WINNER OF SIX SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS FOR 2022
Celebrating 58 Years - Vol. 58, No. 26 • April 13-19, 2023
'The Giz' Cast Chats with Micha!
Page 32
Educators Mull How to Convey Significance of D.C. Emancipation Day
EMANCIPATION DAY 2023
By Sam P.K. Collins and Brenda Siler WI Staff Writer and WI Contributing Writer
5 The Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy marches down Pennsylvania Avenue during the Emancipation Day Parade in D.C. on April 16, 2016. (WI File Photo/Patricia Little)
April 16 marks 161 years since Congress passed the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed enslaved African Americans living in the District and compensated slave owners for each freeperson. Those freed because of the legislation would later become known as the “First Freed,” a designation that not only hinted at the District’s political significance, but the prestige of Black people who lived and worked in the nation’s capital. That’s why, as District residents, old and new, gear up for another citywide celebration, some people, like Dr. Sandra
After Passage of Street Vending Legislation, Veteran Street Vendors Look Forward
In the Face of U.S. Gun Crisis, Tennessee GOP Uses Race to Push Agenda
Jowers-Barber, are concerned about the cultural and historical importance of D.C. Emancipation Day being lost on District residents, particularly the youth and transients. In the 2000s, Jowers-Barber attended Howard University (HU) with Dr. Elizabeth Clark-Lewis, her colleague and dissertation committee chair who wrote “First Freed,” a collection of essays highlighting the significance of D.C. Emancipation Day. She acknowledged Clark-Lewis, who’s currently a professor of history at HU and director of the school’s public history program, as one of the foremost scholars on D.C. Emancipation Day. Jowers-Barber also credited Loretta Car-
EMANCIPATION Page 48
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
The re-seating by the Nashville Metropolitan Council of Tennessee Democratic State Rep. Justin Jones revealed the political chasm between Republicans and Democrats and a widening rift over gun control in the United States. Jones’ re-seating came the same day that another
Local street vendors celebrated a victory last week with the passage of the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act, which decriminalizes street vending, sets up vending zones and spaces and streamlines a licensing process that had been criticized as expensive and complicated. This milestone had been a major relief for many vendors, including Northwest resident and returning citizen Chuck Bradley who recounted often struggling to avoid police officers who’d shut down his operations and con- 5 District couple Shaun Stepney and Sunni fiscate his wares. Stuart, owners of Sunni Teez Kitchen, counted For more than 20 years, Bradley has posted up along among those who celebrated the passage of the 14th Street in Columbia Heights to sell artwork, clothes, Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act on
TENNESSEE Page 24
5 After being expelled for their support of gun control, Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones (D) was reinstated and Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson (D) is expected to be reinstated later this week. Jones was reinstated in Tennessee, the same day a mass shooting occurred at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, claiming six lives. (Courtesy Photo)
April 4, 2023 at the John A. Wilson Building in
VENDORS Page 48 Northwest. (Courtesy Photo)
Celebrating 58 years. Your credible and trusted source for Black news and information.