RECIPIENT OF THE DC BLACK MBA ASSOCIATION 2023 LEGACY AWARD
Serving Our Community in the DMV
Vol 60 No 42
In Final Budget Vote, a Lot of Disappointment
July 31 - August 6, 2025
NATIONAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH MONTH
From Trauma to Transformation: Local Mental Health Advocates Lead New Era in Community Wellness
Ward 8 D.C. Councilmember-elect White Reenters Council Chambers By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building filled to capacity on what council members called the most unconventional of days to conduct a final budget vote, during what has been one of the most hectic years in recent D.C history. The Fiscal Year 2026 budget approved by the council on Monday evening preserves Initiative 82 in a manner that some council members say achieves parity in the current economic environment. Ranked-choice voting also remained intact, despite
efforts to mandate a D.C. Board of Elections (DCBOE) needs assessment. Amid contention with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) about more than $200 million in funds, the council added the child tax credit and D.C. Healthcare Alliance to a contingency funding list. To the chagrin of advocates, the council also struck down an amendment for marginal tax increase on wealth. On Monday morning, D.C. Councilmember-elect Trayon White (D-Ward 8), not yet D.C. Board of
BUDGET Page 40
5During the second budget vote on July 28, D.C. Councilmembers Zachary Parker (left) and Janeese Lewis George (right) voted against the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Support Act while Parker also voted against the Fiscal Year 2026 Local Budget Act. Councilmember Christina Henderson (center) says she is intent on stopping any delay of ranked-choice voting— a system that’s been assessed by D.C. Board of Elections and the Office of Chief Financial Officer. (WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)
Medicaid Cuts Protest on National Mall Draws Sharp Opinions
D.C. Council to Soon Vote on Commanders Stadium Deal, Mendelson Says
Looking Back: Federal Pressure, Competing Campaigns, and a Community Benefits Agreement
GOP Plans Could Hurt Many Americans, Activists Say
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
5D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson says the legislative body will conduct its vote on a revised stadium deal as early as Aug. 1. (WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)
Since the removal of the RFK campus redevelopment deal from the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Support Act, tensions have intensified both in the John A. Wilson Building and on the Hill around if and when the D.C. Council will finalize the stadium deal with the Washington Commanders. After much speculation about whether negotiations would drag well
STADIUM Page 40
Capture the Moment Page 35
By James Wright and Ve Wright WI Staff Writer and WI Intern 5Messages emphasizing the importance of Medicaid funding taped to a candle statue during the 60-Hour Medicaid Vigil on the National Mall. Advocates gathered outside the U.S Capitol to protest recent congressional cuts to Medicaid and share the stories of those with disabilities that are impacted. (Ve Wright/ The Washington Informer)
Scores of people braved the sweltering heat in Washington, D.C. on July 26– the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act— advocating that Medicaid, the federal government program providing health care to the poor, should be preserved and funded to levels where it can benefit the people most who need it, including those who are disabled. Jennifer Wells, director of Economic Justice
Dr. Patrise Holden WI Contributing Writer
In the heart of Washington, D.C., a quiet revolution is taking place, not in politics or protests, but in the realm of mental health. In recognition of National Minority Mental Health Month, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Shareefah Al’Uqdah and mental health advocate Rylinda Rhodes are redefining what healing looks like in underserved communities, one clinic, one conversation, one selfcheck at a time. “We have to bring mental health services directly into communities where there is demonstrated need,” said Al’Uqdah. “That’s why I call myself Your Neighborhood Psychologist, because that’s exactly what mental health should be: available and grounded where people live.”
A MISSION SPARKED BY TRAGEDY
While Al’Uqdah was still a graduate student at Howard Universi-
MEDICAID Page 17
Celebrating 60 years. Your credible and trusted source for Black news and information.
WELLNESS Page 41