Vol 60 No 7
Serving Our Community in the DMV
One Decade After His Death, Family, Colleagues and Residents Honor Marion Barry’s Life, Work with Legacy Mural
November 28 – December 4, 2024
By Dr. Patrise Holden WI Contributing Writer
In the decade after Marion S. Barry, Jr.’s death, the District has memorialized D.C.’s mayor for life with a statue in front of the John A. Wilson Building, along with the renaming of a major Southeast corridor, D.C. government building, and the summer jobs program he created. However, Barry’s latest posthumous honor—a colorful mural detailing notable moments and figures throughout his nearly 60-year civil rights and political career— would prove to be most crucial and timely in cementing a legacy 5A crowd listens to a panel honoring the late Marion S. Barry a decade after his death, moderated by Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes (standing far right)
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer In 1995, Eydie Whittington took an oath of office to fill the D.C. Council vacancy spawned by Marion S. Barry’s last ascent to mayoralty. She would go on to serve the next two years as Ward 8’s fourth-ever duly elected council member. For Whittington, that chapter in public service, which came during a
See This Month's WI Bridge Center Section
The Changing Face of Food Insecurity
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
Elected Officials, Past and Present, Reflect on Home Rule Battle Ahead
November 2024. Volume 10. Issue 11.
Concrete Dreams: HU SKATE DOCUMENTARY EDITION
RECIPIENT OF THE DC BLACK MBA ASSOCIATION 2023 LEGACY AWARD
BARRY Page 48 on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
D.C.’s 38th Annual Adoption Day Celebrates ‘Forever Families’ of 2024
5On Tuesday, Nov. 19, the largest-ever group of past and present senior District elected officials, which included former D.C. Councilmember Frank Smith and D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, gathered at the John A. Wilson Building to celebrate 50 years of Home Rule for the District of Columbia. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)
Standing in long lines, curving down the sidewalk, waiting for free, fresh produce and groceries midday, were single mothers with children in tow, senior citizens, and people dressed in business attire on a quick break from work. Despite their varied demographics—different ages, income levels, ethnicities, and family structures—these individuals share one common thread: they all are seeking help to secure their next meal. Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. In the wake of increased economic insecurity and rising prices at grocery stores, the face of food insecurity has changed. What was once perceived as a challenge primarily affecting the underserved has now evolved into a pressing issue that touches the lives of Americans from all walks of life. Across the United States, countless families, including those previously considered financially stable with dual incomes, are grappling with the harsh reality of not having
FOOD INSECURITY Page 34
‘Power of Adoption’ Supported by Community Leaders, Families By Jada Ingleton WI Digital Equity Fellow
precarious time for what was then Chocolate City, followed stints as an advisory neighborhood commissioner and a member of Barry’s campaign team. “I never thought I would be part of history,” Whittington said about her tenure
For the Wilson family, the adoption journey began in 2008 when Phyllis Wilson fostered Jayden, then a two-week-old-infant, through the District of Columbia Courts. Wilson, who was present during the District’s 38th annual Adoption Day on Saturday, Nov. 23, began raising the infant, aiming to provide a stable, nurturing environment for him, and eventually decided to adopt him at two-years-old in April 2010. “I just wanted to be a foster parent, but…he's all we
HOME RULE Page 47
ADOPTION Page 34
5Food banks across the country are bracing for potential increases in food need pending proposed mass deportation of migrant workers during the Trump administration. (Cleveland Nelson/The Washington Informer)
Celebrating 60 years. Your credible and trusted source for Black news and information.