Eyewitness Never Forgot Emmett Till Tragedy Page 16
VOL. 52, NO. 48 • SEPTEMBER 14 - 20, 2017
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Magic Johnson, DCPS Chancellor, Mayor Challenge City's Students
Poignant Stories Used in Homage to Jim Vance
School System's 5-Year Strategic Plan Unveiled
Stars and Common Folks Remember Legendary Newsman
By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer
By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill The late Jim Vance has been widely described as charismatic, smooth and professional among the millions of viewers who watched the legendary NBC-4 anchor for nearly five decades. And the beat continued as several of his closest colleagues and longtime friends shared stories about Vance at a memorial celebration Tuesday, Sept. 12 inside the Washington National Cathedral in Northwest. Vance’s longtime anchor partner and friend Doreen Gentzler said Vance once even attempted to distract meteorologist Bob Ryan as he presented the weather forecast when Vance pulled down his pants and mooned him in the studio. Laughs cascaded throughout the cathedral after one college friend and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. brother, Kenneth Hamilton of Philadelphia, recalled when Hamilton’s mother greeted Vance. He also told the hundreds in attendance Vance wasn’t found of his nickname, “Brother Recline” – a moniker he received in reference to his cool, relaxed persona. “My mother loved Vance. When they saw each other, she would kiss him in the mouth,” Hamilton, 75,
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5 Basketball legend Ervin ‘Magic’ Johnson speaks words of encouragement to DCPS students and their parents at the Backto-School Block Party on Sat., Sept. 9 at Ron Brown College Preparatory High School in Northeast. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
Trump DACA Decision Sparks Local, National Fury By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The Trump administration's phaseout of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative — which has protected thousands of young people from deportation and allowed them to attend college, get better jobs and support their families and communities — has infuriated many at the national and local levels. "President Trump's decision is simply heartless," said D.C. Council member David Grosso (At-Large), who chairs the council Committee on Education. "Only hate could motivate a president to tear these individuals from their communities like this. I urge Congress to act be-
fore the March expiration of the program to secure the place of DACA recipients in our country." Fellow Council member Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7) also called Trump's decision "heartless." "I think it's really unconscionable that he's eliminating the opportunity for people who've never known anywhere else," he said. "How can you possibly send children who've never lived anywhere else back to a country they've never been to? What about those in the Armed Services? Are you going to send them back?" Since Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, instituted the DACA program five years ago,
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5 A protester challenges Trump's decision. /Courtesy photo
The new head of District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) wants to approach the next five years with a strategy that puts love first. Chancellor Antwan Wilson released the school system's Capital Commitment 2017 - 2022 plan on Saturday, Sept. 9 at DCPS' Back to School Block Party at Ron Brown College Preparatory in Northeast. "We are focused on ensuring that all of our students feel loved," Wilson said. "That they feel challenged, prepared to positively influence society and thrive in life. "I want you to resonate with that vision because it's not just about what we can do to educate our students, but what we impart to our students that they matter, that their families, culture and values matter," he said. "We are going to make sure they attend schools that are invested in helping them succeed." After a six-month citywide engagement campaign, Wilson and team rendered a plan centered around five new strategic priorities: promote equity, empower our people, ensure excellent schools, educate the whole child and engage families. The Capital Commitment plan will expectedly shape the next five years at DCPS. The chancellor relates personally to some of the struggles that many of the students deal with, being born
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Celebrating 52 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area