would keep the buildings that got repaired safe and make sure the people that did bad things to the buildings go to someplace else. These are just a few of the positive things that we will begin to start doing in my neighborhood.
MIGUEL COPPEDGE 1ST PLACE- MIDDLE WASHINGTON GLOBAL PCS
What issue(s) of concern are impacting your community and how can you implement change?
There are a few issues of concern that are impacting my community. The first issue is there is no or not enough community policing in the neighborhoods or schools. Children are afraid of the police because all they see on the news or on videos are people and children of their skin color (Black) getting beat up or killed. I chose to implement change by writing a book titled “Friendly Officers” which highlights six D.C. police officers that are dear and close to me displaying community policing. I also did a Community Policing PSA with Chief Peter Newsham to talk about how the police and the communities can come together and make D.C. a safer and better place to live which you can find on YouTube. February 24, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. at Shaw Library. I will be doing a reading of my book and will accompanied by the officers in the book and Chief Newsham to have dialogue about community policing and how the Metropolitan Police Department can better serve the communities in which they serve and protect. I think there should be more community policing events for children in their neighborhoods and schools to build up trust between them and the police. For example, I think the police should go to the schools and have the children do police activities like investigations or scavenger hunts. The second issue of concern that is impacting my community is there are not enough mental health programs to help
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where you’ve been and where you’re going.
the children with their problems. As a child who suffers from ADHD, Mood Disorders and Bipolar, it’s an everyday struggle to manage my moods and/or meltdowns. Children like me need more support groups and community support workers who are dedicated regardless of pay to help us with managing our struggles. It really makes a difference when you have someone who understands what you are going through that can help you. One thing that I do to help children like me is to share the tools and techniques that I learned from my mom, therapist and community support worker. I would like to create a support group in my school where we can share our issues and give advice or suggestions to help each other with managing our problems. In conclusion, as a young citizen of Washington, D.C., I am doing my part to ensure that law enforcement provide community policing in the neighborhoods in which they serve and protect and that the children in these communities aren’t afraid of them through my “Friendly Officer” book and forums where dialogue To find this essay contest I simply logged into my computer at home and started typing, but it’s not always that easy for a lot of other kids in my community. One important issue of concern in DC right now is lack of access to a computer or internet in the households of many children. Children within our own public school system in DC are given homework assignments that they can’t complete because it’s not always easy to be in an out of the library every day. The problem is not that internet is not available for everyone, it is that because access to it is not convenient for those who don’t have it at home, they often decide that going out of their way outweighs the benefits. This is not something the children can be blamed for because they are still young and cannot be expected to be as independent and resourceful as they are often expected to be. Simply because a child lives in the inner city, should not mean they are held to a standard of self-reliance where they are expected to plan around their misfortune. Something needs to be done about this issue and there are a few different ways it could be approached. First, DCPS could take action to help students get access to the internet at home. Second, libraries could create ways for students to be able to access the internet more easily at the library itself. Lastly, the government could create ways for parents to get computer and internet access in their homes. With these solutions comes a lack of help, but if people like me who want to help their community find ways to do so, this issue could be resolved. At my school, McKinley Technology, a new system was just implemented this year where students go to their advisory classes in the morning and pick up their personal laptops. This is a start in terms of DCPS helping, but the fallacy is that we have to turn them back in at the end of the day. I’ve even seen many students take these laptops home because now that we mostly do work on computers in class, teachers assign most homework on the computer which is a disadvantage for many students who don’t have internet at home. If DCPS was to institute a system where students in need of computers can check-out laptops at the end of each day and check them back in during the school day, which brings me to my next point. Some students are used to utilizing the library or might not have WiFi to access the internet even if they were offered these school laptops. For these kids, libraries could assign hours where computers are strictly reserved for students because it is common that even if they are ready to use library computers on a consistent basis, students fall victim to long lines of people using the computers for non-academic affairs. Lastly, when I attended the MLK march last year, I met representatives from two organizations, Project Reboot and Wildtech, that are both working on getting low-cost computers to DC residents. They even offer internet access for ten dollars a month. If the DC Government paid for student fee waivers valid with these organizations and others like them, the percent of students without computer or internet access in their homes would decrease dramatically. I believe that these resolutions are not far-fetched. It would not take too much funding or effort to institute systems of free technology for students. There are a few ways that I can help with the solutions that I proposed. First, I could go to the chancellor of DCPS and explain what my school is doing with the laptops and give him a written plan on how to do it for other schools. Second, to help make my idea for reserved computer time for students in public libraries a reality, I can send this idea to the executive officer of DC Public libraries and explain that, as a student I see this benefitting my community. Lastly, I can do my part by spreading my knowledge of organizations already in place and spread my ideas for creating more. I have already put people in need of technology on to these organizations, but my outreach could continue to expand with hard work and dedication. I For me, creating change in my community benefit myself, my family, and my friends which is motivation enough for me to do all I can do. MLK
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America Says, ‘Happy Birthday’ to Dr. King By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer On Monday, Jan. 15, people from across the U.S., including the newly-inaugurated governor of Virginia, celebrated what would have been the 89th birthday of the iconic civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with a variety of community-based projects, worship services and heart-felt testaments confirming their ongoing commitment to continuing his legacy in their own lives. His youngest daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, also joined the tributes, stating in a tweet her prayer that “our global community, from educators to politicians to artists to law enforcement, will truly hear his voice, follow his teachings and demonstrate his love for humanity.” While New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker celebrated the day – recently recognized by President Donald Trump as a federal holiday – by launching a podcast about justice with Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), California Sen. Kamala Harris participated in an event that focused on Hollywood’s newly-launched anti-sexual harassment and assault initiative, “Time Up.” Harris also participated in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade in Los Angeles, serving as the grand marshal. During an interview Monday on “The View,” Lewis, a King mentee and fellow civil rights leader, commented on the racial violence that occurred last year in Charlottesville and its impact. “What happened then, made me very sad. I cried. I don’t want to go back, I want to go forward,” Lewis said. “I want it to continue to be part of an effort to make American one where we lay down the burden of race, the burden of hate and create one society and one people,” he continued, “because we live together in one house – the American House, the world house – where we must all learn to live together as brothers and sisters as Dr. King would put it, or perish as fools.” Lewis, who stands in firm op-
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position to President Trump on many fronts, said the civil rights movement taught its supporters to withdraw from evil and that given his sentiments about the nation’s commander in-chief, he says he still has doubts about the legitimacy of Trump’s victory. The veteran congressman added that while King’s daughter said she felt her father would have been open to meeting with Trump, he disagrees. “I knew her father very, very well,” he said. “I met him when I was 18 and working with him and getting to know him, I think he would have taken the same position I took [when Lewis refused to attend the opening late last year of the civil rights museum in Selma].” He further asserted that had King still been alive, Trump would not have ascended to the presidency. “Dr. King would have been able to lead us to a different place,” Lewis said. “Our country would be different and the world community would be different.” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, on his first day on the job, chose to spend part of the afternoon last Monday at Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond where many prominent 19th- and 20th-century African Americans, including Maggie Walker, are buried. Northam, accompanied by the cemetery’s owner and several community workers, bundled up for the cold weather to help rid the historic burial grounds of months – and in some cases, years – of overgrown brush and scattered debris. “First of all, I wish everyone a happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,” Northam said while walking through the 5,000-plot cemetery. “Dr. King spoke and taught us about the importance of unity and equality, and just to see everybody out here helping with the clean-up today, [reminds] us that we live in a diverse society where we’re all God’s people and that we need to be inclusive in Virginia so no one is singled out.” MLK
Despite his civic activism that took him both across the U.S. and around the world, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made it a priority to share special time with his family. /Photo courtesy Bernice King
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