The Washington Informer - October 16, 2025

As Encampment Clearings Continue, One Resident Seeks Peace

and Justice

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

This article is part of our 2025 contribution to the D.C. Homeless Crisis Reporting Project in collaboration with other local newsrooms. The collective works have been published at bit.ly/DCHCRP.

Since the end of the federal officers surge, local agencies have continued clearings at encampments across the District, all while the Bowser administration encourages former and current occupants to enter public shelters.

As officials and advocates prepare for a couple of clearings across Northwest, at least one resident is telling The Informer that, even with housing inse-

Page 44

(WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)

With Its Own Makerspace, Center City PCS Aims to Take STEAM Instruction to the Next Level

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

In the more than a decade that she’s been an educator, Britney Ayala has helped young people organize to solve contemporary problems and imagine a world beyond their current environment. That mission continues at Center City Public Charter School (PCS) - NoMa Campus, where, despite students’ enthusiasm for learning, Ayala said she and other teachers at times struggle to convey math and science concepts during in-class activities.

That’s why, for Ayala and other teachers at the school’s campuses across the District, the newly launched Makerspace at Center City PCS has the potential to enhance their teaching pedagogy and increase students’ fervor for STEAM (science, technology, engineer-

MAKERSPACE Page 22

5

Witt’s Work to Uplift Southwest Residents, Area through the Business Improvement District

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

While Southwest, D.C. is the smallest quadrant in the city, it is also the one that is set to undergo massive change due to plans of political administrations and demographic change taking place in its neighborhoods.

However, Andre Witt, the chief operating officer of the Southwest Business Improvement District (BID), is working with his team to see that residents in his jurisdiction are enjoying a good quality of life and go beyond services that other BIDS in the city offer.

“There is a lot of diversity in Southwest,” said Witt, 61, to The Informer. “We at the Southwest BID manage 53 areas

WITT Page 14

Ward 8 Residents Debate Prospect of Urban Spa on Poplar Point

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

If all goes to plan, Therme Group will construct and operate a multimillion dollar health oasis that’s promised to revitalize the stretch of land along the Anacostia River known as Poplar Point.

While the D.C. government awaits the findings of an environmental assessment, Ward 8 resident and Therme representative Wanda Lockridge continues to promote what she predicts will be an engine of economic development in Ward 8.

“For over 30 years, this place has just been deserted, contaminated and

URBAN SPA Page 43

5 Self-described “Ward 8-atonian” Wanda Lockridge currently serves as Therme Group’s director of community engagement, through which she’s speaking to Ward 8 residents and groups about the development of the urban spa on Poplar Point. (Courtesy Photo)

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wi hot topics

5 Grammy-winning singer D’Angelo has died after a quiet battle with pancreatic cancer.

(Courtesy Photo)

Michael Eugene Archer—known to the world as D’Angelo— one of the most enigmatic and transformative figures in modern R&B, has died in New York after a quiet battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 51.

Though he only had three studio albums, D’Angelo won four Grammys during his career. The singer was said to be working on what would have been his fourth studio album.

“An architect, musically and spiritually. I’m stumped on this one,” music critic Nicolas-Tyrell Scott wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We haven’t just lost a person, we’ve lost a musician who put his all into the music.”

D’Angelo was born on February 11, 1974,

LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE, NNPA; BRENDA C. SILER,WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER; MYA

in Richmond and raised in nearby Petersburg.

The artist was the son of a minister and grew up immersed in gospel music.

He emerged in the 1990s as a singing phenom with his church-honed musicianship and husky falsetto.

His big breakthrough came in 1995 with the release of “Brown Sugar,” a debut album that felt both nostalgic and radical.

Driven by hits like “Lady,” “Cruisin’,” and the title track “Brown Sugar,” the record was a warm, analog antidote to the digital R&B dominating radio at the time.

D’Angelo’s follow-up album, “Voodoo”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris Tells Her Story in ‘107 Days’

Audiences welcomed former Vice President Kamala Harris back in D.C. with a thunderous standing ovation, as she entered the Warner Theatre stage to talk about her book “107 Days.”

In a conversation between Harris and journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher, the vice president offered an overview of the “shortest presidential campaign in modern history,” as described in a video trailer played to introduce the evening.

However, it was more than a reflection on last year’s campaign. Harris and Swisher dug deep into current political challenges and how they are affecting Americans and various industries.

“Can our system of government survive three more years of this?” Swisher questioned.

The former vice president offered a chilling warning.

“I think we can be candid with all the friends here. I don’t know that it won’t get worse before it gets better,” she said. “I don’t have the solution for how it stops.”

Health care and medical research were major topics of dis-

cussion, rooting back to the vice president’s family history.

“I am the daughter of a mother who was a scientist. The goals in her life were to raise me and my sister Maya and to end breast cancer,” Harris said. “When I see what these people are doing now, to deny science and fire scientists, it’s personal for me.”

Howard University student Naomi Jefferies attended the event as a reporter for The Hilltop – the nation’s oldest Black collegiate newspaper, founded on Howard’s campus by Zora Neale Hurston.

While she was covering the event, Jefferies was also happy to hear from the barrier-breaking former vice president, who graduated from Howard in 1986.

“She gave us a lot of really valuable information about the current state of our country and the future of our country,” said Jeffries, an English major from West Orange, New Jersey. “It seems like the fight seems fleeting at times, but she really instilled that we need to keep pushing and keep fighting.” WI

Bad Bunny to Bring Puerto Rican Pride to Super Bowl Stage

The leading artist on Billboard’s Top Latin Artists of the Century list, Puerto Rican rapper and singer Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known widely as Bad Bunny, will make history at the 60th Super Bowl as the first male Latin artist to headline the sporting event’s halftime show.

After revealing there wouldn’t be any shows in the United States on his “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” world tour due to an increase in arrests by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, many fans living in the U.S. were thrilled following the halftime show announcement.

New York City resident and proud Puerto Rican Sarah Bryant is happy to see Bad Bunny represent her maternal family’s homeland on such a massive stage.

“He’s been really displaying our culture in a way that is something to be really proud of,” Bryant, an avid listener of Bad Bunny’s music, told The Informer. “I think it’s inspirational to not only Puerto Ricans, but also other Latinos and people from all over the world.”

In his 2025 album, Bad Bunny took a multifaceted approach to representing Puerto Rican culture, from making nods to its African roots through the use of styles like bomba and plena, to honoring the country’s Spanish heritage through utilizing string instruments and blending various Latin genres. Highlighting his country’s history through various musical elements, in “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos,” Bad Bunny actively challenges the injustices many Hispanic and Latino people have faced.

Despite Puerto Rico being a United States territory, some have criticized the NFL’s halftime show decision, since the performance will likely primarily be in Spanish.

However, Puerto Rican Bad Bunny fans like Glori Caraballo believe such a performance is necessary in today’s political climate.

“He’s a [U.S.] citizen, and he’s using that as his leverage,” Caraballo told The Informer. “He’s very much for his island and for his people, so if you don’t understand him, then that’s that. WI

AROUND THE REGION

Denied Care? Patients in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia Urged to Use External Appeals to Fight Back

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

When insurance companies refuse to pay for lifesaving medical treatment, many Americans give up, not realizing the law provides a powerful tool to challenge those decisions — the external appeal.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and consumer protection offices in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia confirm that thousands of patients remain unaware of their rights under federal and state law.

A ProPublica investigation detailed how one North Carolina couple, Teressa Sutton-Schulman and her husband, known in court filings as “L,” faced repeated denials from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for psychiatric treatment that followed two suicide attempts in just 11 days. The insurer’s instructions for an external appeal were buried deep in the paperwork.

Once Sutton-Schulman requested the review, an independent doctor overturned the denial, forcing the company to cover more than $70,000 in treatment costs, ProPublica reported.

“Appeal, appeal, appeal, appeal,” said Kaye Pestaina, a vice president at the nonprofit health policy group KFF, who has studied external appeals. “That’s all you have,” she told ProPublica.

External review rights were strengthened by the Affordable Care Act in 2010, expanding state-level programs and requiring insurers to submit to independent review in certain cases. Yet as Karen Pollitz, who helped draft those federal rules under the Obama administration, explained, lobbying from insurance companies weakened the original protections, leaving many patients unaware or ineligible for the process, she told ProPublica.

Even so, Maryland and the District of Columbia have maintained consumer programs that help residents navigate appeals and force accountability from insurers. The Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Health Education and Advocacy Unit continues to handle complaints and disputes, offering free assistance to residents dealing with denied claims,

billing issues, or policy cancellations, according to CMS.

“The numbers are low because some people just give up. They’re frustrated. They’re tired. They’re battling cancer,” Kimberly Cammarata, director of Maryland’s Health Education and Advocacy Unit, the state’s consumer assistance program, told ProPublica.

“And sometimes the information about why the claim was denied or about how to appeal is terribly unclear. A lot of these outcome letters will say you have a right to an external appeal, but they don’t exactly tell you where to go.”

Maryland’s new law now forces insurers to print appeal information prominently at the top of denial letters in bold type, ensuring patients are told they can contact the state’s consumer assistance program. Similar changes in Connecticut led to a 40% increase in appeals filed after patients were better informed of their rights, ProPublica reported.

The D.C. Office of the Health Care Ombudsman and Bill of Rights performs the same role in the nation’s capital, providing direct assistance to residents denied coverage or facing unresolved insurance disputes, according to CMS. Residents can also contact the Department of Health Care Finance for Medicaid concerns or DC Healthy Families for children’s coverage. Both programs help guide consumers through internal and external appeal procedures.

Virginia, which no longer participates in the federal Consumer Assistance Program, directs residents to the State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance in Richmond for complaints or appeals involving private insurance plans. Those with Medicaid or children’s health coverage can contact the Department of Medical Assistance Services or the FAMIS program, while Medicare recipients can reach out to the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program, CMS records show.

“Here at CMS,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, 17th CMS administrator, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “we’ve got the info, tools, and answers!”

What to Do When Denied Coverage

Experts recommend that patients denied coverage take several immediate steps: keep all paperwork, request copies of their claim files, contact a consumer assistance office for free guidance, and appeal every denial.

Many disputes, they note, stem from clerical errors or coding mistakes — problems that can be quickly fixed once identified.

For urgent or complex cases, federal rules allow expedited reviews, which must be decided within 72 hours. If the reviewer rules in favor of the patient, insurers are legally obligated to pay for treatment. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

AROUND THE REGION

black facts

OCT. 16 - 22, 2025

Oct. 16

1859 – White abolitionist John Brown leads a raid on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to start an armed slave revolt. He is later tried, convicted and executed by hanging for his role.

1968 – African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise black-gloved fists during their medal ceremony at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

1984 – Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his ant-apartheid work in South Africa.

1995 – The Million Man March, called by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, is held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Oct. 17

1711 – Poet Jupiter Hammon, the first African American writer to be published in the present-day United States, is born in Long Island, New York.

1888 – Capital Savings Bank of Washington D.C. — one of the nation’s first Black-owned banks — is opened.

1956 – Physician and astronaut Mae Jamison, the first African American woman to travel in space, is born in Decatur, Alabama.

1969 – Clifton R. Wharton is elected president of Michigan State University, becoming the first African American president of a major U.S. university.

Oct. 18

1926 – Pioneering guitarist and rock ‘n’ roll icon Chuck Berry is born in St. Louis.

1948 – Poet and playwright Ntozake Shange, author of “For Colored Girls…,” is born in Trenton, New Jersey.

1951 – “Waiting to Exhale” author Terry McMillan is born in Port Huron, Michigan.

1968 – Athlete Bob Beamon sets the world record for the long jump — 29’2½” — a mark that would stand for decades.

Oct. 19

1936 – Johnnetta B. Cole, director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and the first African American female president of Spelman College, is born in Jacksonville, Florida.

1944 – The U.S. Navy begins accepting Black women for military service.

1944 – Reggae music legend Peter Tosh is born in Grange Hill, Jamaica.

Oct. 20

1898 – North Carolina Mutual and Provident Insurance Company is founded by John Merrick and associates in Durham as the first African American-owned insurance company.

1904 – Civil rights activist Enolia McMillan, the first female president of the NAACP, is born in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.

Oct. 21

1917 – Iconic jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie is born in Cheraw, South Carolina.

Oct. 22

1936 – Political activist and Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale is born in Liberty, Texas.

1953 – Clarence S. Green is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery as the first-ever African American neurosurgeon. WI

P INT

BY KEITH GOLDEN JR.

How has the development of AI influenced your trust in the media?

TYLER MCFADDEN / WASHINGTON D.C.

When an AI company doesn’t care about truth, they don’t care about information that is beneficial for people [over] their bottom line–that becomes an issue [of] who exactly we could trust. Local news is incredibly important; it’s harder to trust larger, more national organizations that might have back room deals [and] relationships with people like Sam Altman who are responsible for the proliferation of a lot of really dangerous material.

ALEXIS /

SANAA CHEGE / MARYLAND

My trust has gone down. AI is advancing further so [things] look more realistic, and it’s harder to tell what’s actually true and what’s not.

(DIDN’T WANT TO GIVE LAST NAME NOR OCCUPATION)

It has gotten to a point now where I’ve deleted social media and really cut back on what it is that I’m looking at [once] I realized that not only were photos being manipulated, but also videos and sound. I do feel that it has become a bit dangerous in the sense of, unless you know what you know and what you don’t know, you can be easily manipulated in these spaces.

STACY AJA / JONESBORO, GEORGIA

I believe that AI can have some really wonderful benefits, but with the ability to manipulate people and audio, it makes me a little bit hesitant. I have a background in media, and I know how easily mislead people can be with misinformation.

Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

Trump’s Crackdown Turns Immigrant Workers into Targets

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Despite President Donald Trump declaring a “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital in mid August– deploying the National Guard and other federal offices– new statistics reveal that many of the people arrested since that time were not violent criminals.

Nearly 40% of the more than 3,500 arrests made in D.C. since the Aug. 11 start of the 30-day federal officers surge were immigration related, according to federal data published by CBS News.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement alone accounted for roughly 1,400 of those arrests, most of them administrative—not criminal—detentions. That means people were seized for civil violations such as overstaying visas or entering the country without authorization, not for violent offenses.

By late September, ICE agents were visiting more than 130 work sites across the District—construction zones, restaurants, hospitals, and schools. Landscapers, caregivers, and kitchen staff—the invisible backbone of Washington’s daily life—were detained in the name of “law and order.”

Yet the administration has provided no data showing how many of those arrested had criminal records.

“Many of the illegal aliens arrested during this operation were committing crimes or had outstanding warrants,” claimed White House spokes-

5 A woman holds up a sign in support of immigrants at a June rally in D.C. A new report reveals nearly 40% of the more than 3,500 arrests made in D.C. since President Donald

woman Abigail Jackson. However, neither Jackson nor the Department of Homeland Security produced evidence to support that claim.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back when the federal order expired.

“Immigration enforcement is not what MPD does,” Bowser said. “And with the end of the emergency, it won’t be what MPD does in the future.”

But the federal presence remains. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Park Police, and even the Secret Service’s Uniformed Division continue joint patrols near downtown, including near the White House.

The city’s residents—citizens and immigrants alike—now live under the shadow of federal raids and checkpoints.

“Our government is engaged in — by its own admission and by the tumultuous enforcement actions it has launched – a comprehensive campaign to uproot millions of families and hard-working men and women who have come to our country seeking a better life that includes contributing to building up the best elements of our culture and society,”

said Archbishop of Washington Robert Cardinal McElroy in a Sept. 28 homily. “This campaign relies on fear and terror at its core, for the government knows that it cannot succeed

in its efforts except by bringing new dimensions of fear and terror to our nation’s history and life.”

Lies Spread, Residents Live in Fear

Across the city, fear is spreading faster than facts. While claims immigrants are draining public resources is used to justify this militarized policing, evidence shows just the opposite.

Undocumented immigrants in the United States paid $96.7 billion in taxes in 2022 alone—nearly $9,000 per person. They contributed $25.7 billion to Social Security, even though they can never collect from it. Their state and local tax rate exceeds that of the top one percent of U.S. earners.

Still, Trump and his allies insist that these workers are “stealing” from America, telling the country that Democrats shut down the government to give away health care to “illegal immigrants.”

“Nowhere have Democrats suggested that we’re interested in changing federal law,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “The question for the president is whether he’s interested in protecting the health care of the American people.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

THE REGION

Marita Golden Reflects on Life and Career, Celebrates 35 Years of Hurston/Wright

D.C. Native, Lauded Author Passionate

About Uplifting Black Writers

By Arcynta Childs WI Contributing Writer

Forty two years after publishing her first memoir, “Migrations of the Heart,” Marita Golden has built a respected and lauded career. However, for the award-winning writer, it’s not accolades that keep her going, but the influence her work has on others.

“The most satisfying thing about being a writer is it’s given me a way into the hearts and minds of so many people,” Golden told The Informer.

For 35 years, Golden has provided support, resources and community for thousands of Black writers across multiple continents, through the Zora Neale Hurston/ Richard Wright (Hurston/Wright) Foundation, which she co-founded with businessman and cultural activist Clyde McElvene to honor and recognize storytellers across the African diaspora.

On Oct. 17, the foundation will use its annual Legacy Awards to celebrate literary changemakers, including: two-time Pulitzer winning historian David Levering Lewis; writer, lawyer and activist Mary Frances Berry; and scholar and cultural advocate Brenda M. Greene.

“We call it the Legacy Award because every year, that’s what we’re honoring. We’re honoring the legacy of Hurston and Wright,” Golden said. “We’re honoring the legacy that all Black writers are part of, because every time a Black writer writes a book, they’re part of the legacy.”

As the foundation celebrates 35 years, others are celebrating Golden’s major contributions and literary legacy.

“Marita is a pioneer,” McElvene said of his fellow Hurston/Wright co-founder. “She recognized that there was a need to be filled, and she started an institution that will live on.”

(Courtesy Photo/Marita Golden)

D.C. Native Born to Write

Born Bernette Marita Golden in 1950, in what is now the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C., it seemed, almost from the start, that the novelist and founder of the Hurston Wright Foundation was destined to write.

She grew up on Harvard Street, N.W. – the same street where Jean Toomer, best known as a Harlem Renaissance writer, was raised decades earlier.

Her father, Francis Sherman Golden, regaled her with stories about Black history makers like Shirley Chisolm and Frederick Douglass each night before bed.

“I was very lucky to be raised in a home by two parents who took

AROUND THE REGION

“When

https://www

Wesley Thompsom from Bowie, Maryland, explores D.C. happenings in The Washington Informer after a show at Blues Alley. (Brenda C. Siler/ The Washington Informer)

– Fannie Lou Hamer

Smithsonian Museums and National Zoo Close as Shutdown Enters Third Week

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex, has shuttered its museums and the National Zoo as the federal government shutdown drags into its third week, leaving tourists and Washington residents locked out of some of the nation’s most treasured cultural landmarks.

The Smithsonian had remained open for nearly two weeks after the Oct. 1 shutdown by relying on leftover funds from prior years, but with those reserves depleted, all 21 museums in Washington, D.C. and New York, along with 14 research centers and the National Zoo, have now closed their doors.

Visitors to the National Mall have encountered locked entrances and printed notices announcing the closures.

“You won’t get to see the animals today,” said Mario de la Fuente, who had brought his 2-year-old son to the Museum of Natural History.

He noted his disappointment of finding the museum closed after weeks of following the shutdown news from afar.

“This is an easy treat within arm’s reach,” the father said.

The closures extend beyond the museums’ doors.

The National Zoo has confirmed that while its animals continue to be fed and cared for, the popular live animal cameras are offline.

“To say that he’s highly disappointed is an understatement,” said Deborah Silva, who had traveled from Alabama with her son to visit the zoo and see “the history he was learning in school up close.”

The Smithsonian, which relies on Congress for about 53% of its $1.09 billion annual budget, joins the National Gallery of Art, which closed earlier this month. The funding impasse on Capitol Hill has also left roughly 1.4 million federal employees furloughed or working without pay, while thousands more have received layoff notices.

5 As the federal government shutdown continues, the Smithsonian Institution has shuttered all 21 of its museums in D.C. and New York, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture (pictured) and the National Zoo. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

The institution’s shutdown comes against the backdrop of increasing political tension between the Smithsonian and President Donald Trump’s administration.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has pressured the Smithsonian to scale back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and launched a White House review of the content and programming of several museums. After a meeting with Trump, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch said the institution would continue its own internal review “rather than comply with the White House’s demands.”

As the standoff in Congress continues, families like the Davises from Dallas, who had planned a celebratory

HOT TOPIC from Page 4

(2000), cemented his status as a visionary singer.

Recorded over several years at Electric Lady Studios in New York—a space once home to Jimi Hendrix— “Voodoo” was a sprawling, live-instrument masterpiece that blurred the lines between R&B, funk, hip-hop, and jazz.

In the years following “Voodoo,” D’Angelo struggled under the weight of fame, artistic expectation, and personal demons. The intense sexualization of his image, coupled with his perfectionist tendencies and distrust of the music industry, led to a lengthy hiatus from the business.

Legal troubles and personal struggles kept him largely out of the public eye for a decade. Fans and critics wondered whether one of soul’s brightest stars would be seen on stage again. But in 2014, D’Angelo resurfaced

trip for their grandson before he began college, found themselves redrawing itineraries around closed gates and silent halls.

“It was definitely worthwhile, but just a disappointment,” Mary Davis told reporters.

For now, the fate of the museums— and the millions who visit them each year—rests on a stalled Congress showing no signs of reaching a deal.

“It’s disappointing the government can shut down like this,” Canadian visitor Jeff Walsh said in a televised interview. “It doesn’t happen like this in Canada.” WI

unexpectedly with the album “Black Messiah.”

The work was a politically charged adventurous release amid the news of the justice reform protests in Ferguson, Missouri. The album, credited to D’Angelo and The Vanguard, was an urgent exploration of Black identity and resistance.

D’Angelo had not lost his edge and “Black Messiah” was hailed as a masterpiece and later won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2016.

“I don’t even have the words,” Huffington Post culture reporter Njera Perkins wrote on X. “D’Angelo’s music is the soundtrack to my writing. My place of peace. Brown Sugar, Voodoo, Black Messiah - that trifecta has gotten me through so many times. I don’t know how to even begin to process losing a giant like him.”

WI

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Local Leaders Work to Protect Federal Workers

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

With more than 125,000 members of Maryland’s federal workforce largely shut off from their paychecks and facing the threat of mass layoffs, local leaders are pushing back, offering resources to impacted families, and demanding an end to the government shutdown after almost two weeks of stalled negotiations.

Republican President Donald Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought continually threaten mass layoffs-some of which have already been enacted--- and with a circulated White House memo warning that backpay is not guaranteed.

“The Trump administration is not only maliciously attacking our patriotic federal employees, but also the vital public services they provide to the

American people,” Maryland Democratic congressional leaders wrote in an Oct. 10 joint statement.

“Republicans have been weaponizing the Office of Management and Budget to illegally fire federal workers since day one, and now they’re using this shutdown of their own making to inflict even more trauma on the nonpartisan civil servants who have nothing to do with it,” the Maryland congressional Democrats continued.

Do Not Expect a Return Where You Did Not Invest

By Alexander K. Austin President & CEO, Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce

In times of uncertainty, one truth remains constant: you cannot expect a return where you did not invest. Today, with federal layoffs, economic shifts, and increasing pressure on programs like MBE, DBE, and CBE certifications, many are questioning where to turn next. But these challenges also present an invitation — to take ownership of our futures and invest in ourselves.

For too long, many of us have relied on systems, titles, or contracts that can change overnight. The real power lies in entrepreneurship — in the courage to build, create, and sustain something that no one can take away from you. Every business, small or large, begins with belief: belief in an idea, in a skill, and in one’s capacity to make a difference.

At the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, we see this entrepreneurial spirit alive across our County. From start-ups to family businesses, from certified enterprises to innovative partnerships, our community continues to prove that investment in self and community yields the greatest return of all — independence, impact, and legacy. Now is not the time to shrink in fear, but to rise in action. Invest your time, your talent, your creativity, and your faith in what you can build. Because the most certain return comes when we bet on ourselves — and do the work to make it happen.

“Working Americans will ultimately bear the brunt of these actions.”

As the government shutdown forges on, U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) introduced a bill to provide additional assistance to essential federal workers who are obligated to work without pay. In addition, Alsobrooks and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) have requested that utility companies pause penalties and shutoffs amid the federal shutdown.

Alsobrooks said Republicans should be held to account for the shutdown, which is now in its third week.

“Republicans have the keys to the kingdom. They control the White House, and they have majorities in the Senate and House. Today was the first day of their shutdown, and already, we’re hearing from Marylanders who are hurting,” said Maryland’s first Black senator Oct. 1. “The same Marylanders who have been hurting for nine months.”

She also acknowledged that the Trump administration has worsened Maryland’s economy and is threatening a massive increase in medical costs if health care subsidies are not renewed. Previous mass layoffs, tariffs, and other negative economic indicators have pushed Maryland into an economic recession, according to Moody’s.

“This administration’s cruelty, combined with their incompetence, has wrecked our economy, gutted our federal workforce, and soon, will drive up our health insurance costs,” Alsobrooks continued. “It’s shameful. We will keep fighting back to reopen the government and defend the middle class.”

At the beginning of the shutdown, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) immediately offered resources to furloughed workers and, like Alsobrooks, denounced the shutdown as a failure of Republican leadership.

“Washington failed to govern, Donald Trump failed to make a deal, and now families across our state are left to deal with the fallout. This shutdown will have staggering impacts for our state — health coverage left in limbo, wages lost, programs shuttered, projects scrapped,” said Moore in an email shortly after the shutdown began. “But here in Maryland, we will not stop protecting each other.”

He authorized state agencies to employ: contingency plans for federal programs; protected and expanded emergency assistance programs for federal employees; and offered a $700 loan to essential employees.

“We’re going to keep our state government open. We’re going to protect critical programs like Medicaid and food assistance,” Moore continued. “And we’re working to ensure that no one is foreclosed on or evicted simply because Washington won’t do its job and would rather force people to go without a paycheck.”

Prince LeadersGeorge’s Offer Resources and Aid to Laid off Workers

As politicians such as Moore, Alsobrooks and Van Holen work to support Marylanders statewide, Prince George’s County leaders are also working to bolster their constituents.

The shuttering of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) and the impending closures of both Six Flags and Northwest Stadium are already worsening the county’s economic outlook, and the threat of prolonged furloughs and mass layoffs of the estimated 70,000 federal employees pose great economic and social risk for individual families and the county as a whole.

“I would be in a bankruptcy line along with some of these other individuals here,” said an anonymous federal worker during a recent Prince George’s County Council meeting. “If that was the case, a lot of us would have to file bankruptcy — seriously, because we wouldn’t be able to pay our mortgages when we do go back, if we do go back.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

Prince George’s County Executive

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Prince George’s Health Expo Champions Preventive Care and Community Wellness

By Demarco Rush WI Contributing Writer

Residents, medical professionals, local leaders and even celebrated athletes gathered for the second annual Prince George’s County Health and Wellness Expo on Oct. 4, working to combat health disparities through offering free screenings, fitness demonstrations, groceries resources and more.

With tools to help the mind, body and soul, the event, held at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex on Saturday, aimed to encourage residents to take proactive steps toward long-term wellness.

“We’re here today to make sure that we bring healthcare to the community,” Del. Tiffany Alston told The Informer. “For far too long, our community has lacked resources. We don’t have enough primary care providers. We don’t have enough specialty providers. So today you can come out and for free, get access to quality health care.”

While scrolling through social media, Pastor Tammy Burton learned about the event and made it a priority to be in attendance.

“I wanted to see what was available here and what was being offered,” Burton, a Prince George’s County resident, told The Informer. “Health and wellness as a woman is so important because of the role that we play in society and the role that we play with our families.”

Highlighting

Women’s Health

Burton was not the only person present emphasizing the importance of women’s health during the second annual expo.

Four-time WNBA Champion and basketball hall of fame inductee Sheryl Swoopes partnered with Radnet, a national network of outpatient medical imaging centers, after having an up close look at the health challenges Black women face.

“Personally, my family’s been affected by many different types of cancer,” Swoopes said. “Health is wealth, make sure you’re focusing on you so that you can be able to take care of your family.”

Radnet is dedicated to making

advanced imaging more accessible and affordable outside of hospital settings — especially for preventive screenings like mammograms and early cancer detection. As an athlete who has watched family members battle health crises, Swoopes has become a major advocate for screenings and prioritizing wellness overall.

“When I was playing, I understood the importance of taking care of my health, but I had other people around that would make sure that I was doing that,” she told The Informer. “Now, as a former player, I [understand] the importance of making sure you’re getting your screenings, [and your] mammograms.”

Black women are at higher risk for breast cancer, and have the highest breast cancer mortality rate of any other U.S. racial or ethnic group –at 40%.

Similarly to Swoopes, Alston was inspired to promote health and wellness in Prince George’s after watching the women in her life experience health hardships.

“I don’t want to see another person die like my aunts did because of a very preventable disease,” she told the Informer. “[One] died from breast cancer because she didn’t get it detected soon enough. [The other] from kidney cancer, because she wasn’t going to the doctor once she found out.”

‘Screenings Save Lives’: The Importance of Being Proactive

For Swoopes and the people at Radnet, helping people to find the courage to get screened is one of the first big steps in taking charge of one’s health.

“Many times it’s the fear of the unknown that makes us [not want to] find out,” said Swoopes.

However, Swoopes and Radnet were at the Prince George’s Health and Wellness Expo, ecstatic to provide services for residents in the region.

“We couldn’t be happier to be out here supporting the community,”

Steve Forthuber, president of Radnet, told The Informer. “We can’t necessarily cure cancer, but what we can do is diagnose it at its ear-

liest stages where it is most curable so that people can lead better lives [while reducing] the overall cost of care.”

Radnet staffer Cliffondra Brown also stressed the importance of screenings, during the Saturday expo.

“Screenings save lives,” Brown told The Informer. “When you go early and get your screening, the outcomes are so much better, so I think it’s worth it for anyone to come out.” WI

BUSINESS

WITT from Page 1

of public space. When we started out, we were looking to do something different. There are differences in Southwest in lifestyle and income, ranging from the people who live south of M Street SW to those who reside and do business in The Wharf. This is a BID that has the haves and the have nots.”

Witt is leading the BID as the Trump administration has plans to sell or discard several of the federal buildings in Southwest, such as the Robert F. Weaver Building that houses the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Bowser administration, through the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED)— which the Southwest BID works with— is pondering the use of the buildings and the land that the Trump administration wants to discard for the benefit of District commercial development in the area.

For example, on October 20, 2022, Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with

DMPED, the Southwest BID and community leaders launched the city’s first Mobility Innovation District, a project designed to help quadrant residents and visitors have equitable access to transportation through a $3 million grant.

“Through the activation of our beautiful waterfront, we have brought more jobs, opportunities, retail, restaurants, and entertainment to Southwest D.C.,” the mayor said, “which means more people coming to and through the community. By creating the Mobility Innovation District, we can reduce congestion, ensure more neighbors are benefiting from new opportunities, and build a greener, more sustainable D.C.”

It is the job of Witt and his team, known as Ambassadors, to make sure residents in each neighborhood and visitors to Southwest have a pleasant, productive experience.

“We try to cater to those areas,” Witt said. “We seek to bridge the community. We encourage our Ambassadors to get to know the community. We listen to the residents–what are they

saying, what would it take to impact the quality of life. Everyone wants to feel safe in a clean environment.”

Witt’s Road to Southwest BID: Army, American Healthcare Association

Witt grew up in Oxon Hill, Maryland in nearby Prince George’s County. He said as a youngster, he enjoyed boxing and football as activities.

However, he admired the military and envisioned himself as a soldier, and some family members were not happy with his choice.

“I had a middle-class upbringing,” he said. “I wanted to be a soldier to

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the chagrin of my mother. She would say to me that they had finances to send me to college, why the military?

I stuck to my guns and joined the Army, and my mom accepted my decision. During my career, I worked for five years at Fort Bragg, and I grew up very quickly. I am glad I joined the military; it made me the man I am today.”

The DMV native said after leaving the military, he eventually landed at the American Healthcare Association, where he worked for 19 years.

“Working at the American Healthcare Association made me grow up,” he told the Informer. “While there, I wanted to be the go-to person. If there was an assignment that needed to be done, I was serious about being that person. I wanted to make sure that the company I worked for saw me as an asset.”

Mutual connections landed Witt with Steve Moore, who began serving as the executive director of the Southwest BID in 2014. In 2016, Witt became the COO of the organization.

“Andre and I formed the Southwest BID a little over a decade ago,” Moore said. “After all this time, I am still amazed by the loyalty and affection that his team has for him.”

Witt’s Work and Impact:

‘Essential to the Well-Being of Southwest’

While other BIDs in the District have Ambassadors— employees of the organization who wear signature polo shirts and pants of a particular color while performing their duties— Witt has established a unique program that goes beyond keeping the streets clean.

3 Andre Witt, the chief operating officer of the Southwest Business Improvement District (BID), is working with his team to see that area residents enjoy a good quality of life— going beyond services that other BIDS in the city offer. (Courtesy Photo/ Southwest BID)

Witt has developed a food distribution program to underserved residents, a formidable task given that the Southwest quadrant has the highest concentration of public housing in the District.

He has hosted events for residents and local organizations designed to address the effects of urban loneliness, and activated security and organized landscaping and cleaning projects with public and private companies across the Washington metropolitan area, fostering an environment for the educational, creative and stability of work for returning citizens.

D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who represents a large portion of the Southwest BID’s service area, touted Witt’s critical contributions to the area.

“From personally responding to residents at a moment’s notice to leading the Southwest BID’s clean team, Andre has proven to be essential to the well-being of Southwest,” Allen, 48, said. “When the fire destroyed the Arthur Capper Senior Residence Building, he listened to what residents needed, shopped for supplies, and personally delivered the carefully packaged items. In short, he’s become someone the neighborhood can rely on.”

One of Witt’s major accomplishments is the establishment of the BID Academy program, an intensive and ongoing series for all Ambassadors in which they learn personal and professional skills ranging from place management to personal finance.

Witt said the Academy serves a distinct purpose.

“When we looked at hiring people, we noticed that some had deficiencies,” he said. “Some people don’t have soft skills, and we have worked with them on that, and they have improved.”

The Ambassadors begin each day at the Academy with formation, an activity Witt credits the military with instilling in him and one that Allen publicly praises. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

Business Social Justice in Media: Black Female Filmmakers Changing the Narrative Through Film

By James Wright / WI Staff Writer

By James Wright / WI Staff Writer

McCoy, Moten Tapped for WABJ Honors

As the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) celebrates five decades, the organization is also highlighting changemakers in the District and media, including a longtime public relations professional and a museum founder.

Doxie McCoy, public information officer for the Office of the People’s Counsel, and Ronald Moten, who heads the Go-Go Museum and Café, are among the honorees at the Fourth Annual Special Honors and Scholarship Gala on Nov. 8 at the Embassy of France in Northwest, D.C.

The event recognizes excellence in journalism, communications and community impact. Awardees will receive presidential honors from WABJ President Phil Lewis.

“I am extremely honored to be selected for the WABJ President’s Award,” McCoy told The Informer. “I have been blessed to have had successful careers in journalism and communications. And to be recognized by an organization that I value and proud to be a member of is extra special.”

Moten said his citation, the President’s Award in Honor of Freedom of Expression has a special meaning for him.

“It feels good to be recognized by an organization that fights for the First Amendment,” he said. “It is not easy and organizations like WABJ walk a fine line. Nevertheless, WABJ knows who the real people are in the city and in the country. The organization has been around for 50 years, and their voice means something.”

The other 2025 honorees are:

WABJ Lifetime Achievement Award: Michel Martin, host of “Morning Edition,” National Public Radio

WABJ Legacy Award: Eugene Daniels and Jonathan Capehart, cohosts of “The Weekend,” MSNBC

WABJ Journalist of the Year: Geoff Bennett co-anchor of “PBS News Hour”

5 Doxie McCoy is the public information officer for the D.C. Office of the People’s Counsel. (WI File Photo/ Robert R. Roberts)

WABJ Young Journalist of Excellence Award: Jasper Smith, reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education

WABJ Excellence in Communications Award: Natalie Wilson, co-founder of Black and Missing Foundation

Dorothy Butler Gilliam Trailblazer Award: John Yearwood, editorial director of diversity and culture with POLITICO

Dr. Sheila Brooks Community Impact Award: Jonelle Henry, director of the University of Florida CJCxDC Student Immersion Program

Lewis said the purpose of the gala is to raise money for journalism students.

“As one of NABJ’s founding chapters, this milestone year allows us to honor the outstanding contributions of our peers while investing in the next generation through scholarships and training,” said the WABJ president. “We’re proud to celebrate five decades of service, advocacy, and journalistic excellence — and to look ahead to the next 50.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

By DC Black MBA

Across the country, Black women filmmakers are redefining what it means to use art as activism. They are telling stories while reshaping how audiences see race, gender, and justice on screen. Among those leading this creative revolution are producer-director, Dr. Carletta S. Hurt, and writer-director-producer, Monda Raquel Webb, two women who understand that film can do more than entertain, it can educate, heal, and spark change.

For Hurt, storytelling began in the classroom. “As an educator, I saw an opportunity to share knowledge in a larger, more impactful way when I was made aware of the report about dress codes done by the National Women’s Law Center called Dress Coded: Black Girls, Bodies, and Bias in D.C. Schools,” she recalls. “This really fueled my desire to tell social justice stories utilizing reports by turning it into a visual presentation (film) that could be easily digested and hopefully creates action to learn and do more.”

Like Hurt, Webb uses film to confront injustice while celebrating resilience. Her storytelling roots lie in the tradition of Black women visionaries such as Julie Dash, Mara Brock Akil, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Ava DuVernay, and Kasi Lemmons. “These women are exceptional storytellers who embody the totality of the Black experience,” Webb says. She sees her work as a continuation of that legacy telling stories that uncover hidden histories while uplifting the human spirit.

Her award-winning short film Zoo (Volkerschau) explores a shocking yet little-known moment in history: the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels, Belgium, where Black people were placed on display in a “Negro Village.” “Zoo represents the depth of human capacity to find freedom in captivity,” Webb explains. “It celebrates life and freedom despite one’s circumstances and embraces the beauty of self-awareness and evolving within the confines of one’s own personal zoo.”

Using her experience as a D.C. school counselor, Hurt uses her film, The Catcher, to examine homelessness through the eyes of a student. “The idea of homelessness has a visual and psychological bias,” Hurt admits. “After making a huge assumption about one of my student’s home situations, I realized my own biases and how that impacted how I supported students and families.” The film, she says, forced her to confront her perceptions and invites audiences to do the same.

4 Writer, Director, Producer, Monda Raquel Wood, of Little Known Stories Production Company  monda raquel webb writer, director, producer of Little Known Stories Production Company

who bonds with her clients’ dogs. Beneath that charm, it’s a story about homelessness and survival. “Claire Wingham is surviving homelessness,” Webb explains. “Despite her circumstance, she has a sunny, hopeful disposition. She floats through life with a chameleon-like creativity and unperturbed naïveté.” Like Hurt, Webb uses narrative and emotion to illuminate social realities that many would rather not see.

However, telling stories that challenge systems often comes with obstacles especially in an industry still dominated by gatekeeping. “Hollywood often praises diversity while limiting resources,” Webb notes. For Zoo, a period film set in Brussels and Berlin, she faced the logistical challenge of finding extras who could fit the time period and setting. “I was literally casting from the local gym and Starbucks in my community of Olney, Maryland,” she laughs.

of keeping our community informed!

www. washingtoninformer .com

Despite the hurdles, both filmmakers remain steadfast in their purpose to educate, uplift, and inspire. Hurt’s latest project, The Route Series, tells the stories of three Black women who made history in media, including trailblazing journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault. “The route to making history is varied and the road is bumpy, fun, and stressful,” Hurt says. “I want to make sure their stories are told in a respectful, honest, and impactful way.”

Webb’s Pooch Sitter carries a similar thread.

On the surface, it’s about a quirky pet sitter

Webb, too, envisions a new chapter for Black women filmmakers one where their stories expand beyond boundaries. “I’m looking forward to Black women telling stories across genres and societies—dystopian, utopian, and the world we know,” she says. It’s a future she’s actively shaping, one story at a time.

Together, these two filmmakers prove that when Black women hold the camera, justice does more than come to light, it comes alive.

NATIONAL

Private Firms Fill Labor Statistics Void with Grim Job Reports During Shutdown

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

With the federal government shutdown grinding on, for the first time in decades, there is no official monthly employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In the vacuum, private firms have stepped forward with independent analyses that show the country losing jobs and faith at the same time.

ADP’s National Employment Report found that private-sector employers shed 32,000 jobs in September, reversing the modest gains of the summer. Annual pay for job-stayers rose 4.5%, showing

that wages are inching up even as hiring slows.

“Despite the strong economic growth we saw in the second quarter, this month’s release further validates what we’ve been seeing in the labor market — that U.S. employers have been cautious with hiring,” said Dr. Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist.

The ADP data showed the heaviest losses in manufacturing, construction, and professional services, with small and medium-sized companies suffering the steepest cuts. The Midwest lost 63,000 jobs, and gains in the West could not offset the slide.

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ployment Report reinforced that picture, finding “a continued cooling of the labor market.” Its data showed a 10% year-over-year rise in unemployment payments made to customer accounts, nearly double the most recent increase reported by the government before the shutdown. Lower-income workers

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continue to trail others, with after-tax wage growth of just 1.4% compared with 4% for higher-income households.

Goldman Sachs produced its own estimate after the Labor Department was forced to halt publication. The investment bank calculated that initial claims for unemployment benefits rose to 224,000 in the week ending Sept. 27, up from 218,000 a week earlier. The number of people receiving benefits slipped slightly to 1.91 million, using state-level data and seasonal adjustments that were pre-released before the shutdown.

Reuters reported that the Chicago Federal Reserve used private “real-time” indicators to estimate the national unemployment rate at 4.3%, though without federal verification, that figure is uncertain.

Global investment firm Carlyle also stepped in, releasing its own economic indicators drawn from its portfolio of 277 companies and nearly 730,000 employees. Carlyle estimated that U.S. employers added only 17,000 jobs in September and that real private residential construction spending declined 2.5%, even as business investment rose 4.8%, driven by technology and artificial intelligence projects.

“Corporate spending, particularly in technology and AI infrastructure, continues to power growth while household consumption ends

the quarter on a high note,” said Jason Thomas, Carlyle’s head of global research and investment strategy.

The Question of Backpay for Furloughed Federal Workers

While private analysts fill the gap left by a silenced federal government, the shutdown’s impact on workers and families has become its most defining consequence.

A newly revealed memo from the Office of Management and Budget claims that federal workers forced into furlough during the ongoing shutdown may not receive back pay once the ordeal ends.

In open defiance of law, the administration argues that the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act does not automatically guarantee wages to workers sent home or ordered to labor without compensation.

Mark Paoletta, the administration’s top lawyer at the budget office, wrote that Congress must pass new legislation to authorize those payments.

President Trump has offered little compassion when asked if furloughed workers would receive back pay.

“It depends on who we’re talking about,” he said. “There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.” WI

More Sleep, Less Rest: Studies Show Quality, Not

Quantity, Defines America’s Sleep Crisis

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Americans may be spending more time asleep, but new research shows that quality sleep remains out of reach for millions.

A ValuePenguin analysis released this month found that U.S. adults now average nine hours of sleep per day, up from eight hours and 28 minutes two decades ago.

That adds up to more than eight extra days of sleep each year. Older adults and women tend to rest the longest, with those 65 and older averaging nine hours and nine minutes daily. Nebraska residents sleep the most at nearly 10 hours a day, while North Dakotans sleep the least at just over eight hours.

But the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) warns that more time in bed doesn’t mean better rest. Its 2025 Sleep in America Poll found that six in 10 adults don’t get the recommended seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night, and nearly four in 10 struggle to fall asleep at least three nights a week. Almost half wake up often during the night.

The same study revealed that adults with good sleep satisfaction are nearly twice as likely to flourish in life compared to those dissatisfied with their sleep.

“Poor sleep health is a major risk factor for lower well-being across multiple areas of life,” said Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski, the NSF’s senior vice president of research. “Prioritizing sleep health can improve mental health, workplace efficiency, and stronger persnal relationships.”

A related National Sleep Foundation report found that 88% of adults who are satisfied with their sleep are thriving in areas like happiness, productivity, goal achievement, and social connections. Fewer than half of those with poor sleep satisfaction experience the same well-being.

Meanwhile, an earlier study published in JAMA Network Open warned that irregular sleep patterns— sleeping too little or too much— can shorten life expectancy. Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that about two-thirds

of Americans are not getting the right amount of sleep, leading to a 29% higher risk of premature death.

“Maintaining healthy sleep over time is crucial,” wrote Dr. Dayna Johnson of Emory University in an editorial accompanying the study.

Children aren’t immune to the crisis.

A Brown University study found that only 14% of elementary-aged children met national sleep guidelines, with Latino children logging the least amount of rest. On average, kids got just eight hours and 20 minutes of actual sleep each night, far less than the recommended nine to twelve hours.

Parents often overestimate their children’s rest by more than an hour.

The problem extends beyond technology and late-night scrolling. A national survey by Talker Research found

“Poor sleep health is a major risk factor for lower well-being across multiple areas of life,” said Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski, the NSF’s senior vice president of research.

that the top reason Americans stay up late isn’t TikTok or television — it’s chores and personal responsibilities. Twenty-nine percent said they delay sleep to handle unfinished tasks, while one in five said nighttime is their favorite time of day.

The National Sleep Foundation stresses that healthy rest requires consistency and environment, not just time.

“Sleep is fundamental to thriving across many aspects of life,” said John Lopos, CEO of the foundation. “These results reinforce how crucial positive sleep health is to basic achievements that go beyond physical health.”

WI

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First Phase of Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Officially Begins After Years of Tragedy

and Carnage, Palestinians Await Real Peace

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

After more than two years of continuous bloodshed, loss and humanitarian crises across Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories— including the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem— the first phase of a multi-step ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Oct. 10, following pressure from the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.

On Monday, Oct. 13, U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi co-hosted the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit, attended by more than 20 world leaders, to sign the ceasefire document and discuss next steps toward fostering peace in the region.

During his speech, el-Sisi painted a picture of a harmonious Middle East and praised Trump for his involvement in facilitating the agreement.

“I would seize this opportunity to extend a call to the people of Israel,” el-Asisi said. “Let us ensure this historic moment ushers in a new beginning for a life defined by justice and peaceful coexistence. Let us look forward together to a brighter future for the children of our nations.”

Per the agreement’s requirements, Israel and Hamas participated in a trade of the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,7000 Gaza detainees. Israeli forces have begun to withdraw, even though they still occupy approximately half of Gaza, and have approved the arrival of 190,000 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to enter the area.

By killing at least nine Palestinians on Tuesday, Oct. 14, according to Al Jazeera, and limiting humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have violated the agreements outlined in the accord’s first phase. Nonetheless, the deal has entered its second phase, which includes establishing a new governing body in Gaza and disarming Hamas.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 67,173 Palestinians were killed and 169,780 were injured between October 7, 2023 and October 7, 2025, and nearly the entire area’s population was displaced.

“[The ceasefire deal] will bring re-

spite to people who survived the worst bombardment, displacement, loss and grief for two long years,” wrote Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Distrust Rooted in Past Violence

Although the initial phases of a peace accord are the first steps toward liberation and reversing the humanitarian crises Palestinians have suffered for the last two years and beyond, many are wary of Israel’s claimed commitment to the deal, as the state is notorious for violating similar agreements, such as the Oct. 14 shooting.

“Everyone’s got trust issues,” said Palestinian journalist and author Plestia Alaqad, whose daily coverage of the violence Palestinians were enduring in 2023 gained international attention.

“Everyone’s got trust issues,” said Palestinian journalist and author Plestia Alaqad, whose daily coverage of the violence Palestinians were enduring in 2023 gained international attention.

Alaqad and her family fled to Egypt in November 2023 once Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip drastically worsened.

The 23-year-old has since moved to Australia and, more recently, to Lebanon to complete her master’s degree in media studies at the American University of Beirut. She recently published a

book, “The Eyes of Gaza: A Diary of Resilience,” which featured her diary excerpts from living through the occupation’s constant attack on Palestinian life.

“No one will believe that the genocide is over until they wake up not to the sound of rockets or martyrdom news. Just because there is a ceasefire doesn’t mean that life in Gaza will return to normal,” Alaqad continued.

Palestinian journalist and human rights advocate Yara Eid holds the same sentiment.

In August 2014, Eid, who is now living in London, survived a series of bombardments, known as Black Friday, by Israel on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. This bombing campaign came just a few hours after the U.N. arranged a temporary ceasefire, which was supposed to last at least three days, to the conflict that began in July of that year.

With more than 2,000 bombs and missiles fired against those in Rafah, this peace agreement violation killed more than 200 people and destroyed more than 2,600 homes in the city over a span of four days.

“I don’t trust Israel,” Eid said to viewers via Instagram. “I don’t trust an occupying power that carried out the genocide that killed more than 60,000 people– most of them women and children.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformermcom.

HEALTH

BLHF Breaks Down Stigmas to Uplift Generations

Annual Wellness Summit Dishes Mental Health, Multimillion Dollar Project in Prince George’s County

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

From tackling cultural stigmatization, to stepping into the power of generational healing, the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (BLHF)’s fifth annual “Can We Talk? Arts and Wellness Summit” (Oct. 10-12) offered a packed itinerary guided to shape mental wellness in Black communities.

With interactive activations and celebratory events at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, the yearly tradition was brought to life by actress and BLHF founder Taraji P. Henson, and

featured: a daily business exhibit hall, the “i AM the Table” Benefit Brunch, and a call for transgenerational transformation.

“There are healing ways that sharing with people in your community only strengthens, and it diminishes the generational curses that…allows us to grow out of them, move past them, and develop a way to heal so much more than just ourselves,” said entrepreneurial healer Leah Cole (LMDesigns8), a vendor in the exhibit hall on Oct. 11. “[The Can We Talk Summit] causes massive waves of healing and solutions that will be echoed forever. It starts here, and it grows from there.”

Kicking off on World Mental Health Day, health experts and advocates, local officials, and celebrities from across the nation gathered at the crossroads of conversation and cultural competence to address stigmas of mental health awareness, while channeling innovation and transparency to forge paths to wellness.

Throughout the weekend, activations focused on powerful discussions and refined approaches to suicide, depression, grief, social gender norms, and other barriers to Black joy, with a pulse on the connection of ancestral healing birthed in practices such as African drumming, storytelling, stepping, and hip-hop therapy, to name a few.

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Meanwhile, guest appearances and champions of change offered a toolkit to champion resilience that starts with challenging systemic oppression, from people such as: BLHF leadership, including Henson and executive director Tracie Jade; Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy and County Council Chair Edward Burroughs III; actors Lisa Vidal and Tristian “Mack” Wilds; TV talk show host Sherri Shepherd; and rapper Megan thee Stallion.

“I would love to see [mental health care be] affordable…and that we talk about it more openly,” Henson told The Informer. “[When] I start to see Black men dealing with their trauma, instead of trying to be strong all the time, and women dealing with our traumas, I think it will unite us as a community.”

Prince George’s County ‘Steps into Healing’ with Renovations, Rhythm of Release

On the final day of the conference, in partnership with BLHF, Braveboy and Burroughs announced a new development coming to District 8 in the form of a $30 million Healing Arts Integrative Wellness Hub, set to reimagine the Temple Hills Community Center in Prince George’s County.

The innovative project – taking place in the county where childhood friends Henson and Jade grew up –will feature innovative programming aimed at furthering the mission of the summit, striking issues such as suicide, trauma, and social isolation through creative arts, wellness practices, and evidence-based health services, “all in a culturally responsible environment,” said Burroughs.

“The issue of mental health has really impacted our county in some really sad ways,” Braveboy told The Informer ahead of the big announcement on Oct. 12. “What we want is to prevent tragedies. When you’re suffering from mental health issues, oftentimes you feel trapped–we want people to live.”

While the county executive deemed the summit a critical initiative that can ultimately “save lives,” Alexia Pitter, a clinical mental health student at John Hopkins University, was among the activation leaders striving to supply others with a lifeline of support, particularly through the art of stepping.

Pitter, a six-time survivor of sexual abuse, used the summit to uplift the values of cultural practices that can serve as a beacon for the current struggles in Black communities. She touted the ability to release, “find your voice again,” and build a healthier relationship between the mind, body and soul as some of the advantages to “stepping into your healing.”

“Stepping was [my] way of survival, similar to our ancestors and those in the gold mines in South Africa, and it still is true today,” said the Howard University alumni, nodding to the evolution of step evident through Black Greek culture. “We create our own rhythm with stepping…and it goes back to releasing and just being autonomous of your own healing journey. It’s something [ancestral] that we can keep.”

Pitter further stressed the value of creating a safe space within the body in order to pour into oneself.

She reminded all Black practitioners and healers to prioritize their own well-being, adding: “We can’t heal anyone until we heal ourselves.”

WI

EARTH OUR

Climate Progress at Risk as Government Shutdown Continues America’s

Green Future– And Government– Are on Pause

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

With the government shutdown in its third week and the reduction of regular operations due to hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers, environmental organizations are concerned about how this moment will halt progress toward a greener climate.

“The administration’s unwillingness to negotiate but rather prepare to use the shutdown as an opportunity to fire more federal workers and permanently destroy programs focused on protecting American families continues to demonstrate the cruelty with which Trump governs,” said Quentin Scott, federal policy director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund.

On Oct. 10, a court filing from the United States Office of Management and Budget stated that more than 4,000 federal workers across seven agencies received Reductions in Force (RIF) notices. Approximately 187 employees from the Department of Energy (DOE) received layoff notices, and 20 to 30 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees were told they could possibly receive an RIF in the future.

According to the National Park Service’s (NPS) contingency plan, published ahead of the shutdown, approximately 9,296 of the agency’s 14,500 employees were expected to be furloughed. Because of this, more than 35 former park superintendents sent a letter to the Trump administration, urging the parks be closed in the event of a shutdown.

The previous 2018 impasse left the NPS without sufficient personnel to take care of and protect the parks, meaning many landscapes suffered

vandalism and destruction.

Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), described leaving park gates open to the public during the shutdown as both irresponsible and dangerous.

“Our national parks have never been more at risk,” Pierno said in a statement. “Congress must immediately fund the government, fully support the Park Service and its staff, and stop any more devastating cuts, before it’s too late.”

Clean Energy Innovation at Risk

On Oct. 2, the day after the shutdown began, DOE announced that 321 financial awards supporting 223 projects could face termination. The discontinued awards were supplied by branches that championed innovative energy technologies, such as the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Grid Deployment Office(GDO) and others.

Maryland is one of the many states affected by these funding cuts, as 12 projects costing almost $88 million will be canceled. According to a list published by the Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee’s, some of the terminated award recipients in Maryland include: the Power 52 Foundation, which offers employment in the solar industry and other green job industries to underserved adults; and ClearlyEnergy, which uses climate policy analysis and software development to create a sustainable and energy-efficient future.

In response to these funding cuts, members of the Maryland Congressional delegation released a statement condemning both the shutdown and the attack on clean energy and sustain-

ability initiatives, calling the dismantling of these projects “partisan” and “likely illegal.”

“Terminating these lawfully approved projects will raise energy prices for Maryland families, threaten good-paying American infrastructure jobs and prevent local energy companies from enhancing grid flexibility and improving the resilience of the power system against extreme weather,” delegation members wrote.

In the joint statement, delegates

stated they consider the termination of such projects as the current administration’s way of leaving American business and families to fend for themselves.

“We will continue pushing Republicans to responsibly fund the government and end this shameful shutdown,” the group of Maryland leaders continued.

As Congress remains in a standstill— not able to agree on a funding plan— more environmental programs are at

risk of being cut, threatening the fight for cleaner and affordable energy and the preservation of treasured landscapes.

“Government shutdowns are painful, but the pain the Trump administration has inflicted on the American people has arguably been even worse,” Scott, who has served as CCAN’s policy director since 2021. “Reopening the government in a bipartisan way is the only path forward.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com

EDUCATION

MAKERSPACE from Page 1

ing, arts, and mathematics).

Throughout much of this school year, the 20,000 square foot facility will serve as a one-stop shop for interactive, hands-on instruction that covers the gamut, including: 3D printing, music production, textiles and fashion, coding and woodworking.

“At school, it’s tough to have 22 scissors that actually work or glue that actually works or the right size paper,” Ayala told The Informer. “Everything I need is right here in this one space. It’s tough to get out with [the] kindergarten [classes] all the time with just two teachers and 22 different personalities, but this space is for them. It was built for them, with them in mind.”

Earlier this year, as Center City PCS wrapped up another school year, Ayala and her students toured what would eventually become their own Makerspace.

During their visit, Ayala and her kindergarteners learned about electrical polarity and spoke with Makerspace teaching staff about how energy flows through a battery. They then saw the concept unfold in real time as they used alligator clips and copper wire to connect a disassembled toy to a battery pack that powered the toy with the flick of a switch.

That lesson sparked some discussion among students about similarities between powering the toy and turning on the lights before entering a room. After walking through Makerspace at Center City PCS, Ayala made note of how students could better understand academic jargon, as presented in real world situations and processes.

“The fact that I can sit down and have them do and create whatever is on their mind is amazing,” Ayala told The Informer. “I have a couple [of students] that want to be artists. They can go upstairs and learn something about soundproofing. They can learn about the different textiles… in the textiles and fashion room. I have a lot of kids that want to learn how to sew, that want to learn about home economics. This is the space for them.”

The Makerspace at Center City PCS: An Inside Look

During the latter part of September, hundreds of students, teachers, community members and local officials converged on Makerspace at Center City PCS for a grand opening celebration where revelers learned about new interactive space while perusing food trucks, vibing to live music, and navigating an obstacle course.

A makerspace, also known as a hackerspace or a hackerhub, is often stationed in libraries, universities and community centers as an environment for innovation, collaboration and skills building. These environments merge digital and analog technologies while providing ample opportunity for small group activities, the practice of a craft, and mastery of complex academic concepts.

“The ethos of maker-centered learning is that students see the design world as an accessible arena where they can see how things work and see opportunities or have the agency to make changes in the systems or the way things are designed,” said Sarah Chung, manager of Maker Learning at Center City PCS. “We want to inspire kids to see projects we do here and feel like [they] can go home and do this after [they] leave.”

Earlier this year, Chung, a curriculum developer with years of experience starting and managing makerspaces, prepared an activity for students learning in the BUILD Lab portion of Makerspace at Center City PCS. She described the activity as reminiscent of a simpler, less digitized, time that required more use of the senses. She also called it one of several examples at the Makerspace where students bridge the gap between their imagination and reality.

“These were toys that…we picked up and then our teachers helped take them apart and mount…onto these wooden boards, hammer in some nails, and they soldered the wires on,” Chung said. “The whole thing about maker-centered learning is there’s some risk involved. It kind of makes the learning more interesting [be-

cause] you’re interacting with a real phenomenon instead of just reading about it.”

In the BUILD Lab, a space dedicated to 3D art, design and engineering, students get to see how scientific processes unfold under what some would consider the most mundane, ubiquitous situations.

“Making that connection to the real world is also a foundation of maker education,” Chung told The Informer. “Even though we introduce the [science] vocabulary, we let them describe their own experience and validate that. It’s literally [about] what [they’re] seeing and experiencing. It makes it more approachable or relatable.”

The Makerspace at Center City PCS is also composed of the MAKER Lab, a general crafting space, as well as the STITCH Lab, where students focus on textile and fiber arts, sewing and fashion design. In the CODE Lab, students practice programming and coding while, in the MEDIA Lab, they practice media and art production.

Earlier this year, a fifth grade cohort produced a podcast on which they reflected on their state of being as young people. Under the tutelage of Ricky Saravia-Garcia, those entering the MEDIA Lab will also get to practice sound engineering, the likes of which is executed by rapper BigXthaPlug and other contemporary artists who sample old-school music.

Saravia-Garcia, a maker educator

specializing in instructional technology, told The Informer that students visiting the Makerspace at Center City PCS will gain greater clarity about the hours that go into producing digital content.

“The work behind it is very important because you get to see how you can start from scratch and what you created in the end,” Saravia-Garcia said.

“That’s one of the most missing pieces that people don’t really appreciate— this layer of creativity to finish [from] where you started.”

As digital content creation enjoys a boom, Saravia-Garcia expressed his hope that District students could corner the market to provide a unique perspective.

“A podcast is very powerful nowadays,” Saravia-Garcia told The Informer. “A lot of people listen to it, tune in to it on their way to work, just driving around or just doing anything on a daily basis. The whole game plan here is for students to be able to learn how to make one from scratch, and whatever ideas or information they want to put out on the world, that they’re able to put that out there and expose themselves.”

A Public Charter School CEO Looks to the Future

Center City PCS serves students in Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade on campuses located in: Brightwood,

Capitol Hill, Congress Heights, NoMa, Petworth and Shaw. Makerspace at Center City PCS, located on 18th Street in Northeast, is equidistant from each campus.

“We wanted some equity in terms of how much time it took to get kids here,” said Russ Williams, president and CEO of Center City PCS. “We were trying to look within a reasonable radius of where [students] were to try to be somewhat central to all of the different schools in the city.”

Williams, in his 13th year at the helm of Center City PCS, said Makerspace at Center City PCS was a project four years in the making. As he recounted, administrators’ search for an open space ended when they found and renovated what used to be Blaydes Lock and Security. The location and open floor plan, Williams told The Informer, proved ideal for the hands-on academic experience that school leadership wanted to create.

“We’ve upgraded our curriculum at our campuses, but…when you’re trying to do STEAM concepts in smaller schools or older buildings, there are limitations,” Williams said. “If we want to make real interesting science available to our kids, what do we have to do? If we were also sending our kids to Maryland and Virginia to go to Makerspace, why do we not have one here?”

As a federal government furloughs and a shutdown compel the Bowser administration’s focus on sports, entertainment and technology as catalysts of economic growth, Williams said he’s focused, now more than ever, on improving students’ math and science proficiency.

He pointed out, however, that only could be done across the city with one interactive space.

“We’re going to increase the number of students in D.C. that are choosing STEAM as careers and we’ve got to improve the science education that we’re providing to our kids across the board,” Williams said. “This is one step in that direction but…there’s a hundred thousand public school students in D.C. public charter.” WI

Percival

Everett:

‘Reading Is the Most Subversive Thing We Can Do’

Pulitzer Winner Links Banned Books to Fascism, Reminds Every Page Turned is Resistance

By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier Word in Black

This article was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation’s leading Black news publishers (of which The Washington Informer is a member).

Percival Everett, the Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist, believes that book bans and censorship are telltale signs that fascism is on the rise in Donald Trump’s America. To save democracy, he says, ordinary, everyday citizens must stand and fight back.

Everett’s recommended acts of resistance? Getting a library card or joining a book club.

“Libraries are the seat of subversion,” Everett said in an interview with Augustin Trapenard, host of the French TV program La Grande Librairie. “Reading is the most subversive thing we can do in any culture.”

Reading with others, he said, is even better: “The second most subversive thing is being a part of a book club.”

Trapenard laughed a bit. Everett didn’t crack a smile.

The latest report from PEN

America offers an idea why Everett was deadly serious. PEN found that far-right national and local groups “have played on parents’ fears and anxieties to exert ideological control over public education.” That includes deciding what students can ad can’t read.

PEN calls it an “Ed Scare” — a coordinated, sustained, far-right campaign to censor books, intimidate educators, and block students’ exposure to different ideas.

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“Diverse ideas and stories featuring protagonists from historically marginalized identities are often the first topics targeted by censors,” according to PEN’s report. That means the first books in the line of fire “explore themes with race and racism, gender identity and sexuality, or depict sexual violence in their work.”

The scope is staggering. In the 2024–2025 school year alone, book bans targeted 3,752 unique titles across 87 districts nationwide. Florida led the country with 2,304 bans, enacted when elected officials and activist groups strong-armed teachers, schools, and districts.

Last year, Everett told the BBC

EDUCATION

that he hoped “James ” (2024)— his retelling of “Huckleberry Finn” through the eyes of Jim, the enslaved Black man, whom Mark Twain wrote as Huck’s stereotyped sidekick — would be banned, “only because I like irritating those people who do not think and read.”

The book earned him the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the National Book Award, and finalist nods for the Booker Prize and the PEN/ Faulkner. But Everett knows more than awards are at stake.

When Trapenard asked about Twain’s use of the N-word more than 200 times — which led it to vanish the original novel from classrooms in the U.S. and abroad —

Everett answered that the right to read is — as his character James and real-life enslaved Black people knew too well — about freedom.

“When we read, we become critical. We’re open to ideas. We think,” he said. “And that’s what fascists do not want us to do. This is why fascists rush to burn books, to ban books. Very often, banning books that they don’t even understand.”

Language, Everett said, defines the line between freedom and submission.

“Language is our place of safety,” he said. “Language is what keeps us free. If we can’t communicate with each other, if we can’t impart ideas, then we might as well give up.” WI

A Nation Held Hostage: The Human Cost of Shutdown Games

The ripple effects of a federal government shutdown extend far beyond closed museums and furloughed agencies in Washington, D.C. — they bring serious human costs across the country and around the world. As of this week, more than 4,000 federal employees received layoff notices amid the budget impasse.

In D.C., the human face of this crisis is stark. Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo have closed their doors. Civil servants—many of whom are single-income workers or support aging parents or children—are suddenly left without a paycheck. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers nationwide have been furloughed or forced to work without

pay. In some cases, employees are struggling to pay rent or even buy groceries.

The emotional strain is intense: anxiety, stress, sleepless nights, and the fear of losing their homes or falling behind on essential bills have become daily burdens.

The toll is no lighter on uniformed service members. Military families, already stressed by frequent relocations and deployments, now face threatened pay and canceled benefits. Food pantries near bases are seeing increased demand, including among spouses and children of active-duty personnel.

Globally, allies and partners watch anxiously: the disruption in U.S. agencies like the CDC — which had issued layoff notices

affecting vital disease-surveillance functions — weakens America’s ability to lead in public health diplomacy. When America falters in its core public roles, the world’s safety net frays.

Both political parties are blaming one another for the shutdown, but oliticians must come together and end this deadlock.

But perhaps most urgently, President Donald Trump and his MAGA base in the House and Senate must cease playing political games at the expense of the American people. Using federal workers as leverage—or threatening to withhold legally mandated back pay under the 2019 Fair Treatment Act—is not leadership.

“It depends on who we’re

talking about,” the president said on whether federal employees will receive backpay. “There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”

It is cruelty from the White House.

This week’s mass layoff notices are more than just numbers; they symbolize mothers, fathers, veterans, scientists, and everyday workers whose lives are suddenly thrown into chaos. The moral and political duty to address this crisis clearly falls on those in power.

All elected congressional leaders should see that this shutdown is not a show of strength — it is a silent disaster for the very people they pledged to serve. WI

Americans Need Effective Leaders, Not Those Focused on

With the federal shutdown still in effect because of the impasse that remains between Democrats and Republicans, hundreds of thousands of federal employees who either now face “payless paydays” or the threat of losing their jobs, have reasons to be concerned.

But even those who are not federal employees are anxious as we are beginning to witness those who have been elected to Congress display their inability to lead and come together effectively.

Regardless of their political swaying, elected officials should remember that both voters, and their children– the next generation of voters– are watching and listening to them.

That said, shouting matches like the one which recently occurred on Capitol Hill as Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) over a bipartisan compromise on federal funding are poor examples of those who profess to be our leaders. Further, the frequency with which elected leaders continue to engage in finger-pointing or referring to the actions of past administrations to justify their policies and decisions made today benefit no one.

On Sunday, Oct. 12, when Vice President J.D. Vance and Senator Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) were asked by Meet the Press moderator

Kristen Welker about their recommendations to work through the federal shutdown, neither offered reasonable responses.

Instead, they both referred to decisions made by former presidents Obama and Biden and the Democratic Party as the reason they are allegedly following paths from the past.

The problem with this should be evident – Americans have little time

to walk down memory lane and allow officials to correct or be influenced by chapters in U.S. history that have been written and closed. Not with how tenuous life has become for Americans.

Effective leaders are committed to collaboration, finding ways to connect with others, being creative to find solutions to problems, ensuring that they inspire confidence

‘The

Big Payback’

and rely on credible information to support their views and actions, and employing critical thinking – that is, evaluating the reliability and breadth of information while mentally projecting proposed solutions into the future with minimal bias.

Military families, already stressed by frequent relocations and deployments, now face threatened pay and canceled benefits. Food pantries near bases are seeing increased demand, including among spouses and children of active-duty personnel.

We should all be urging our leaders— beginning with, but not limited to, the White House— to abandon their quest for securing “the big payback.”

In James Brown’s hit song, “The Payback,” he announces his plan for revenge against a man who betrayed him. That was fiction, and should be left there.

Americans are sorely in need of a few good, effective leaders, and given the situation we face today, we don’t care if they’re far left, far right, or just “far out.” WI

TO THE EDITOR

“I am very happy that more people are emphasizing Mental Health care for sickle cell warriors. My son benefitted from services of a mental health professional. He learned to cope with the impact of sickle cell disease and the other medical issues he lived with. In order for him to reap the benefits I had to pay a huge co-pay per visit and sacrifices.”

- Cynthia D. Gipson (In response to the article “The Battle Unseen: How Mental Health Care, Holistic Medicine, and Hope Could Change Sickle Cell Disease.”)

“I personally don’t mind that, Puerto Rico is pretty much a state, I see it as having pride in any other state. What’s the difference [between] this and Hawaiian folk being proud of Hawaii or when ZZ Top had [their] Texas tour showing the culture of Texas?”

- Christopher Christensen (In response to the article “Bad Bunny to Bring Puerto Rican Pride to the Super Bowl Stage.”)

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

Silence is Betrayal

stand, despite the potential political risks and backlash.

At one time, former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney was the third-highest-ranking Republican within the House chamber. She ultimately lost her leadership position by publicly denouncing President Donald Trump and voting for his impeachment. By refusing to toe the party line, she earned a tremendous amount of respect nationwide for her willingness to take a bold

Cheney later served as the vice chair of the House Select Committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. In the 2022 Republican primary, she was ultimately defeated by a Trump-endorsed opponent.

During her last term in office, she was never aligned with her party; instead, she focused her efforts on preserving democratic institutions.

In Republican circles, these moral and patriotic efforts were viewed as a betrayal of Donald Trump and the

Hypocrisy in Holy Robes

It’s been a month since Cardinal Timothy Dolan compared right-wing activist Charlie Kirk to St. Paul, and I still can’t shake it.

Maybe it lingers because of what else was happening that week in Chicagoland.

The same week much of the city was still mourning Silverio Villegas González — an immigrant father from

“Every day we wake up, we fight battles nobody sees. Be kind. Be accountable. Be human.” — Ryan Clark

America has a long history of overpolicing Black men, scapegoating them as criminals without due process. The tragic death of rising LSU football star Kyren Lacy is no different. Not only was his death completely prevent-

David W. Marshall

MAGA movement.

In times of crisis like we see today in our nation, true leaders like Cheney need to rise to the occasion and do what is best for the country as a whole.

Earlier this year, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a report detailing how the Trump administration has seized key congressional powers, defied federal court orders and retaliated against critics. The report examines how the administration’s unprecedented actions across the

federal government threaten the rule of law and constitutional protections.

“This report clearly lays out President Trump’s lawlessness and campaign of intimidation as the administration has taken unprecedented action to sidestep the Constitution,” said Peters.

The report concludes, “the Constitution provides Congress with the means necessary to check an administration that is eroding the very principles and institutions that make America great — but only if the majority party in Congress — currently the

Republican party — is willing to act.”

With Cheney and Adam Kinzinger no longer Republican House members, who is left on that side of the aisle with the boldness to step up? Where are the elder politicians in the Senate with the courage to speak up?

The assessment by Sen. Peters of the unprecedented abuse of power by the executive branch, the destruction of norms and the erosion of our government should be obvious to members of both parties who took an

Page 45

Michoacán who dropped his boys at school, was pulled over on the way to work, and was shot in the back by an ICE officer — the cardinal praised a man who had urged “lethal force” to be used against people like Silverio.

The contrast was too much to ignore: a father dying to stay with his children, and a prince of the church invoking the name of Jesus while celebrating a man who called for such executions.

Yes, that Jesus — the one who told us to love our NEIGHBOR as ourselves, to welcome the stranger, to leave

vengeance to the Lord. The same Jesus whose spirit is etched at the base of our Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” That Jesus.

It was in that Jesus’ name that Cardinal Dolan praised Charlie Kirk as “a modern-day St. Paul — a missionary, a hero who wasn’t afraid to say Jesus’ name.”

A man who evangelized about using lethal force against immigrants and preached that Michelle Obama and several other brilliant black women “did

not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously.”

Yes, Cardinal Dolan praised the man who said those terrible things as if he were the very apostle Jesus selected to spread the Gospel.

When I first heard it, the old wristband slogan came to mind: WWJD — What Would Jesus Do?

I’ll confess, another three-letter word popped into my head first. But let’s not go there. Father, please forgive me.

If the question is WWJD, then the answer in this case can only be: repent.

Catholicism is not just one faith among many; it is America’s largest Christian body and the predominant faith across much of the region where Cardinal Dolan spoke. In Chicago, Catholic churches anchor whole neighborhoods — Polish, Mexican, Irish, Filipino, Haitian, Brazilian. Nearly half of the area’s Catholics are Latino, the majority Mexican. For generations of immigrants, the church has been more than ritual. It’s been refuge.

able, but the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office should be held accountable for an arrest and prosecution without cause, without an investigation, and investigated for discriminatory policing practices.

Upon review of the footage of the accident that caused 78-year-old Herman Hall to lose his life, it is clear that this young man does not bear responsibility for this tragic car crash; his vehicle was not even present when it occurred.

Yet deputies from Lafourche Parish’s office not only arrested Kyren Lacy but also charged him with negligent homi-

cide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle, while failing to review any evidence in the process.

The unimaginable anxiety and shame that mounted on a young man who entered the 2025 NFL draft the same month that this tragedy changed the trajectory of his life ultimately claimed his own this April, ahead of a trial.

Lacy, a former LSU football player with immense promise, died by suicide during a police pursuit, months after being charged in connection with a fatal crash. Before the courts could

determine the facts, before the truth could fully surface, his life came to an abrupt and irreversible end. For those who knew him, he was not a headline or a statistic; he was a son, a teammate and a young man still finding his way in a world that too often shows young Black men its harshest face.

This tragedy is about more than a single moment. It speaks to the deep failures of a justice system that too often confuses accountability with punishment, and law enforcement practices that escalate when they should de-escalate. It calls into question whether our

public safety institutions are designed to preserve life or to control it.

At the National Urban League, we know that public safety cannot exist without public trust. Through our 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Community Trust, we have outlined a comprehensive framework for real reform — reform that moves us beyond rhetoric and toward results. These pillars demand transparency, community engagement and accountability at every level of law en-

Guest Columnist

Without Knowledge of Community

We have had to think about the importance of community so much since Donald Trump has been hanging out in the People’s White House. People who’ve never been on a picket line before now find themselves there. People who’ve been relatively quiet are speaking out against Trump and the unbelievable things he is doing.

Those of us who listened to him during the campaign and remember his behavior when he was in office previously know he’s as vindictive as he said he would be. Some believed him, and that’s why they gave their all to work for the best candidate in the presidential race.

There’s no doubt that then-Vice President Kamala Harris was so far above Trump in intelligence, education, truth, experience and whatever good things you can think of that no fair, non-racist, non-sexist community-minded person should

Last month, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Rep. Katherine Clark reintroduced the Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) Reauthorization Act to keep the program running through 2031 and increase its funding to $500 million annually. CCAMPIS is designed to help low-income student parents cover the cost of child care. It can fund on-campus or

Guest

have voted against her. Well, unfortunately, she was the only intelligent, brilliant, non-racist candidate with a background of serving her community well. Her opponent had no such record and is now proving right those of us who voted against him.

Donald Trump hasn’t the slightest idea what community means. He only knows about abusing power and having his way, believing the only path to winning is destroying all who can see through him. For once in his life, he told the truth:

Columnists

Those who didn’t support him would be on his retribution list. New York Attorney General Letitia James was on it. So was former FBI Director Jim Comey.

He lost no time showing the world what he meant. He stepped up his support of Vladimir Putin and other authoritarian leaders. He knows nothing about community. He still doesn’t understand that however he became president, it’s his responsibility to work for the benefit of every American community — even those who didn’t vote

for him — but he doesn’t know how.

The late A. Philip Randolph left us with a message Trump needs to learn: “A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the highest civil, economic and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess.”

When Trump admitted he intended to send a private message to Attorney General Pam Bondi

WILLIAMS Page 46

Black Student Parents Can Thrive With Access to This Critical Federal Program

community care, after-school programs, and even financial counseling for students who are parenting while in college just like we did.

For Black student parents, higher education can feel like an obstacle course. The soaring cost of child care, inflexible class schedules, and limited campus support make staying enrolled a daily battle. It’s not just about managing responsibilities — it’s about doing so with minimal institutional support and even less societal recognition. When other students are enjoying

campus activities, many skip out. Every fall, campuses of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) come alive during homecoming, pulsing with joy, legacy, and the celebration of Black excellence. In 2005, while our peers were reveling in the festivities, one of us was quietly holding his newborn son at the hospital for the very first time. During homecoming season two years later, the other could only take a single day of unpaid sick leave from his mailroom job before returning to work just three hours after his daughter was born.

Our challenges mirror those faced by the 21% of Black male students who are fathers while in college. Like us, many navigate the relentless grind of academics while raising children. We each completed our bachelor’s degrees, but 72% of Black male students who are fathers leave college without completing their degree or certificate. The numbers tell a sobering story. Access to on-campus child care has declined over the years. Between 2004 and 2019, the percentage of public academic institutions offering child care services dropped from 59% to 45%,

60 Years Later, We’re Still Fighting for the Soul of Our Democracy

Sixty years ago, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law. It was a historic victory won by the blood, sweat and sacrifice of Black Americans who refused to accept second-class citizenship. They faced dogs, batons, fire hoses and fists — not because they broke the law, but because they dared to demand a voice.

They marched from Selma to Montgomery and were beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. They bled in the streets of the Jim Crow South so we could vote without fear or suppression. That fight never ended.

Today, the focus has shifted. It’s no longer about billy clubs and German shepherds. Instead, it involves gerrymandered maps, closed polling stations, purged voter rolls, attacks on mail-in voting and false claims of voter fraud designed to undermine our democracy.

To those who say we’re disrupting the process, I say this: the process was already broken. We didn’t break it; we’re trying to fix it. That’s why I broke quorum in the Texas House, and I’d do it again. I didn’t come to play politics. I came to do what Congressman John Lewis taught us — to get into good trouble, necessary trouble, in the name of justice.

Breaking quorum wasn’t a stunt. It was a stand. When policies silence voters, target communities of color and rig the system for parti-

san gain, you don’t just sit quietly. You walk out. You speak up. You fight back.

I thought about my grandparents, who grew up in the segregated South. I thought about my mother, who cast her first ballot with pride because someone had marched for that right. I thought about my children and the world they’ll inherit if we don’t act now.

I did it for the grandmother who’s never missed an election and now doesn’t know where her polling place is. For the young

with more alarming data from HBCUs. Only 21% of HBCUs provide on-campus child care, compared to 38% of public two-year institutions. This gap disproportionately affects Black student parents — 67% of Black fathers attend colleges that don’t offer on-campus child care.

For us, this meant paying for child care out of pocket and using our support networks of family, friends, and even classmates when necessary. Sometimes, our children joined us in

NALLEY/LANGFORD Page 46

man registering voters on a college campus who’s being told his voice doesn’t count. I did it for neighborhoods split apart to dilute their power.

As Dr. King said, an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. That injustice is here. It’s in our special session agendas designed for anti-voter legislation. In attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, and in maps that slice through Black and brown commu-

REYNOLDS Page 46

LIFESTYLE

WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

Things To Do, DMV!

By Keith Golden Jr. WI Intern

From jazz performances, communal festivals and lectures on Frederick Douglass’s legacy, check out a handful

of the many events happening in the DMV this weekend.

Further, to learn about more fun happenings around town, don’t forget to check out the Washington Informer Calendar.

Thursday, Oct. 16

Tribute to BB King and Koko Taylor

11 a.m. - Noon | $15.00

Prince George’s Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road Hyattsville, MD 20784

3 A tribute to the Queen and King BB King and Koko Taylor (pictured), is coming to Prince George’s Publick Playhouse on Oct. 16. (Courtesy Photo/Prince George’s Publick Playhouse)

A tribute celebrating the iconic King and Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor and BB King, is coming to the DMV.

Taylor captivated audiences with her raw, powerful vocals, while King is revered as one of the most influential blues musicians ever, dedicating his life to sharing the soulful essence of music.

This tribute will feature soul blues favorites Ms. Zeno The Mojo Queen, a longtime performer on the world-famous Beale Street, and well-known D.C.-based artist Memphis Gold.

Tap into a night listening to renditions of some of the finest songs from these celebrated blues legends.

Rosslyn Fall Fitness Series

5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. | $5.00

NOW Pop-Up Park, 1401 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22209

Kickstart autumn with the Rosslyn BID’s Fall Fitness Series, featuring a high-energy session presented by BASH Boxing.

In this 45-minute boxing-inspired class, participants will engage in a variety of exercises designed to challenge strength, endurance, and coordination. Expect a high-energy session that delivers the ultimate total-body burn.

For the best experience, bring a yoga mat and water bottle.

Friday, Oct. 17

Live Comedy Starring Robert Mac 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. | $15.00

Crystal City Sports Pub (3rd Floor Lounge), 529 23rd Street South Arlington, VA 22202

Robert Mac is the thinking-person’s non-thinking person.

A grand prize winner of Comedy Central’s Laugh Riots, Mac has been on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and has not one, not three, but TWO Dry Bar Comedy specials.

Mac, known for an act that is clean, clever, and campy, will headline an evening promising laughter and brilliance and featuring mom comedian Nikkie Knowles and D.C. comic Angel Penn.

The Visionary Genius of Frederick Douglass: Contradiction and Change

10 a.m. - 11 a.m. | $20.00

Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Frederick Douglass was a vision-

ary—a prophet who could see a better future that lay just beyond reach. With extraordinary talents put to use in the service of freedom, the Maryland abolitionist helped to drive American slavery into oblivion.

Historian Richard Bell, a professor at the University of Maryland, examines Douglass’s life to reveal more than another great man on a pedestal. As he explores this many-sided man’s life, family, and career, Bell observes that to understand how the boy born into bondage in 1818 became the abolitionist held in such esteem.

Through this program, the historian strives to frame the narrative – to be seen not as innate, God-given, and infallible, but instead as the imperfectly beautiful product of growth, change, self-doubt, and struggle.

This program has multiple registration options depending on choice to attend in person at the S. Dillon Ripley Center or as an online program using Zoom.

Saturday, Oct. 18

The 2025 Anacostia Crab Feast + Soul Vibes Sunday Market 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.| Free Across from the Anacostia Arts Center, 1234 Marion Barry Avenue SE Washington, D.C. 20020

Wanda’s on 7th presents the Anacostia Crab Fest. A place to bring family for a communal gathering over live music, games and all you can eat crabs. Enjoy live music from TCB Band, Perf3ction Band, Kenny Sway and Jenae Music.

In addition to the performances, there will also be caricature artists, face painters and games like spades and skee-ball.

Admission is free however, the crabs will require purchase.

Sunday, Oct. 19

Black on the Block DC 2025 1 p.m.- 7 p.m. | $16.09 Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol Street SE Washington, D.C. 20003

This “Sunday Funday” includes Black on the Block, with the third annual vendor festival right here in the nation’s capital.

Founded in 2021, Black on the Block was created to provide a dedicated space for Black-owned businesses and a vibrant community celebration, transforming a formerly local market into a cultural movement that spotlights entrepreneurship, Black joy, and community across the country. Now, Washingtonians get to join the fun. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

Shakespeare

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

Lives can change when a leader embarks on a journey of self-discovery, and audiences see just how much can unfold once that happens in “Julius X,” now at Folger Shakespeare Theatre until Oct. 26.

Blending William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” with the real life of freedom fighter Malcolm X “Julius X,” is a mesmerizing tale by Al Letson and brought to life at Folger under the direction of Nicole Brewer.

Years ago, Letson wanted to be in a production of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” but realized he would not be cast in his desired role.

“So I thought, I am going to write my own,” said Letson, who blends his words with Shakespeare’s in his script. “That was the impulse and ‘Julius X’ is what came out of it.”

From that idea, Letson examined the journeys of both Caesar, who traveled to Rome, and Malcolm X, post his pilgrimage to Mecca.

With Letson’s words and Brewer’s guidance, the cast maintains a perfectly heightened degree of intrigue, suspicion, sadness, and love throughout every interaction between the characters. The bottom line is, that it all boils down to trust.

“What happens when the people who have fought to protect and guide their community are pulled between personal conviction, collective need, power, and faith?” said Brewer in the “Julius X” program guide.

Cast Wows in ‘Julius X,’ ‘Peeling Back Language’

Brandon Carter does an excellent job as the character of Julius X.

Set in Harlem, and despite knowing the civil rights leader’s demise is near, Letson’s script unfolds as superb storytelling, as the character navigates life post the trip to Mecca.

“Malcolm came back talking about human rights. It’s the same thing that was happening to Martin Luther King,” said Carter about the plot dilemma. “Why do we become dangerous when we are trying to connect human rights to civil rights?”

The actors’ emotions seem to leap off the stage and grab the audience, with some also balance the work of having to portray multiple roles.

Jay Frisby as Cassius, Shawn Sebastian Naar portraying Octavius and Marullus, Dwayne Alistair Thomas as Casca and Flavius, and Greg Alverez Reid as Brutus all move through their paces, expressing concern for the adoration of the people in Harlem, not for the life of Julius X.

Jonathan Del Palmer is Marc Anthony, and he retains his loyalty to Julius X by navigating around the doubters within the Nation of Islam (NOI).

When Marc Anthony praises Julius X, it is delivered as a spoken-word battle, one way the playwright worked to bring another type of rhythm into the production.

WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

BIG TECH CANCEL LOCAL

LIFESTYLE

GOLDEN from Page 9

me very seriously,” Golden said.

In her February memoir “How to Become a Black Writer” (2025), Golden recounts her parents’ influence.

“My father made stories an important part of my life,” the native Washingtonian wrote.

However, it was her mother, Beatrice Lee Reid, who told a 12-year-old Golden: “One day, you’re going to write a book,” as they made biscuits for dinner one evening.

Coming of age during the 1960s and 1970s, and witnessing massive political and social upheaval changed the course of her life and shaped her young career.

She attended a newly integrated Western High School and later went to American University on a scholarship named after Frederick Douglass.

“We had graduated high school as Negroes and entered American University as Black people,” she said, recalling the almost imme-

diate shift in African American identity after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination.

The Writer Creates New Chapters

The D.C. native also attended the journalism school at Columbia University in New York City, where her creative life thrived.

“I was young, gifted, and Black in New York City,” she said.

Golden’s life was full.

While juggling life as a wife and mother, Golden would go on to author 23 works of fiction and non-fiction, taking her middle name “Marita” as her writer’s name in the process.

For more than three decades, Golden has been dedicated to uplifting Black writers through Hurston/Wright.

McElvene, a bibliophile who handled the day-to-day operations of the foundation until he stepped down as chief executive officer in 2013, said her determination is about more than her passion for Black literature.

“She’s committed to Black people,” he said. “She’s committed to us.”

Creating Family Through Literary Bonds

Community is at the core of Golden’s work– writing about it, creating it, nurturing it and connecting other writers to it.

“Because both of my parents died before I was in my early 20s, it was important for me to find a way to create family,” she told The Informer.

What began as a personal need has blossomed into Golden mentoring other writers, like Dr. DeMaris B. Hill, a poet and creative scholar who was awarded a 2003 Hurston/Wright college award for fiction.

“I was extremely insecure as a writer,” Hill recalled. “That ceremony was my public coming out that I was a writer.”

Winning the award also came with gaining a writing community

Page 31

The Future Depends on Us

DC PLUG is a multi-year project that is designed to protect the District’s most vulnerable power lines by placing them underground and improving grid resiliency where you work, live and play.

GOLDEN from Page 30

that included Golden, who invited Hill to her house for writing workshops and became her mentor.

“She was the first person who said very clearly, if I don’t make time for my art, I won’t have it,” Hill explained. “She spoke to me earnestly and it really changed my perspective and approach to my work.”

Celebrating A Mentor, Writer, ‘Soul Worker’

Golden is passionate about teaching and uplifting other writers.

“I like to call that soul work,” she told The Informer.

Taking one of the writer’s free workshops 20 years ago was the beginning of a long relationship turned friendship between Golden and Tracy Chiles McGee, an

award-winning author and cultural curator.

“She’s a great writer, she’s a great teacher, and she believes in community,” said Chiles McGee, who Golden calls her literary daughter. “She shows up for writers and she taught me to show up for writers, too.”

Further, Golden has been locally and widely celebrated for her contributions, including in 2023, when Dec. 7 was officially declared Marita Golden Day in D.C. and in Prince George’s County, where the writer lives.

“That day,” Golden said, “confirmed that I had both designed and found the community I yearned for.”

As she approaches this year’s Hurston/Wright Legacy Awards, Golden is celebrating the success of the community she’s helped create over the past 35 years, uplifting the foundation’s

namesakes, and working to bolster Black writers of today.

“After 35 years, we’re here because of the commitment of so many people who believe in what we’re doing,” Golden explained. “I think sometimes an idea can be so strong that it can be almost indestructible. And I think that this idea is one of those - honoring [Hurston and Wright] and creating an environment in which Black writers are recognized.”

While celebrating the milestone anniversary, Golden is also looking toward the future of Hurston/Wright.

“What’s next for us is responding to this new environment,” she said,” and creating ways to sustain and grow the work we do.”

WI

LIFESTYLE

review wi book

By Debra J. Stone

c.2025, University of Minnesota Press

$17.95

104 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

You remember how the sun streamed through the window. It lit up a dance of dust as you lay on a scratchy rug to watch the show, and you recall it. Every chink in the countertops, each squeaky floorboard, and the perfect-for-reading spot on the front step, the house you grew up in still stands in your memories and that’s a good thing: as in the new book “The House on Rondo” by Debra J. Stone, memories are all that’s left.

Thirteen-year-old Zenobia understood why Mama and Daddy were sending her and her brother and sister to St. Paul for the summer. Still, she begged to stay home and promised that she’d help Mama heal from her stroke, but Daddy was firm: Zenobia, Fannie and Mookie would spend the summer with Grandma Essie and Grandpa Joe across the river from Minneapolis.

It was for the best.

And it was good: Every Sunday as long as she could remember, Zenobia’s family had made the long drive to St. Paul and so she knew the neighborhood. She even had friends in her grandparents’ neighborhood and one of them loved Wonder Woman comics as much as Zenobia did. There was a library nearby and a great big backyard to play in.

A summer was a long time to be away from Minneapolis, but she’d be home soon. And in the meantime, Zenobia spent time in Grandma Essie’s kitchen, learning about her family and hearing stories from a long time ago, and Zenobia read lots of books. And she didn’t mean to, exactly, but she listened in on grown-up conversations.

It was 1963 and the interstate was coming through the neighborhood, taking up house after paid-for house and the residents along Rondo Avenue were angry and upset. And really, so was Zenobia. Where would everyone live? Where would they go? Would life be the same without Rondo Avenue?

Set in real-life cities with real-life events, “The House on Rondo” even sports photos of people and houses from the heyday of the Rondo Neighborhood in St. Paul. Yes, this book is fiction, but it’s also deeply based in fact.

While author Debra J. Stone gives lots of joy to her story, there’s also a keen mournfulness to what you’ll read, along with fear and uncertainty from a child’s viewpoint. Anger is an suitable emotion, too, especially when you know the background here. Even fictionalized, reading about the racism and loss of heritage in 1963 is like tasting something metallic and sour.

Curiously, you’ll likely find this book in the kids’ section of the library or bookstore, though there are some pretty grown-up concepts here, things that are authentic to life six decades ago but that may also nudge the appropriate age up a notch. Just beware.

At the very least, they make the book equally good for adults, too — so don’t just leave this book out for your child. Pick it up yourself and read it, too. “The House on Rondo” opens a great window for discussion. WI

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE

0CT. 16 - 22, 2025

ARIES Career visibility intensifies bringing advancement through bold initiative demonstrating decisive leadership that transforms complex challenges into strategic opportunities while inspiring team confidence. Executive presentations succeed when passionate conviction combines with data-driven insights, securing stakeholder buy-in for ambitious expansion plans. Lucky Numbers: 5, 38, 47

TAURUS Long-range planning crystallizes vision as Venus illuminates your horizon sector, bringing clarity through philosophical exploration revealing core values guiding meaningful career direction while maintaining practical financial security. International ventures materialize when cultural sensitivity facilitates cross-border partnerships generating diversified revenue streams. Lucky Numbers: 19, 33, 56

GEMINI Transformational partnerships deepen trust as Mercury penetrates your intimacy sector, bringing breakthroughs through authentic dialogue revealing shared vulnerabilities that strengthen collaborative bonds while establishing mutual accountability frameworks. Lucky Numbers: 8, 26, 54

CANCER Collaborative ventures accelerate growth as lunar energy activates your partnership sector, bringing opportunity through strategic alliances combining complementary expertise generating innovative solutions exceeding individual capabilities. Contract negotiations succeed when empathetic communication clarifies expectations establishing win-win frameworks protecting long-term interests. Lucky Numbers: 15, 30, 45

LEO Productivity optimization delivers measurable results as solar power refines your efficiency sector, bringing recognition through systematic improvements demonstrating quantifiable performance gains while maintaining exceptional quality standards. Health initiatives succeed when disciplined wellness practices build sustainable energy supporting demanding professional schedules. Lucky Numbers: 4, 36, 50

VIRGO Creative expression unlocks new opportunities as earth energy activates your innovation sector, bringing success through artistic projects demonstrating technical mastery combined with commercial viability meeting market demands. Lucky Numbers: 13, 41, 59

LIBRA Domestic foundations stabilize ambitions as Venus grounds your security sector, bringing peace through thoughtful home improvements creating harmonious environments supporting professional focus while nurturing family relationships. Real estate decisions crystallize when market analysis identifies properties offering exceptional value appreciation potential. Lucky Numbers: 1, 22, 43

SCORPIO Communication mastery amplifies influence bringing recognition through persuasive messaging revealing profound insights that transform audience perspectives while maintaining credible authority. Learning initiatives accelerate when focused curiosity explores specialized knowledge domains creating distinctive competitive advantages. Lucky Numbers: 17, 35, 52

SAGITTARIUS Financial momentum builds sustainable wealth as Jupiter energizes your resource sector, bringing prosperity through strategic investments identifying emerging opportunities positioned for significant returns while maintaining diversified risk management. Income negotiations succeed when confident communication secures compensation reflecting genuine market value. Lucky Numbers: 21, 37, 48

CAPRICORN Personal presence commands attention as Saturn empowers your identity sector, bringing influence through authentic self-expression projecting natural authority that attracts valuable opportunities while establishing premium professional positioning. Leadership initiatives succeed when visionary thinking combines with reliable execution demonstrating proven capability managing complex responsibilities. Lucky Numbers: 9, 28, 60

AQUARIUS Spiritual renewal prepares breakthrough momentum as Uranus activates your reflection sector, bringing insight through contemplative practices revealing innovative solutions to persistent challenges while releasing limiting patterns blocking advancement. Subconscious exploration deepens when therapeutic inquiry identifies behavioral triggers affecting professional relationships. Lucky Numbers: 11, 24, 46

PISCES Community engagement expands influence bringing advancement through collaborative projects mobilizing collective expertise toward visionary objectives while honoring individual contribution styles. Technology platforms grow when innovative digital strategies build engaged audiences demonstrating authentic value provision. . Weekend volunteer activities strengthen bonds while introducing influential contacts positioned to champion aspirations. Lucky Numbers: 6, 32, 58

SPORTS

3 Takeaways From Commanders 25-24 Loss Against Bears In Week 6

By Skylar Nelson WI Contributing Writer

While last year the Washington Commanders defeated the Chicago Bears in an 18-15 Hail Mary win, the Oct. 13 Monday Night Football game between the two teams turned to another nail-biting showdown at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.

In Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ return to the DMV, Chicago was victorious with a 38-yard field goal as time expired, defeating the Commanders on their home turf with a Hail Mary revenge.

Check out three takeaways from the Commanders’ 25-24 loss against the Chicago Bears:

Turnovers, Missed Tackles Cost Washington the Game

As the Washington Commanders aimed to run out the clock, an exchange of fumbles between quarterback Jayden Daniels and running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt midfield— with just about three minutes left remaining— gave Chicago a scoring opportunity.

“I just lost the ball— completely

my fault. I didn’t give Bill a chance, so it was my fault,” said Daniels.

At that point it was Washington’s third turnover of the night.

The Bears managed to move upfield 36 yards in eight plays, with running back D’Andre Swift on the drive moving the ball forward five times for 34 yards to set Jake Moody’s 38-yard field goal to win the game.

“Honestly, it wasn’t just that play, like there’s plenty in there to go and…. we just didn’t regard it like we can,” said Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn. “And so that’s the lesson and it stings and we’ve got to grow from them.”

The Bears took advantage of all three turnovers, scoring 13 points.

Although turnovers remained a huge factor in the game’s outcome, missed tackles were also proven to be costly for Washington.

Just after the Commanders took the lead 24-16 in the fourth quarter, safety Quan Martin missed a tackle on Swift allowing the running back to score a 55-yard touchdown. Martin had Swift near the sideline and could have just forced him out of bounds.

“Yeah, it’s an unfortunate one,” Quinn said. “[Martin] is somebody that we’d absolutely count on in that

spot and also give credit to Swift.”

The Commanders have recorded a significant number of missed tackles so far this season, accumulating 46 after week six against the Bears. This unfortunately puts Washington among the league leaders in this category, as 41 missed tackles were recorded in early October.

The turnovers and missed tackles proved to have cost the Commanders that game, who are 3-3 on the season so far, taking away their chance to tie for first place in the NFC East Division with the Philadelphia Eagles, who have lost two straight games.

Washington has yet to win consecutive games this season.

Although Quinn emphasized a fast start against Chicago, Washington must go back to the drawing board and work on their mistakes.

“A short week helps when you lose. You know, you get to get back to the

drawing board, you get back to the game faster,” said linebacker Bobby Wagner. “The game comes a little bit faster. You win, and you move on. So, that’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to go back. We’ve got to see the mistakes we made. We’ve got to figure out how to get better. We’ve got to figure out how to create turnovers. And, you know, we’ll get it figured out.”

The Run Game Was Practically Quiet Against The Bears

The Commanders are known this season to have one of the league’s best rushing attacks, while the Bears have one of the worst rushing defenses.

However, it was hard to tell in this game.

Although Daniels recorded 52 yards on the ground, the other ball carriers only recorded 72 yards on 21 carries.

While many pressured Kliff Kingsbury on utilizing the run game in the previous matchup, against the Bears, the run game remained quiet as Washington managed to move upfield in other ways.

“We just have to be better at what we do,” said running back Croskey-Merritt. “We’ll come back next week and be ready to play.”

Jayden Daniels Hasn’t

Lost His Touch

Although Daniels recorded two turnovers for Washington, the second-year quarterback

hasn’t lost his touch at all.

With wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown ruled out against the Bears due to injuries, Deebo Samuel staggering off the field triggering a lingering heel injury, and with fumbles that arose in the run game, Daniels still found a way to score.

The quarterback started Washington’s scoring effect, heaving a deep 22yard touchdown wide receiver Chris Moore sending shockwaves through Northwest Stadium.

He then managed to find wide receiver Luke McCaffrey for a 33-yard touchdown, which sparked a flame in Washington’s offense giving them the lead for the first time in the game before the 2-minute warning in the third quarter.

“I’m doing my job, but I was happy that we called it,” said McCaffrey. “We’d had that one in the bag for a couple of weeks, so it was nice.”

Daniels then connected with rookie Jaylin Lane on a 37 yard touchdown pass, followed by a 6 yard scoring strike to tight end Zach Ertz.

“I was surprised. It’s an area that we obviously spend a lot of time on, a lot of space, and we’ll continue to do that,” said Quinn. “But I’ll give credit to Chicago, they outperformed us tonight and that stinks.”

The Commanders will look to bounce back as they return to action in week seven, heading to the Lone Star State of Texas to take on NFC East division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. E.T. on Sunday Oct. 19. WI

CAPTURE the moment

The Center for Black Equity hosted the Inaugural BE. A Gala for Black Equity at the National Press Club in Northwest, D.C., on Oct. 4, bridging fashion and fundraising to promote cultural excellence. With the “BE.” representing both “Black Equity” and queer authenticity, the sold-out event honored nationwide trailblazers working to advance the Black LGBTQ+ community, including: D.C.’s ‘Empress of Pride’ Rayceen Pendarvis, New Orleans musician Big Freedia, actress and model Eva Marcille, and U.S. Congressional Rep. Jasmine Crockett. (Ja’Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)

RELIGION

Black Preaching Has Always Been About Survival and Revival

Rev. Dr. Kelly U. Farrow Wants to Ensure the Next Generation of Preachers Can Do Both

By Rev. Dorothy Boulware Word in Black

This article was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation’s leading Black news publishers (of which The Washington Informer is a member).

When the Rev. Dr. Kelly U. Farrow founded Kelly U. Farrow Institute for Black Preaching and Education in 2019, she wasn’t just creating another training program. She was building a

movement to sustain and evolve the legacy of Black preaching — a tradition she calls “the heartbeat of the Black church and a lifeline for our people.”

The institute serves clergy, seminarians, and lay leaders through preaching intensives, leadership labs, and wellness cohorts. Rooted in the rich history of the Black pulpit, the programs combine theological rigor with social justice engagement and personal renewal.

“Our mission is to build a new generation of prophetic preachers and educators who are spiritually grounded,

academically sound, and emotionally whole,” Farrow said in an interview posted on her website. “We teach preaching as formation — not performance.”

Preaching Circles and Leadership Labs

Farrow says the work began by addressing the need for Black women clergy to have training in sermon development, construction, delivery, and presentation.

Through the institute, Farrow launched Circle of Sacred Fire, an intensive designed especially for women of color in ministry.

“In 2018, I was asked to do a boot camp for some women at the university I was teaching at,” she says. “I think at the time, I just thought it was going to be that class.”

But it grew into so much more.

The institute’s signature offering is the Circle, a cohort-based preaching intensive that runs in three-, six-, or nine-week formats and program focuses on developing womanist ethics, leadership, and authenticity in the pulpit. Each Circle provides sermon labs, peer critique, and lectures from guest scholars. Graduates of the longer sessions earn a certificate equivalent to a three-credit course in a seminary setting.

“It’s a sacred space where women can bring their whole selves to the call of preaching,” she says.

Newer initiatives include the Wellness Circle, which addresses the mental and spiritual health of Black clergy, and Brotherhood and PhoeniX, companion programs for male preachers

and intergenerational leaders. The institute also hosts the annual Flourish Preaching Conference and the podcast “Candid Conversations,” both exploring themes of preaching, justice, and healing.

A Growing Impact

Since its founding, the institute has partnered with seminaries and church networks, including McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta and Hampton University, to offer regional cohorts. The model emphasizes accessibility — both in geography and theology.

“Preaching should liberate, not limit,” Farrow says. “Our students don’t just learn to preach; they learn to listen — to God, to history, and to their communities.”

Farrow’s approach reflects both tradition and innovation. Her institute stands in the lineage of historic training grounds for Black clergy, yet it responds to contemporary challenges — burnout, funding, and the changing landscape of church leadership.

The Wellness Circle, launched earlier this year, grew directly from what Farrow calls “a crisis of exhaustion among Black ministers.” Through guided reflection, counseling partnerships, and retreats, participants learn practices for sustainable ministry.

Scholar, Pastor, and Educator

Farrow holds degrees in business administration, theology, and higher education, including a Ph.D. in higher education administration. She also completed certificates in homilet-

ics from Vanderbilt University and in Black theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Her pastoral experience is equally broad. She has served as minister of discipleship at Double Love Experience Church in Brooklyn and as associate minister at Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Harlem.

The faith leader and educator currently teaches homiletics and womanist leadership through Union Theological Seminary’s Bedford Hills College Program at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for women.

“Dr. Farrow is a woman changing the landscape of Black Church, Black Culture, the Academy, and Black Preaching,” according to a quote on Farrow’s website.

Looking Back

As for her own call, Farrow was at a national conference when she “heard” it.

“I felt like I heard God call me into ministry, but I wasn’t sure, and I said, ‘Well, God, if you’re calling me to this, I really would like to see a woman do this with precision and power and elegance,’ because I hadn’t seen that.”

True to her request, that Saturday, the Rev. Dr. Rita Twiggs preached a sermon entitled “Purpose,” Farrow says.

In an era when churches face declining attendance and rising stress among clergy, Farrow’s institute offers a hopeful model rooted in resilience.

“Black preaching has always been about survival and revival,” she says. “We’re just making sure the next generation knows how to do both.” WI

This week, it’s my pleasure to share the life story of Bonita V. White, a strong tower in the gospel music industry. Though we never met in person, it was such a pleasure to have phone conversations with her.

It was during the 25th Anniversary Live promotion, when she worked out details for Patrick Lundy to promote his new album by being my radio show guest, on Spirit 1340 WYCB, a Radio One Washington, D.C., station. We spoke on numerous occasions when she enjoyed my column, as well. Bonita would send me an email or text me to say how much she enjoyed reading the Religion Corner that week.

Let’s now delve into the life of Bonita V. White from several levels, as outlined by Phillip Carter. Bonita’s funeral services will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Second Baptist Church Southwest, located at 5501 Silver Hill Road, District Heights, Maryland, 20747. Rev. Dr. Wallis C. Baxter III is the pastor. Viewing/visitation: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Funeral service at 11 a.m. Interment Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.

There was only one Bonita V. White. To know her was to love her, to learn from her, to be encouraged by her, and to be supported by her. Her career in ministry and service to the DMV community spanned more than 40 years, and she will forever be remembered as our DMV Superwoman.

A Proud Washingtonian and Early Beginning

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., with deep roots in the old Southwest before “urban renewal,” Bonita was a proud daughter of the District. She carried the history of her city with her, often serving as a walking, talking history book — sharp, insightful, and always eager to share.

Her musical journey began in 1956, when she sang her first solo at Second Baptist Church of Southwest,

WITH LYNDIA GRANT AND PHILLIP CARTER

A Mighty Oak Has Fallen in the DMV the religion corner

on a program sponsored by her beloved mother, Mother Clara V. White, herself a gospel luminary. That solo launched a lifetime of service in gospel music and ministry.

Distinguished Government Career

Bonita also built a remarkable 47year career in public service. She most recently served as director of the National Policy and Programs Division in the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She previously directed Diversity and Inclusion (2014–2020), established the HHS Employee Resource Group (ERG) Program, and served as director of EEO Compliance.

Her career began with the Department of the Interior, where she rose through the ranks before joining HHS in 1992. She also spent time teaching U.S. history, Black studies, and Social issues in the Prince George’s County Public Schools System.

Bonita’s leadership in Diversity and Inclusion earned national recognition. She helped HHS achieve the #1 federal ranking in Employee Engagement and Inclusion Quotient, leading to HHS being named among the “Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.”

In 2018, she was named “Supervisor of the Year” by the International Personnel Management Association, Eastern Region. In 2021, she earned

a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business.

Even at retirement age, Bonita continued to work, not out of necessity, but because she truly enjoyed her service.

Her academic path included graduating with honors from Elmhurst College (1972), earning a master’s in Guidance and Counseling from Trinity College (1974), and a Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University National Law Center (1978), on a full-tuition scholarship.

Gospel Music Historian and Ambassador

As extraordinary as her government career was, Bonita’s ministry in gospel music was equally impactful. She was a founding member, business manager, and the sole female tenor of Patrick Lundy & the Ministers of Music. Affectionately known as “Queen B,” she was a guiding force behind the group’s success, lending her powerful voice and steady hand in management.

She was featured on several of the group’s recordings, including “Cover Me (feat. LeJuene Thompson),” “He’s Still the Light,” and “My Way (Live).” Her influence extended beyond PL&MOM as well. She sang with Kenneth Louis & Phase I and the Vintage Gospel Singers of Washington, D.C.WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

RELIGION

Service and Times

Person Worship:  Sunday @ 9:30 A.M.

Sunday @ 9:30 A.M.  www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

& Study:  Wednesday @ 12 Noon and 7:00

Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org

Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 Fax : 202-338-4958

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant

401 Van Buren St., NW, Washington D.C. 20012 Office (202)-882-8331

Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:30 am Zoom: zoom.us/;/2028828331

Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00pm Communion Every First Sunday "Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ."

Website: Theplbc.org Email: churchclerk@theplbc.org

Purpose

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 863

Gladys R. Garrett Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Gregory Garrett, whose address is 2005 Fairlawn Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gladys R. Garrett who died on 4/8/2008 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/2/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/2/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication:

10/2/2025

Gregory Garrett

Personal Representative TRUE

Copyright Notice for Publication

Copyright Notice: All rights reserved regarding common-law

copyright of trade-names/trade-marks, not excluding any and all derivatives and variations in spelling of any of said names

Janine Bellamy ©; JANINE BELLAMY ©; Janine R. Bellamy

©; JANINE R. BELLAMY ©; Janine Renee Bellamy ©; JANINE RENEE BELLAMY ©; J. Renee Bellamy ©; J. RENEE BELLAMY

©; J. Bellamy ©; J. BELLAMY ©; J.R. Bellamy ©; J.R. BELLAMY

©; J.R.B. ©; J.B. ©; Bellamy, Janine ©; ELLAMY, JANINE ©; Bellamy, Janine R. ©; BELLAMY, JANINE R. ©; Bellamy, J. ©; BELLAMY, J. ©; Bellamy, Janine Renee ©; BELLAMY, JANINE RENEE ©; Bellamy, J. R. ©; BELLAMY, J. R. ©; Bellamy, J. Renee

©; BELLAMY, J. RENEE ©; Phillip Harris IV ©; PHILLIP HARRIS

IV ©; P. Harris IV ©; P. HARRIS IV ©; P.H. IV ©; P. Harris ©; P. HARRIS ©; Phil Harris IV ©; PHIL HARRIS IV ©; Phil Harris ©; PHIL HARRIS ©; Harris IV, Phillip ©; HARRIS IV, Phillip ©; Harris

IV, Phil ©; HARRIS IV, PHIL ©; Harris, Phillip ©; HARRIS, PHILLIP ©; Harris, Phil ©; HARRIS,PHIL ©; Harris IV, P. ©; HARRIS IV, P. ©; Harris , P. ©; HARRIS, P. ©; Jon Christopher Paul ©; JON CHRISTOPHER PAUL ©; JON C. PAUL ©; Jon C. Paul ©; J. Paul ©; J. PAUL ©; John Paul ©; JOHN PAUL ©; Jon Paul ©; JON PAUL ©; JON C PAUL ©; Jon C Paul ©; J. Paul ©; J. PAUL ©; John Paul ©; JOHN PAUL ©; JOHN CHRISTOPHER PAUL ©; John Christopher Paul©; j.c. paul ©; J.C. Paul ©; J. CHRISTOPHER PAUL ©; J. Christopher Paul ©; :Jon-Christopher: Paul ©; :JON-CHRISTOPHER: PAUL ©; :John-Christopher: Paul ©; :JOHN-CHRISTOPHER: PAUL ©; jon paul ©; jon christopher paul©, respectively-Common Law Copyright © 1973, 1985, and 1990, respectively, by Janine R. Bellamy ©, Phillip Harris, IV©, and Jon C. Paul ©.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners in red ink, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000875

Bernadette White Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Chantay White-Taylor and Patricia Plummer, whose addresses are 6604 Fannin Farm Way, Arlington, TX 76001 & 615 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20002, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Bernadette White who died on 4/10/2022 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/2/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/2/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/2/2025

Chantay White-Taylor Patricia Plummer

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2023 ADM 1466

Beverly Jackson Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Beverly Jackson who died on December 10, 2022 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/9/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/9/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/9/2025

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000915

Ronnie Francis aka Ronnie Lee Francis Decedent

Stephanie L. Royal, Esq. The Royal Legal Group, LLC 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 440 Washington DC 20015 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Rosemary Francis, whose address is 10294 Commons Crossing, Jonesboro, GA 30238, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ronnie Francis aka Ronnie Lee Francis who died on 7/15/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/2/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/2/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/2/2025

Rosemary Francis Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000909

Eugene Kelly Jr. Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Pamela K. Harrison, whose address is 11383 Wildmeadows St., Waldorf, MD 20601, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Eugene Kelly, Jr. who died on March 13, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/9/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/9/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/9/2025

Pamela K. Harrison Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000115

March 17, 2025

Date of Death

Willie Aubrey Jackson Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Raymond L. Slaughter whose address is 2818 Sherman Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20018 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Willie Aubrey Jackson, deceased, by the Circuit Court for Caroline County, State of Virginia, on April 11, 2025.

Service of process may be made upon Joseph Goins at 4101 Illinois Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20011 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property.

2810 Sherman Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001.

Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 10/2/2025

Raymond L. Slaughter Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 894

Ezell Ervin Hill Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Katrina McCormick-Hill, whose address is 1129 7th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ezell Ervin Hill who died on 2/4/2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/9/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/9/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/9/2025

Katrina McCormick-Hill Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 0001048

Estate of Tornora Michelle Carroll

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Beverly Henderson for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: 10/2/2025

Beverly Henderson 1629 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20008

Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000967

Frieda W Bostick-Bruton aka Frieda Bruton aka Frieda Whitley Bruton Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Pamela B. Owens, whose address is 525 Orindo Drive, Durham NC 27713, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Frieda W Bostick-Bruton aka Frieda Bruton aka Frieda Whitley Bruton who died on 8/29/2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/9/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/9/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/09/2025

Pamela B. Owens 525 Orindo Drive Durham, NC 27713 Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000385

Harry L. Dishman Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Pamela Dishman Owens, whose address is 10300 Fox Dale Ct., Mitchellville MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Harry L. Dishman who died on 2/7/2025 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/9/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/9/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/9/2025

Pamela Dishman Owens

Personal Representative TRUE

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 001017

Bruce Blanchard Decedent

Donald Marlais, Esq. 411 10th Street NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Mary Josie Cain Blanchard, whose address is 80 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Bruce Blanchard who died on December 25, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Mary Josie Cain Blanchard Personal Representative

TRUE

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000778

Patricia Ann Paige Decedent

Maria K. Day-Marshall 6329 Joslyn Place Cheverly, Maryland 20785 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

David R. Paige, whose address is 6331 Joslyn Place, Cheverly, Maryland 20785, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Patricia Ann Paige who died on 2/3/2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/9/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/9/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/9/2025

David R. Paige Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 000971

Buddy Reynolds aka Buddy C. Reynolds aka Buddy C. Reynolds, Sr. aka Buddy Cleo Reynolds Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Deborah R. Emerson, whose address is 7707 Blue Point Avenue, Beltsville MD 20705, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Buddy Reynolds aka Buddy C. Reynolds aka Buddy C. Reynolds, Sr. aka Buddy Cleo Reynolds who died on 9/26/2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Deborah R. Emerson 7707 Blue Point Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705 Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000896

Theriska Jeter

Decedent

Lynee C. Murchison, Esq. Adams Law Office, LLC 4201 Mitchellville Road, Suite 500 Bowie, MD 20716

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

TaShawn Denay Brown, whose address is 6827 Jade Court, Capitol Heights, MD 20743, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Theriska Jeter who died on 10/1/2021 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/9/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/9/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/9/2025

TaShawn Denay Brown Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 FEP 000087

2/4/2022 Date of Death

David Eugene Rivers aka David E. Rivers Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Sandra T. Middleton whose address is 110 Oak Knoll, Fayetteville, Georgia 30214 was appointed personal representative of the estate of David Eugene Rivers aka David E. Rivers, deceased, by the Probate Court for Charleston County, State of South Carolina, on June 2, 2022.

Service of process may be made upon Joan M. Wilbon, Attorney at Law 1629 K Street NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20006 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 1406 Carrollsburg Place SW, Washington DC 20024. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Sandra T. Middleton Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

Copyright Notice for Publication

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 000985

Deborah Olds-Shell Decedent

Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Wendy Fredericka Zuber, whose address is 1107 Oregon Street, Deer Lodge, MT 59722, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Deborah Olds-Shell who died on February 22, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Wendy Fredericka Zuber Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 001001

Asra Adeela Hussain Decedent

Rick Todd, Esq. 5850 Waterloo Road, Suite 140 Columbia, MD 21045

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Hamaad Syed Raza, whose address is 1728 Stifel Lane Drive, Chesterfield, MO 63017, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Asra Adeela Hussain who died on January 29, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Hamaad Syed Raza

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 001016

Edwinter C. Bourn aka Edwinter Bourn Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Oliver A. Alexander, whose address is 1695 Unity Loop, Cumming GA 30040, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edwinter C. Bourn aka Edwinter Bourn who died on June 12, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Oliver A. Alexander 1695 Unity Loop, Cumming, GA 30040

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 001012

Joseph Edward Williams Decedent

Lynee C. Murchison, Esq. Adams Law Office, LLC

4201 Mitchellville Road, Suite 500 Bowie, MD 20716

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Keely Williams, whose address is 12111 Chip Shot Lane, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joseph Edward Williams who died on October 11, 2019 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication:

10/16/2025

Keely Williams Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 001042

Neta Mae Price Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Katina D. Bolden, whose address is 601 53rd Street SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Neta Mae Price who died on January 16, 2022 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Katina D. Bolden

601 53rd Street SE Washington, DC 20019

Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000121

November 12, 2022

Date of Death

Kathy Elizabeth Daniel Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Krystal E. Wilcox whose address is 12500 Martin Road, Brandywine, MD 20613 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Kathy Elizabeth Daniel, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on December 21, 2022.

Service of process may be made upon Lynee C. Murchison, Esq. Adams Law Office, LLC, 4201 Mitchellville Road, Suite 500, Bowie, MD 20716 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property:

1034 6th Street NE, Unit 201, Washington DC 20002 and 2135 Young Street SE, Unit 32, Washington, DC 20020. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Krystal E. Wilcox

Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000659

Pamela Outlaw aka Pamela Denise Outlaw aka Pamela D. Outlaw

Decedent

Murray D. Scheel

DC Bar Pro Bono Center 901 4th Street NW Washington DC 20001

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Robert J. Taylor, whose address is 150 Eye Street SE, Apt. 822, Washington, DC 20003, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Pamela Outlaw aka Pamela Denise Outlaw aka Pamela D. Outlaw who died on 7/9/2020 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Robert J. Taylor Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000198

Lyudmila N. Krasovskaya aka Lyudmila Nikitichna Krasovskaya Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Nikita Krasovsky, whose address is 102 McMurray Street, Frederick, MD 21701, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lyudmila N. Krasovskaya aka Lyudmila Nikitichna Krasovskaya who died on 6/27/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Nikita Krasovsky

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens

Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 001056

Robin Farmer Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Sherise Farmer Smith and Sherray Garnett, whose addresses are 8207 Northview Court Laurel MD 20707 and 405 N Street NW, Apt. 302, Washington DC 20001, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Robin Farmer who died on April 14, 2020 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Sherise Farmer Smith Sherray Garnett Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000575

Margaret Quick Decedent

Danielle Creek-Saalakhan, Esq. 3965 R Street, SE Washington, DC 20020 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Danielle Creek-Saalakhan, whose address is 3965 R Street, SE Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Margaret Quick who died on March 14, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Danielle Creek-Saalakhan Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000471

Yusuf Muhajir aka Yusuf Z. Muhajir Decedent

Ryan L. Jones, Esq. 1776 I Street NW, Suite 325 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Ryan L. Jones, whose address is 1776 I Street NW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20006, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Yusuf Muhajir aka Yusuf Z. Mahajir who died on 12/19/2024 with a Will and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/16/2026. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/16/2026, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 10/16/2025

Ryan L. Jones Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Copyright Notice: All rights reserved regarding common-law copyright of trade-names/trade-marks, not excluding any and all derivatives and variations in spelling of any of said names, T. Jae Simmons©; Terrence J. Simmons©; Terrence J Simmons©; Terrence Simmons©; Jae Simmons©; T. Simmons©; Terrence J. S.©; T. J. Simmons©; Simmons, Terrence Jae©; Terrence Jae Simmons©; T. JAE SIMMONS©;TERRENCE J. SIMMONS©; TERRENCE J SIMMONS©; TERRENCE SIMMONS©; JAE SIMMONS©; T. SIMMONS©; TERRENCE J.S.©; T. J. SIMMONS©; SIMMONS, TERRENCE JAE©; TERRENCE JAE SIMMONS©; TERRENCE J SIMMONS©; Mr. Terrence Simmons©; MR.TERRENCE SIMMONS©; Mr. Terrence J. Simmons©; SIMMONS, T. JAE ©; Mr.  Terrence Simmons©; MR. TERRENCE SIMMONS ©; Mr. Terrence J. Simmons©; MR. TERRENCE J. SIMMONS©; Mr. Terrence Jae Simmons ©; MR. TERRENCE JAE SIMMONS©; Mr. T. JAE SIMMONS©; MR. T. JAE SIMMONS©; Mr. T. Simmons©; MR. T. SIMMONS ©; Mr. T. J. Simmons©; Mr. T.J. SIMMONS©; Mr. Simmons, Terrence©; MR. SIMMONS, TERRENCE©; Mr. Simmons, Terrence J.©; MR. SIMMONS, TERRENCE J.©; Mr. Simmons, T©; MR. SIMMONS, T.©; Mr. Simmons, Terrence Jae ©; MR. SIMMONS, TERRENCE JAE©; Mr. Simmons, T. J.©; MR. SIMMONS, T. J.©; Mr. SIMMONS, T. JAE©; MR. SIMMONS, T. JAE©; and  L. Stori Simmons©; Love S. Simmons©; Love S Simmons©; Love Simmons©; Stori Simmons©; L. Simmons©; Love S. S.©; L. S. Simmons©; Simmons, Love Stori©; Love Stori Simmons©; Love S Simmons©; S. LOVE SIMMONS©;LOVE S. SIMMONS©; LOVE S SIMMONS©; TERRENCE SIMMONS©; STORI SIMMONS©; L. SIMMONS©; Love S. S.©; L. S. SIMMONS©; SIMMONS, LOVE STORI©; LOVE STORI SIMMONS©; LOVE S SIMMONS©; and L Cameil McDowell©; Litisa McDowell©; LITISA MCDOWELL©; Litisa C. Mcdowell©; LITISA C. MCDOWELL©; Litisa Cameil McDowell©; LITISA CAMEIL MCDOWELL©; L. Cameil McDowell©; L. CAMEIL MCDOWELL©; L. Mcdowell©; L. MCDOWELL©; L. C. Mcdowell©; L. C. McDowell©; McDowell, Litisa©; MCDOWELL , LITISA©; McDowell Litisa C.©; MCDOWELL, LITISA C.©; McDowell, L©; MCDOWELL, L.©; McDowell, Litisa CAMEIL © MCDOWELL, LITISA CAMEIL©;McDowell, L. C.©; MCDOWELL, L. C.©; McDowell, L. CAMEIL©; MCDOWELL, L. CAMEIL©; Ms. Litisa McDowell©; MS. LITISA MCDOWELL©; Ms. Litisa C. Mcdowell©; MS. LITISA C. MCDOWELL©; Ms. Litisa Cameil McDowell©; MS. LITISA CAMEIL MCDOWELL©; Ms. L. Cameil McDowell©; MS. C. LITISA MCDOWELL©; Ms. L. Mcdowell©; MS. L. MCDOWELL©; Ms. L.C. Mcdowell©; MS. L.C. Mcdowell©; Ms. McDowell, Litisa©; MS.MCDOWELL , LITISA©; McDowell Litisa C©; MS. MCDOWELL, LITISA C.©; Ms. McDowell. L.©; MS, MCDOWELL, L.©; and Maurice Lee©;MAURICE LEE©;Maurice T. Lee©; MAURICE T. LEE©; Maurice T Lee©; MAURICE T LEE ©; M. T LEE©;M. T LEE ©; L. Lee©;M. LEE©;M.T. Lee©; M.T. Lee©;M.T.L.©; Lee, Maurice©; LEE , MAURICE©; Lee Maurice T.©; LEE, MAURICE  T.©; Lee, M©; LEE, M.©; Lee, Maurice T©; LEE, MAURICE T©; Lee, M. T.©; LEE, M. T.©; LEE, M. T©; LEE, M. T©; Mr. Maurice Lee©; Mr. Maurice Lee©; Mr. Maurice T. Lee©; MR. MAURICE T. LEE©; Mr. Maurice T Lee©; MR. MAURICE T LEE©; Mr. M. T Lee©; MR. MAURICE LEE©; Mr. M. Lee©; Mr.

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URBAN SPA from Page 1 nothing’s been done with that,” Lockridge, a lifelong Ward 8 resident and Therme’s director of community engagement, said about Poplar Point.

Earlier this year, the Bowser administration announced Therme as the sole respondent to an RFEI (request for expression of interest) for Poplar Point’s redevelopment. Once completed, the proposed $500 million indoor-outdoor facility will span 15 acres and nearly 500,000 square feet, which includes: thermal baths, saunas, mineral pools, waterslides, botanical spaces, art, and dining.

Per the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), Therme will share space at Poplar Point with two mixeduse residential buildings with groundfloor retail— all of which is intended to complement construction of the Bridge District.

Lockridge, a self-described “Ward 8-atonian,” joined Therme in the spring, shortly after DMPED’s 11th annual March Madness business showcase, where D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Nina Albert, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, revealed the urban wellness entity as a partner.

Since stepping into her role, Lockridge has engaged a bevy of Ward 8-based organizations and programs, including: the United Planning Organization, HOPE Project, Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Ballou Senior High School’s hospitality program, and University of District of Columbia. She said she’s also engaged a bevy of Ward 8-based advisory neighborhood commissions.

“It is really an opportunity for me to share with my neighbors and the community that raised me that this is for us, and we need to take advantage of it,” said Lockridge, who was former chief of staff for Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White (D), before his February expulsion and recent reelection and reinstatement to the legislative body. “There’s going to be pushback because it is very new and people don’t know what it’s about [but] my job is to help them to understand.”

Meanwhile, the D.C. and federal governments await the milestone that will allow Therme to establish roots in the nation’s capital.

As outlined in 2006 congressional legislation, Poplar Point’s transfer from the National Park Service (NPS) to the D.C. government relies not only on the completion and certification of the environmental assessment, but the relocation and development of the new NPS and U.S. Park Police facili-

ties— a process estimated to take several months.

In Ward 8, Lockridge is taking the time to allay residents’ concerns about inaccessibility and displacement. She said she’s done so by speaking about the wellness benefits for residents, and the potential for employment, local business enterprises, and collaboration with local career and technical education programs, and expressed no plans to stop.

Lockridge went as far as taking a delegation of Ward 8 residents and community leaders— including Guleford Bobo, Lamont B. Mitchell, and Troy Donte Prestwood— to a Therme facility in Europe.

“Therme is being very intentional about making sure that the community engagement is a part of the plan and that we’re hearing and listening to everyone,” Lockridge said. “We’re meeting with those who support us, those who are on the edge, those who don’t know much about us and those who, quite frankly, [are] pushing back so we can say [we] hear [their] concerns. Let’s see how we can work through them.”

Poplar Point: Unlocked Potential, a Question of Equity

Therme’s proposed move to Poplar Point comes amid lower revenue projections earlier this year that prompted the Bowser administration to prioritize sports, entertainment and technological innovation as engines of economic growth.

By September, when the Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s projections showed “an improved economic outlook for corporate earnings and capital gains from financial markets,” Mayor Bowser was promoting her “Growth Agenda.”

Albert, in her third year as deputy mayor for planning and economic development, stands alongside Bowser in actualizing a vision centered on business attraction, job growth, and new tax revenue. She counts Therme DC as a piece of that puzzle, telling The Informer that the urban spa’s launch will make Poplar Point the latest D.C. waterfront with its economic potential unlocked.

“Poplar Point is the true access to a new waterfront community for Ward 8,” Albert said. “Being anchored by Therme is, thematically, a really important notion that you’re connecting to the water, you’re creating recreation, and creative opportunities that are integrated into this community.”

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Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

curity and unemployment, they have no interest in leaving their encampment, nor are they considering a stay in a shelter.

“Everybody was shocked [that] I don’t want to live in a shelter,” said Getachew Gurumu, an unhoused D.C. resident who lives along Arkansas Avenue in Northwest.

The scheduled Oct. 15 clearing of Gurumu’s Arkansas Avenue encampment— a process that includes a full clean up, bio-hazard removal and a reminder that the space must remain clear at all times— follows what Gurumu recounted as the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services’ (DMHHS) June visit to the public space.

Gurumu told The Informer that DMHHS officials appeared at the site because of a request he made, six months prior, that the deputy mayor’s office remove resources that accumulated in the space. Gurumu, who appeared at ease with the upcoming clearing, balked at the notion of leaving what he described as a plot of land owned by all congregants of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

“My religion is Orthodox. There is no private church,” Gurumu said on Monday morning. “The Orthodox church means Ethiopian people. That people work [and] they make a church. I built that. Therefore, no one…cannot take me. No one.”

Inside A Pre- and Post-Federal Surge Phenomenon

This month, DMHHS also coordinated encampment clearings near McPherson Square Metro Station in Northwest, and in Southeast along a portion of 14th Street and at “multiple” D.C. Department of Transportation sites. Other clearings are scheduled to take place on the 5400 block of Western Avenue in Northwest, near an abandoned storefront on the 2300 block of Rhode Island Avenue in Northeast, and in a wooded space on the 1500 block of M Street in Southeast.

Years before President Donald Trump targeted D.C.’s unhoused population, DMHHS launched a post-pandemic encampment clearing project that Wayne Turnage, deputy mayor for health and human services, credits with the removal of 200 unhoused residents from encampments erected on local land. By mid-September, shortly after the end of the federal surge, DMHHS counted 120

22,

unhoused D.C. residents living at 79 encampment sites in the District.

Turnage said the majority of those encampments are located in Wards 2, 5 and 6.

“They used to be most heavily in Ward 2, primarily because that’s where the services they need are located,” Turnage said. “But with the surge, I think a lot of the residents who were encamped decided [that] if they were not going into shelter, they would set up their encampments in places that were less conspicuous.”

In 2022, after stays at McPherson Square Park and near the Ethiopian and Turkish embassies, Gurumu set up his home along a fence bordering the Arkansas Avenue side of the Debre Selam Kidist Mariam Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

He’s since immersed himself in the surrounding community, which has a couple of coffee shops. Despite ethnic schisms spurred by a conflict at home, Gurumu said he’s creating a situation that proves more ideal than sleeping in a shelter.

“I want to keep my mind,” Gurumu told The Informer. “It’s better for me to damage my body before I damage my brain. Some [people are] mentally disabled. Some [are] like me, poor. Some [are] drunkards and drug [users]. I don’t want to participate in that.”

During the federal surge, after the District expended its near-capacity shelter system by more than 100 beds, the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health and Department of Human Services (DHS) brought 80 additional residents into the District’s now 1,300-bed shelter system.

A census later conducted by DHS recorded 764 unhoused D.C. residents, a significant number of whom live in “unsheltered” places. Turnage said that people living on the street often decline shelter beds for a bevy of reasons.

“Some believe the shelters are unsafe,” Turnage said. “Some have a significant amount of their personal belongings that they can’t take into shelter. Some folks just prefer to live outside. They don’t like the confines of the shelter. They think the shelters have too many rules.”

Some of the newest beds this year came online through the E Street Bridge Housing Program— the District’s second non-congregate housing program that provides semi-private rooms and individualized case management to: unsheltered residents; couples and families without minor children; people matched to permanent housing; and women seeking

special accommodations.

In a statement, Bowser administration officials said the program builds upon milestones stemming from the closure of D.C. General in 2015 and the launch of smaller shelters across the District. Turnage said with the new spaces online, he wants as many unhoused D.C. residents as possible to receive accommodations.

“When we encounter encampments,” Turnage told The Informer, “our goal is to close them and help people connect to housing services.”

Though administration officials heralded the expansion of resources as another step in connecting unhoused D.C. residents to shelter, some people, like Brittany Ruffin, said such investments, while well meaning, won’t suffice.

“We know we need more shelter resources for the number of people who experienced street homelessness,” said Ruffin, legal director of systemic advocacy and mitigation at The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.

During the federal surge, Ruffin and members of her team monitored encampment clearings, and passed out information outlining residents’ rights. Ruffin said that she and her workmates often leaned on unhoused residents and other community members for the most upto-date information about develop-

ments on the ground.

“People didn’t know where they had to respond or where they would be safe,” she said. “They didn’t know what to expect. They didn’t know what they would encounter. They are just continuing to live their lives in the way that they feel is most effective for them and trying to do the best they can and figuring out what spaces they feel are safe for them.”

The legal director counts among those questioning whether the Bowser administration’s strategy of razing encampments and connecting residents with shelter will counter policy and budgetary decisions made in the John A. Wilson Building. Earlier this year, the D.C. Council approved a budget that didn’t fund new housing vouchers.

The council also passed the RENTAL Act, legislation deemed by housing advocates as detrimental to rent-burdened D.C. residents.

“The issue is that…displacing people from one place to the other without actually making budget investments into permanent housing solutions doesn’t solve homelessness,” Ruffin told The Informer. “Trying to reduce the visibility of homelessness doesn’t end homelessness, housing does.

Unfinished Business for Getachew Gurumu

Another reason why Gurumu

doesn’t want to leave Arkansas Avenue stems from his fight against an eviction that he said happened illegally during the nationwide moratorium in 2020. Since losing his Arlington County, Virginia apartment, he hasn’t had much success in securing recompense for what he alleges as his landlord’s collusion with court employees to illegally remove him from his apartment.

“There is no court, but he gave me the paper,” Gurumu said about the COVID-era eviction notice he received from his landlord. “Who is deciding? Someone in Alington court stole the paper. We couldn’t [do the] eviction.”

While Gurumu counts among those who remain unhoused, he said it’s not for a lack of effort.

“So many people said ‘I’ll give you a home,’” Gurumu said. “I came here for justice. Not human justice, but court justice because I struggled for so many years.”

More than five years later, Gurumu is at his wits end about what to do, and whether there’s any utility in demanding accountability.

“Before you, four, five people were talking to me,” Gurumu told The Informer. “They did not do anything. Everywhere I go, lawyers [say] it’s difficult to serve me in this case. How could it be difficult? No one is above the law.” WI

MARSHALL from Page 26

oath of office to defend the Constitution. Meanwhile, the president and his loyalists continue their “purge and replace” strategy throughout all areas of the federal government.

President Trump has not given a thorough explanation for the firing of several inspector generals, despite the requirement that the president notify Congress 30 days before removing an IG. The IG firings across various federal agencies have raised questions about the continued independence and credibility of oversight officials, while prompting fears that Trump loyalists, rather than true watchdogs, will replace them.

Typically, IGs report on waste, fraud and abuse in government and are known for their objectivity. With the politicization of IG offices and the firing of IGs without due cause, future reports will lack credibility.

While Republicans like Sen. Lindsey Graham continue to look the other way, a corrupt administration can do as it sees fit with little or no substantial resistance. In an interview with NBC News, Sen. Graham said he wasn’t worried about the IG remov-

JEALOUS from Page 26

So when Cardinal Dolan praised a man who urged violence against migrants, much of his own flock was still in mourning. They were grieving Silverio Villegas González, but they were also grieving something larger — a sense of decency under attack.

The Bible is clear about how God judges such moments. The prophet Ezekiel tells us that Sodom’s sin was not lust, but “arrogance, gluttony, and unconcern for the poor and needy.” It was their hardness of heart toward strangers that brought them down.

When a church leader blesses cruelty as holiness, he’s not preaching Paul’s gospel. He’s sanctifying Sodom’s sin. Even the Gospel most cherished in conservative pulpits — Matthew —

als, even though he acknowledged that Trump “technically” violated the law by not notifying Congress ahead of time. “When you win an election, you need people in your administration that reflect your views,” he said.

Sen. Graham counters the notion that IGs are independent investigators who are not beholden to any president or administration. This is the type of mindset from representatives throughout the legislative branch that allows our current executive branch to methodically turn our nation into an authoritarian state.

Glenn Fine, who served in different IG capacities with the Justice and Defense departments, said, “I think it sends a message to the inspector general community that is unfortunate; it sends a message that they are viewed as part of one administration or another when they should be viewed as nonpartisan and apolitical.”

Too often on the Republican side, we see tribalism taken to the extreme. The loyalty is no longer to the nation, but to the Republican tribe, even to the detriment of the country.

Where Republican leadership and voters view Liz Cheney as betraying Trump, the true betrayal comes from

leaves no room for such cruelty. Its Jesus does not build walls; He breaks bread.

He warns that all the law and prophecy rest on love of God and neighbor, and He defines that love in action: “For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

To preach that Gospel while excusing violence against the stranger is not fidelity — it’s hypocrisy in holy robes.

From Chicago to America, to the world, to Rome — Cardinal Dolan owes a deep apology.

To the immigrants who have carried this nation’s labor and its faith.

To the children who will grow up knowing their father died trying not to be torn from them.

To the mothers who teach their sons that love is stronger than hate.

To the parishioners who still believe

the Lindsey Grahams with their disinformation to support this authoritarian style of governance, and the Republican lawmakers in both chambers who are betraying the people through their silence and lack of courage.

We know the same Republican lawmakers who are enabling Trump’s treason would react differently if the Clinton, Obama or Biden administration consistently broke the norms. In situations of crisis, individuals under oath and with the knowledge of proper governance have a moral obligation to speak out for the well-being of the American people and for the government. Failing to do so is an act of betrayal.

Remaining silent does not mean neutrality; rather, it is the equivalent of being complacent. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stressed that “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

It highlights how the inaction and unspoken truths of those who could have helped save democracy betray those fighting against injustice, as well as those of all persuasions who will ultimately suffer under the full weight of authoritarianism. WI

that “love your neighbor as yourself” means all neighbors.

Yes. Cardinal Dolan owes an apology to each of them and to every believer who, like Jesus himself, knows the words “Whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me” are a commandment.

Because when cruelty is crowned as courage and violence is blessed as virtue, the Gospel itself is profaned.

We are all flesh and blood, all fallible and all beloved. I know I am. And when we fail, we must seek repentance — even from those who already love and respect us.

I worry this plea will fall on deaf ears. Please, Cardinal Dolan — in our Lord and Savior’s name — prove me wrong.

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forcement. They call for independent civilian review boards, strict standards for the use of force and a nationwide system to prevent officers with histories of misconduct from quietly transferring from one department to another.

MORIAL from Page 26 to respond to crises with compassion as well as control, and departments must reflect the diversity and values of the communities they serve. Reform must also include investment in mental health response, conflict resolution and economic opportunity, because proper safety is not built on fear, but on fairness and trust.

Our vision is not anti-police; it is pro-justice. We believe in a model of community policing rooted in respect, empathy and shared responsibility. Officers should be trained and equipped

Kyren Lacy’s death reminds us that every encounter between law enforcement and the public is not just a matter of law, but of life. His story joins too

many others in the long record of loss that demands our nation’s attention and action. The goal of justice cannot simply be punishment after tragedy; it must be prevention before it. To be equal means more than equality before the law; it means equality in treatment, in dignity and in the chance to live freely and fully. The work of reform is not abstract. It is urgent. It is human. And it is the only way to honor those we have lost while ensuring that fewer lives meet the same fate. WI

AIRLINE CAREERS

WILLIAMS from Page 27

but sent it publicly instead, he confirmed what we already knew: He’s vindictive and fully intended to punish people on his enemies list, ordering Bondi to get it done. Neither Comey nor James were surprised to find themselves targeted. James had already beaten Trump in court before and plans to do so again. Both are expected to prevail in court and teach him a lesson about weaponizing the jus-

NALLEY/LANGFORD from Page 27 lectures, sitting quietly at our sides as we tried not to disrupt the class flow. It was a constant juggling act that required immense effort and support, which many Black student parents do not have.

There is a solution — and it already exists.

However, despite its potential, CCAMPIS often falls short for Black student parents. Research from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies reveals a troubling gap: while 13% of community colleges have at least 40% Black enrollment, only 6% of CCAMPIS grants go to community colleges with substantial Black student populations.

To change this, we need to protect and reauthorize CCAMPIS to ensure it continues serving low-income student parents. In tandem, we must mandate accurate, detailed data col-

REYNOLDS from Page 27 nities to weaken our voices.

I’m proud to stand in the legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer, who was sick and tired of being sick and tired; of Bob Moses, who built a grassroots movement to register voters; and of Diane Nash, Amelia Boynton, James Bevel and everyday people who risked everything for the right to vote.

tice system.

It’s time for not only Democratic leaders but Republican leaders to support James and Comey against these blatant perversions of the law and what it means to live by the principles of our democracy and work for the good of all our communities and citizens.

We must stand up for our democracy without fear. As James said, “I am not fearful; I am fearless.”

Remember her standing by the

lection on student parents so resources can be directed where they’re needed most. Without robust, disaggregated data on student parents — especially by race and gender — policymakers can’t see the full scope of the challenge. And what remains invisible remains unaddressed. The program needs more funding so more colleges — especially those serving large numbers of Black students — can offer affordable child care. Finally, we should audit and revise program access to ensure equity is not just an aspiration but a measurable outcome.

We were both fortunate that our network of co-parents, family, and friends helped us make it through college. Not everyone has a safety net. Seventy-eight percent of Black student parents receive no family financial support for college, making affordable child care a necessity to level the playing field.

I stand beside a new generation of leaders and everyday Texans who are saying enough is enough. I believe in the power of the people, in a multiracial democracy where every voice counts, and history will remember who stood on the front lines when our democracy was under siege.

The Voting Rights Act was a beginning, not an end. Sixty years

words from her Bible: “No weapon formed against me shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” — Isaiah 54:17.

Some of us still have faith in truth and justice, and in the words of the Lord. Like many others, I’m glad trouble don’t last always. Let us continue to pray and work for righteousness to prevail. WI

With the federal government shutdown, CCAMPIS funding remains in limbo. Although financial aid programs like the FAFSA application, Pell Grants, and student loans are expected to continue, the shutdown introduces more uncertainty for programs like CCAMPIS which was already on the chopping block. The CCAMPIS Reauthorization Act would keep the CCAMPIS program running through 2031 at $500 million per year and help connect parenting students to benefit assistance for food, housing and health care.

The stakes are too high for inaction or stagnation. When we support Black student parents, we do more than help individuals — we strengthen families, uplift communities, and invest in the future of Black excellence. It’s time to ensure that parents have the support to raise their children while pursuing their educational goals. WI

later, we are still called to be foot soldiers for freedom. I will not stop fighting, speaking or marching until every Texan has full access to the ballot promised in 1965. My faith is strong. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. This is our moment. This is our bridge. And we will cross it together.

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