VOL. 53, NO. 1 • OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2017
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! The Wharf Officially Opens with Much Fanfare
Norton Seeks Changes in Rules for D.C. Inmates, Families
Affordability, Equity Issues Persist on Waterfront
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer In the 1850s, enslaved man Richard Holmes walked off a plantation in the South and ventured onto the Wharf in Washington, D.C. More than 150 years later, his great-granddaughter christened the transformed historic site in Southwest.. Delegate Eleanor Holmes, along with developers Monty Hoffman, found and CEO of PN Hoffma, Amer Hammour, Mayor Muriel Bowser and others, opened Phase One of the $1.5 billion wanterfront area on Thursday, Oct. 12. "I appreciate that Monty has not only preserved the original name of this historic site, but he has preserved one of the District's oldest neighborhoods, southwest Washington," Norton said. "What PN Hoffman has done is not create just a new neighborhood — actually it's a reinvigorated neighborhood — but he's added something else, and that is a new destination here in the District of Columbia." "D.C. needed both a transformed neighborhood and a new destination because we are a tourist economy, and this is an incredibly valued destination because just a few blocks up is the mall where literally millions of visitors come every single year."
WARF OPENING Page 33
Immigration Raids Page 17
5 PN Hoffman Chief Executive Officer Monty Hoffman (seated, L-R), Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen listen as Brian T. Kenner, the District’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development, addresses the audience present for the grand opening of District Wharf, Thursday, Oct. 12, in Southwest. /Photo by E Watson/EDI Photo
D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has earned a reputation as a staunch advocate for District statehood, granting the mayor the power to pardon and championing the rights of local residents. Norton, the 14-term Democrat, has also continued her push to make sure that those in prison maintain certain rights including raising concerns about certain Federal Bureau of Prisons policies she said harms inmates, returning citizens and their families. Norton has pushed for the elim-
PRISON Page 38
Washington Informer Remains ‘True to its Mission’ Publisher Feels Blessed as Paper Marks 53rd Year of Service By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir When The Washington Informer was founded 53 years ago by Dr. Calvin Rolark, Sr. he wanted to provide a vehicle for sharing positive news about D.C.’s Black community. And it’s no secret that his daughter, Denise Rolark Barnes, who took over the helm after her father’s death as the publisher, has remained adamant about honoring his legacy and continuing his directive. In fact, she’s added her own personal touches and goals, increasing her staff who beat the pavement to uncover and share positive stories that can often only
be seen within the pages or website of the Informer. “We have a real quality staff including good writers and photographers who understand the importance of the Black Press and who support that,” she said. “This is something that you cannot do alone.” “I’ve been blessed by being surrounded by those who get it and want to keep our people informed and educated about issues of importance to our community,” said Rolark Barnes, a Howard University-educated attorney who will turn 63 in December. Of course, like any business, Rolark Barnes realizes that she has to keep her eye on the bottom
line so that the doors remain open and the historic newspaper can continue to roll out issues of substance week after week. For some Black-owned papers, changes in the industry and increased costs have been overwhelming, forcing some members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association [NNPA] to shut down their presses. But not this feisty publisher. “Blacks across the nation find themselves in a state of complacency – in a sort of malaise because many of us have accomplished our initial goals and feel like we’re done,” she said. “But we’re not. The Black Press defined its mission early in the 1800s and
ANNIVERSARY Page 11
5 Eleanor Holmes Norton /WI File Photo – Archives
Celebrating 53 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area