RECIPIENT OF THE DC BLACK MBA ASSOCIATION 2023 LEGACY AWARD
Serving Our Community in the DMV
Vol 60 No 33
Everyone has a Spot on Georgia Avenue: Establishments to Close at Wonder Plaza
May 29 - June 4, 2025
Restaurants Along the Strip to Close Indefinitely Due to Redevelopment by Howard University By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer
5Alisa A., pictured above with Negril employee Ms. Sandra, frequents the establishment regularly, often seen catching up with the restaurant’s employees and ordering her regular meal: curry chicken with no potatoes. (Mya Trujillo/The Washington Informer)
When passing by Howard University’s campus, Washingtonians and visitors can check out a handful of dining options, especially along Wonder Plaza on Georgia Avenue NW. However, due to remodeling initiatives to improve the university’s campus, restaurants along the strip will close indefinitely. The 110,000-square-foot space will be home to the anticipated Fusion Building, a mixeduse development, including approximately 280 new student housing units, retail options, a student dining hall and a wellness center. Per the university’s Central Campus Master Plan (CCMP), establishments existing in the plaza will need to be “razed or selectively demolished” to accommodate the transformation. “[The CCMP] is an ambitious plan that bal-
WONDER PLAZA Page 44
WorldPride Brings Celebrations of Culture, Identity and History Amid Anti-LGBTQ+ Attacks
Herman Buckman, 2025 Gates Millennium Scholar, Reflects on His Development By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
5Southeast resident Herman Buckman, among 1,000 youth recipients of the 2025 Gates Millennium Scholarship, is preparing for his next academic journey at Oberlin College in Ohio this fall. (Courtesy of KIPP DC Public Schools)
When Herman Buckman pursues psychology and law of society at Oberlin College this fall, he will do so without any concern about how to cover room, board, books and the other expenses that may burden some of his peers. For Buckman, such a scenario represents not only hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings, but the fulfillment of a vision that was born during his junior year, when he first got a taste of life outside of the District during a yearlong study tour in Germany. “There was definitely culture shock,” said Buckman, 18, a soon-to-be alumnus of KIPP
SCHOLAR Page 34
In Budget Proposals, D.C. Mayor Bowser Looks to the Future
Youth Programming Remains Intact in FY25 and FY26 Proposals, but Questions Persist for Marginalized Residents By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
By Tait Manning WI Reporting Intern Amid federal efforts to reverse and eradicate LGBTQ+ rights, WorldPride is coinciding with the District’s 50th anniversary Pride celebrations, prompting the local queer community to reflect on the past in order to push forward into an uncertain future. Events kicked off in the nation’s capital on May 17, beginning a three-week celebration of panels, exhibits, rallies and parties, all culminating with a closing concert featuring headliners Cynthia Erivo and Doechii.
Capture the Moment Page 35
5WorldPride’s Capital House Music Festival on May 24 brought attendees of all ages to celebrate the Black and queer roots of the house music genre. (Tait Manning/The Washington Informer)
Hosted by InterPride and Capital Pride Alliance, this year’s theme is “The Fabric of Freedom,” communicating a message of unity amid nationwide attacks on LGBTQ+ culture and identities.
WORLDPRIDE Page 5
After weeks of delays, and unsuccessful attempts to reverse a continuing resolution that decimates the District’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget, the Bowser administration recently rolled out a budget proposal touted as the ideal response to an economic situation created by President Donald J. Trump and congressional Republicans. If approved, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2025 supplemental budget will -- as the continuing resolution requires --
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trigger more than $400 billion in cost savings between now and Oct. 1. Those cuts, however, won’t jeopardize public education and facilities, public safety, and out-of-school time programming scheduled for the summer. Also left unscathed is summertime youth programming, much like what
BUDGET PROPOSAL Page 18