VOL. 53, NO. 13 • JANUARY 11 - 17, 2018
We Honor the Sacrifices and Contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Will Trump Plunge U.S. into War?
Black Caucus Members Express 2018 Priorities
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer During his 2017 swearing-in as the new chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond spoke boldly of what constituents could expect from the famed legislative group established in 1971. “We will confront those who seek to divide,” Richmond said. “We will be clear about our demands on behalf of black people across the globe. We will venture outside of Washington regularly to engage our people in the places they live, work and worship, we will heed the many lessons from our leaders who came before, but we will BRRRRRRR! innovate and evolve to tackle the chal- 5 The Greater Washington Area recently experienced bone-chilling temperatures. Howard University delayed the start of
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classes after the holiday break due to the frigid weather while pipes burst in many communities. Temperatures finally climbed above freezing on Tuesday, but more cold weather is predicted to be on the way. /Photo by E Watson/EDI Photo
Interfaith Service Explores Lessons of Dr. M.L. King, Jr.
Annual Event Draws Hundreds of Celebrants Despite the Cold Temps By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir As the world prepares to honor the life of the “Drum Major for Peace” on his birthday, Jan. 15, hundreds gathered at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Northwest for an annual service bringing together leaders and members of various faiths from across the D.C. area with Dr. M.L. King, Jr., as their focus point. The program, co-sponsored by the Interfaith Conference
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of Metropolitan Washington and the Council of Churches of Greater Washington, continued an event which first began in 1983, one year after the founding of the King D.C. Support Group by its founding president, Dr. Helen V. Tate, along with Dr. Clark Lobenstine, on Jan. 16, 1972. And while partnerships within the group were later formed, the goal remained the same: to gather the community to experience Dr. King’s col-
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5 (From left-right) Ana Chavis, Denise Rolark Barnes, the publisher of the Washington Informer, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA, and other attendees sing during a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, presented by the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)
President Donald Trump continues to play a game of chicken with North Korean Leader Kim Jung Un and the ramped-up rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang has many wondering not if, but when the feud will erupt into war. The latest war of words between the two leaders began when Kim, in a New Year’s speech, signaled his willingness to engage in talks with South Korea and claimed the entire U.S. mainland was within range of North Korean missiles, according to a CNN report. “The nuclear button is always on the desk of my office,” he said. “They should accurately be aware that this is not a threat but a reality.” Trump responded via Twitter, saying, “I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” Meanwhile, recent protests in Iran have drawn the attention of much of the world – and the strong support of the Trump administration. The Iranian government reportedly has responded to the protests with force in some areas, and Iranian leaders have accused the U.S. of backing the anti-government protesters. Now Trump is shaming Pakistan on Twitter and withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in security assistance at a time when the U.S. needs its difficult ally more than it has in years. The Los Angeles Times reported that Trump is plunging deeper into Afghanistan, having raised the number of U.S. troops from 11,000 to
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Celebrating 53 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area