RECIPIENT OF THE DC BLACK MBA ASSOCIATION 2023 LEGACY AWARD
Serving Our Community in the DMV
Vol 59 No 49...September 19 - 25, 2024
White House Hosts Historic Celebration of Black Excellence
Collins Council Report: The Return from Summer Recess
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Committee Reassignments, Rapid Rehousing Extension, 911 Call Center Help, and UNCF Property Tax Relief By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer This edition of The Washington Informer’s Collins Council Report comes on the heels of a controversial summer recess. On Sept. 17, all council members, other than Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember Vincent C. Gray, participated in legislative proceedings. Throughout much of the afternoon, the council touched on several aspects of government operations, with unanimous, emergency approval of Sharon Kershbaum as director of D.C. Department of Transportation and further solidification of medical marijuana laws intended to withstand congressional interference and the proliferation of illegal cannabis operations. The following is an overview of some other topics the council tackled during its legislative meeting.
REPORT Page 52
Capture The Moment Page 40
5 President Joe Biden speaks on the White House South Lawn for the inaugural Black Excellence Brunch on Sept. 13, a celebration exclusively dedicated to honoring the achievements of African Americans. (Shedrick Pelt/The Washington Informer)
On Friday, Sept. 13, the White House South Lawn transformed into a historic celebration of Black excellence, bringing together actors, authors, television personalities, journalists, writers, activists, and artists. The Black Excellence Brunch marked the first celebration exclusively dedicated to honoring the achievements of African Americans that took place on the White House grounds, outside the context of Black History Month, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, or Juneteenth. “The Black community has always had my back, and I have always had theirs,” President Joe Biden exclaimed during the program, which included buffet tables with the delicacies of acclaimed Chef Kwame Onwuachi. Biden asserted that he and Vice President Kamala's administration counts as the most diverse in the country's history, with significant milestones such as the appointments of the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black and first woman Vice President, and the first Black woman and openly LGBT White House Press Secretary
Ward 7 State Board Candidates Debate Effective Advocacy Strategy
Even with Mortgage Relief, Questions about Housing Affordability Persist for Talbert Street Condo Owners
Write-In Candidate Sherice Muhammad Takes DCBOE to Court
Six Talbert Street Condo Owners Secure D.C. Appeals Court Victory By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer Nearly four years after the District forced them out of their dwellings, most, if not all, of the owners of condemned condominiums on Talbert Street in Southeast have received mortgage relief, according to a community figure familiar with the situation.
These developments happened amid terse negotiations between the Bowser administration and the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America. However, as the Rev. Graylan Hagler explained, there’s some work ahead to ensure that the
HOUSING Page 40
WHITE HOUSE Page 40
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
5Ward 7 State Board of Education Representative Eboni-Rose Thompson launched her re-election bid this summer. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)
Ward 7 State Board of Education (SBOE) Representative Eboni-Rose Thompson launched her re-election bid this summer proud of what she considers the state board’s most productive years in the era of mayoral control of public schools. If re-elected, Thompson’s areas of focus include the creation of various pathways to high school
Celebrating 59 years. Your credible and trusted source for Black news and information.
WARD 7 Page 52