WINNER OF SIX SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS FOR 2022 Don't Miss The WI Financial Literacy Supplement Center Section Vol. 57, No. 52 • October 13 - 19, 2022
Biden Pardons All Federal, D.C. Convictions for Simple Marijuana Possession
'Till' - A history lesson
Thousands in the District and Across U.S. to Have Their Records Cleared Kayla Benjamin and Stacy M. Brown WI Staff Writer, WI Senior Writer
5 Students from Howard University witness the power behind a new film about the life of Emmett Till. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer) See story on Page 30.
Reaction proved swift and mostly supportive to President Joe Biden’s October 6 announcement that he’s issuing full pardons for all federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. Because D.C. does not have statehood rights, the pardon will apply to convictions under D.C. statute as well as federal convictions. The president vowed to encourage governors to take similar steps to pardon state simple marijuana possession charges. “President Biden’s decision to pardon thousands of federal offenses is a second chance that countless have been waiting for,” said Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson,
Students Launch Campaign for Higher Summer Youth Employment Wages
Clock Running Out for Candidates Vying for District’s Two At-Large Council Seats
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
Bonds Appears to Be Front Runner but Many Voters Say They’re Still Weighing their Options James Wright WI Staff Writer
The race for two of the D.C. Council’s at-large seats in the Nov. 8 general election has generated increased interest and debate with three current councilmembers vying for the positions. But many voters indicate that they remain uncertain of who they will chose when they go to the polls. “My first choice is to vote for Elissa Silverman,” said Renee Bowser, a Ward 4 resident who
AT-LARGE Page 47
PARDON Page 37
5 Ward 5 D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie seeks to secure one of the two at-large seats available when voters go to the polls for the November 8 general election. (Courtesy photo)
This past summer, Marcus Williams and his brother Germaine picked up trash, installed bird boxes and painted benches at Kingman Island near the shuttered RFK Stadium in Ward 7 as part of a job they secured through the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP). For six weeks, the Williams brothers woke up early, made their daily commute and toiled in the sun for hours. While they considered the experience worthwhile and educational, they, and several of their peers, had qualms about their pay. As 15-year-old youth, the two brothers were paid at a rate of $6.25 per hour with the ability to work a maximum of 20 hours per week. Meanwhile, their peers between the ages
COMPENSATION Page 49
BEE Page 12 Area Celebrating 57 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers ThroughoutSPELLING The Metropolitan