The Washington Informer - January 18, 2018 by The Washington Informer

VOL. 53, NO. 14 • JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

We Remain Committed to Making Dr. King’s Dream a Reality

MLK Message of Peace Echoes Five Decades Later in SE’s Annual Parade By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Southeast was filled Monday with politicians, military units, marching bands and people of many races and colors who came out to honor the legacy of the drum major for justice and social equality whose message is needed now more than ever. The 12th annual Martin Luther King Parade and Peace Walk began early Monday, Jan. 15, which the MLK holiday fell on this year. Ward 8 leaders and community activists gathered in a field next to the office of the United Black Fund, where people were reminded of how King gave his life for the prosperity that so many enjoy today.

PARADE Page 28

ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Senate voted Friday, Jan. 12 to override Larry Hogan’s veto last year of a bill approving paid sick leave for workers in the state. The 30-17 vote in the Senate chamber, which came a day after the House also voted to override Hogan’s veto, will require employers with 15 or more employees to offer workers five sick days. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures,

Center Section

Black Lives Matter Founder Releases New Book By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

5 D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser along with more the 150 organizations, bands

and city officials march in Martin Luther King Jr. Peacewalk and Parade on Jan. 15 in Southeast. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

Md. Senate Approves Sick-Leave Bill, Rejects Hogan Veto By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

WI MLK Supplement

Maryland became the ninth state in the nation to approve paid sick-leave legislation. Locally, D.C. and Montgomery County also passed sick-leave laws. Delegate Luke Clippinger of Baltimore, who’s credited with spearheading the effort for sick leave, said the law was six years in the making and was a joint effort between lawmakers, employers and nonprofit organizations, among others. “It’s an extraordinary accomplishment. I’m thrilled to have been a part of and thrilled to have helped in some way,” said Clip-

SICK LEAVE Page 13

5 Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller speaks to reporters Jan. 12 after the Senate voted to override Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a paid sick-leave bill. /Photo by William J. Ford

When Patrisse Cullors co-founded Black Lives Matter in 2013, she and those with her promised to work for a world where Black lives were no longer systematically targeted for demise. Led by Cullors, an artist, organizer and performance artist from Los Angeles, the group boldly affirmed the humanity of African Americans and their contributions to society — all while demonstrating a remarkable resilience in the face of deadly oppression. Perhaps unplanned, but certainly timely, is Cullors’ new book, “When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir.” Even prior to its Jan. 16 release date, the memoir is listed on Amazon.com as the No. 1 new release in African-American and Black biographies. “This remarkable book reveals what inspired Patrisse’s visionary and courageous activism and forces us to face the consequence of the choices our nation made when we criminalized a generation,” said Michelle Alexander, a New York Times bestselling author. “This book is a must-read for all of us.” The book arrives on shelves coincidentally just after a 2017 Police Violence Report revealed that Black lives still appear to

LIVES Page 34

Celebrating 53 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

Now Published by Dr. Charles Vincent

Her Legacy Continues.

In memory of Mickey Thompson Vincent, Founder and Publisher.

Dr. Charles & “Mickey” Vincent

Tribute to the Ladies of Washington DC

Tribute to the Ladies of Washington DC who embody the spirit of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Susan B. Anthony in their personal and professional lives. We, your men, thank you for your work and your love.(It goes without saying that this is just a partial list)

Lavern Chatman Brown, No. Va. Urban League & Links, Inc

Colleen E. Morris Madame Constable, Town of Oak Bluffs Massachsusetts Colleen E. Morris Madame Constable, Town of Oak Bluffs Massachsusetts

Camelia Mazard, Atty

Angela Moody, Pres. EDJ Associates

Patricia Chittams, DCGOP

Dr. Regina Benjamin, Surgeon General of the US Dr. Regina Benjamin, Surgeon General of the US

Adele Sadler Johnson, Attorney Adele Sadler Johnson, Attorney

Regina Dillard Ashby, Atty., State Farm Ins.

Dr. Janette Hoston Harris, Historian

Dr. Marilyn Tyler Brown, Educator

Kim Patterson

Dr. Janette Hoston Harris, Historian

Lynne T. McGuire, McGuire Funeral Services

Marya Pickering, Treasurer, DC GOP

Stacy Burnette, Dir. GOV Affairs, Comcast Cable Stacy Burnette, Dir. GOV Affairs, Comcast Cable

Julia Pollard, Arlington Links Julia Pollard, Arlington Links

Jill Homan, DCGOP, Natl. Committeewoman Jill Homan, DCGOP, Natl. Committeewoman

Kim Patterson

Teri Galvez, Paradigm Event Management

Lisa Slade, DDS (Endodontics)

Felicia Chambers, Atty, Past Pres. WBA

Dr. Gracie Lawson Borders, Dean and Professor, Howard University. Dr. Gracie Lawson Borders, Dean and Professor, Howard University.

Carolina Celnik, DC GOP Carolina Celnik, DC GOP

Chinyere Hubbard, VP Marketing, Events DC

Meta Williams, Owner, MetaWorks, DC

Jan Du Plain, Du Plain Enterprises

Pam Galloway Tabb, sr. VP Newseum

Honorable Yvette Alexander

Kendra Handy (communications) with Mickey Thompson Kendra Handy (communications) with Mickey Thompson

Ashley Carter, Washington DC State Board of Education Ashley Carter, Washington DC State Board of Education

Gina Adams, VP, Govt. Aff. FedEx.

Carolyn Trice, Innovative Results

Roberta Wright, Attorney

Karen Evans, Pres. Wash Bar Assoc.

Denise Rolark Barnes, Publisher, The Washington Informer, Denise Rolark Barnes, Publisher, The Washington Informer,

Beverly Perry, Atty and Sr. Advisor to Mayor Bowser Beverly Perry, Atty and Sr. Advisor to Mayor Bowser

Crystal Wright, Author and Blogger “Conservative Black Chick” Crystal Wright, Author and Blogger “Conservative Black Chick”

Social Sightings - THE MAGAZINE Subscribe www.SocialSightings.com

Natalie Fant, CEO Strategic Business Solutions

Judith Batty, Atty, Bd Chr Arena Stage

Patricia Hobson Wilson

Debbie Jarvis, PEPCO

Darlene Glymph, VP DCGOP, Veteran Services Darlene Glymph, VP DCGOP, Veteran Services

Dr. Alma Hobbs, Professor Dr. Alma Hobbs, Professor

Evelyn Betancourt, Sheehy Ford of Marlow Heights Evelyn Betancourt, Sheehy Ford of Marlow Heights

Kendra Handy/Editor Dr. Charles Vincent/Photographer Brian Young/Graphic Designer l

Social Sightings-The Column is published in the Hill Rag, DC Mid-City, East of the River Journals, The Washington Informer Newspaper and in the Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlingnton, Loudoun Woman Magazines

2 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

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Around the Region.................. 4-11 PG County................................12-13 Montgomery County..................14 Business...........................................15 National...........................................16 International..................................17 Health ..............................................18 Education .....................................20 MLK Supplement ..........Center

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OpEd........................................23-25

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Lifestyle....................................26-31 Capture the Moment................32 Sports..............................................33 Religion...........................................35

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around the region

W I HBreak O T the T OCycle P I C of S Women Domestic Violence

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR, WI EDITOR AND WILLIAM J. FORD, WI STAFF WRITER

MD Senate Overrides Hogan’s Veto on College Admissions law enforcement. She said they threat,” she said.

By Tia Carol Jones

www.washingtoninformer.com

WIThe StaffMaryland Writer Senate voted 32-15 on hadFriday, comeJan. together to bring 12 to override Gov.a

Visit our updated Web site and give us your comments for a chance to win a gift from The Washington Informer Email comments to: rburke@ washingtoninformer.com

Among the programs Marlow ofand uniformity in to thereject way wants to see implemented are Larry Hogan’s that would’ve allowed sense colleges universities L.Y. applicant Marlow'sbased 23-yeardomestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, a When perspective on a person’s criminal record. Sen. Joan old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights for victim's families Carter Conway (D-Baltimore City), who sponsored the legislation, said ofonce hera school daughter threatened herapplication, “She'sthen using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicaccepts a person’s a background check life, the life of child, story, process. her own“Let’s personal mayand be permitted in their the initial admission’s say I pain have ato tim, a domestic violence assessshe knew Ifsomething pushI was forward,” ment unit coupled with further 4.0 GPA. I check thathad boxtoandbesay that arrested, IDavis-Nickens get thrown in done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement a pile and not even considered,” Conway said. “Once they accept me in with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecthe admissions process, that’s when you can do that background check ofandtheasksituation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselall those questions.” Hogan’s spokeswoman Shareese Churchill start the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. said the vote would “make college campuses less safe for our students. paign. casefor in nonviolent such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiThe governor believes in second chances offenders, but “It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must making it easier for violent criminals to be to our colleges is irresponsithat won't turn my family end of the day, the book will look at both sides of the coin. ble and dangerous.” Hoganto/Courtesy loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- 5Larry We need addressphoto both the vicshared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise Assentenced a way to bring commuters, Metro proposes to offerinrushMunicipal Center. The sympo- who was to six back consecawareness among children hour commuters a refund if a Metrorail train or Metrobus arrives sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without parole public and private schools. She late by 15 minutes or more. The “rush hour promise” refund would Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to be educat$3 for train ride and $1 on the bus and the program Center of the city of District the include Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. would be in effect for this year. to the proposal, Heights and the National Hook- 2002.only Mildred Muhammad is According “We have to stop beingcommutpasers mustofhave SmartTrip to receive creditwith and poor take up to five Up of Black Women. the founder Aftera the Trauma,cardsive-aggressive chilbusiness daysthat to receive. Rush hour from 5-9:30 a.m. and Marlow has written a book, an organization helps the dren times aboutare domestic violence,” “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors 3-7 p.m. Monday through of domestic violenceFriday. Marlow said. story about four generations of and their Lynn Bowersox, assistant general manager customer service, children. Marlow has for worked to break domestic violence. The book is Safety “I explained lived in feartoforMetro’s six years. Six and the Service cycle ofDelivery abuse in committee her family, the inspired by her own experiences, yearsrefund in fear proposal is a long would time. Itbring is back ridersthe andpolicies boost she service and ismore confident and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing come outapproves is pushing willJan.start that reliability. If thetofull board the planforat its 25 meeting, her mother and her daughter. of,” she said. go into effect Jan. 26. process. it would The program would be examined to She said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad saidfor next“Iyear. plan to take these policies to see if it could be renewed excerpts from her book, she still people who want to help a Congress and implore them to can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poliwon the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Books” Award. she may in “survival Amidst principled negotiations onthat the Dream Act, be Trump showed that Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I value was just 16-years-old when mode”. one drives his decisions above all others, say one group national civilat tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eyeleaders: first blackened and my “Before get to 'I'm rights white supremacy. These, and otheryou comments, weregoing included lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal during a press conference on Friday, Jan. 12, led by Cristina Jimenez, Exec- WI Elaine Davis-Nickens, presi-of United We Dream; Vanita Gupta, Presutive Director and Co-Founder dent theCEO, National Hook-UpConference on Civil and Human Rights; identofand The Leadership ofMarc Black Women, said there is no H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League; and Derrick consistency in the way domestic Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP, among others. violence issues are dealt with They contended that the rawbyracism of Trump and those driving his immigration and other policy making decisions were on full display as he called for fewer Black people to be admitted into the U.S. in favor of white immigrants. Trump, they say, has since doubled down on his comments offering a weak justification for his “racist viewpoint.” They urge for a return to principle-driven negotiations on the Dream Act. 5Marc H. Morial /Courtesy photo

Metro Proposes Refunds to Win Back Riders

In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark

National Civil Rights Leaders Decry Racism of Trump

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER InPUBLISHER Memoriam NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Denise RolarkSr. Barnes published weekly on each Thursday. Wilhelmina J. Rolark Periodicals postage paid at Washington, THE D.C.WASHINGTON and additional mailing ofSTAFF INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published fices.weekly News on andThursday. advertising deadline postage Periodicals paid atMcNeir, Washington, D.C. and additional D. Kevin Editor is Monday to News publication. Anmailing prior offices. and advertising Monday prior to publication. Rondeadline Burke,isAdvertising/ Marketing Director nouncements must be received two two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2000 by The Announcements must be received Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POST MASTER: Send change of addressBarnes, Assistant Photo Editor by es The Washington Informer. to The Washington Informer,All3117Lafayette Martin Luther King, IV, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, rightsD.C. reserved. John E.be De Freitas, Sports Editor 20032.POSTMASTER: No part of thisSend publication may reproduced withoutPhoto written permischange addresses to TheThe Washsionoffrom the publisher. Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee Dorothy Rowley, Online Editorthe return of ington Informer, 3117 Martin rates Luther photographs. Subscription are $30 per year, two years $45. Papers be received ZebraDesigns.net, Design & will Layout King,notJr.more Ave.,than S.E.a Washington, D.C. week after publication. Make checks payable to: Mable Neville, Bookkeeper 20032. No part of this publication may Dr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings columnist be reproduced without written permisTHE WASHINGTON INFORMER sion from the3117 publisher. The Informer Social Media Martin Luther King, Jr.Tatiana Ave., S.E.Moten, • Washington, D.C. Specialist 20032 Newspaper cannot guarantee the return Phone: 202 561-4100 202 574-3785 Angie• Fax: Johnson, Circulation of photographs. Subscription rates are E-mail: news@washingtoninformer.com $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will www.washingtoninformer.com REPORTERS be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, PUBLISHER Cox, Will Ford (Prince George’s Timothy THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Denise Rolark Barnes County Writer), Eve M. Ferguson, Hamil 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E STAFF REPORTERS Harris, Tatyana Hopkins, Jade James-Gist, Washington, D.C. 20032 Brooke N. Garner Managing Editor Tia C.Jr., Jones, Ed Laiscell, Daniel Kucin, D. Kevin McNeir, Lauren Phone: 202 561-4100 Carla Peay Assistant Managing Editor Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, Fax: 202 574-3785 Poteat, Dorothy Rowley, Ron Burke Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, JosephBrenda Young Siler, Sarafina news@washingtoninformer.com Wright (General Assignment Writer) Mable Whittaker Bookkeeper www.washingtoninformer.com LaNita Wrenn Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS John E. De Freitas Sports Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, PHOTOGRAPHERS Victor Holt Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Maurice Fitzgerald, Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic John DesignE. DeFreitas, Joanne Jackson, RoyLassiter, Lewis, Robert Shevry Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster Ridley, Victor Holt

Roy Lewis, Demetrious Kinney, Daniel Kucin,

“

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these Bowie-based Black Journalist Pens Updated Marvel Classic policies to Congress and Congratulations to Jesse J. Holland, an award-winning journalist and the author of the first novel featuring comics’ most popular Black suthem towaschange perhero,implore “The Black Panther.” The novel commissionedour by Marvel books. In “Black Panther: Who Is The Black Panther?” Holland retells the classic origin of T’Challa, the original Blackstop Panther, until and updates it laws. I will not for the new century, giving new fans and longtime die-hard aficionados a good platform and some inside information for the new “Black Panther” these policies are passed. movie from Marvel Studios debuting in February 2018. In addition to

Jr., Mark Mahonny, CIRCULATION Lateef Mangum Paul Trantham

5Jesse J. Holland /Courtesy photo

4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com

4 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

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fiction, Holland, who lives in Bowie, is also an award-winning nonficL.Y. Marlow tion author, with his book “The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African American Slavery In The White House,” being named as the 2017 silver medal award winner in U.S. History in the Independent Publisher Book Awards and one of the top history books of 2016 by Smithsonian.com. Look for more about this talented writer in future WI reports. WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION D.C. Pastor Reflects on Meeting MLK Experienced Montgomery Bus Boycott as Teen

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer On Monday, an annual Ward 8 tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. paraded along the southeast D.C. avenue named for him, but for Pastor Angeloyd Fenrick, who helped plan the event, her remembrance of the late civil rights titan goes much deeper than such tributes. Fenrick, a 75-year-old native of Mobile, Alabama, experienced the civil rights movement firsthand as a child. She can recall meeting King as he and others orchestrated the famous Montgomery bus boycott after the arrest of Rosa Parks. “There were no hotels for Black people to stay in, so we stayed from house to house,” Fenrick said. “We knew about the boycott and that evening we went Dr. Ralph Abernathy’s church where we met Dr. King, who spoke and told us: No one gets on the bus.” The pastor now runs an 11unit apartment building in the 3700 block of MLK Avenue, where she houses homeless men who have jobs. She said she received her calling to preach in 1990, but her passion for helping others began long before then. In June 1956, Fenrick was with a group of young adults from Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Mobile who traveled to Montgomery for the Alabama State Baptist Sunlight Sunday School Convention, which put hundreds of children on the streets of Montgomery at the height of the boycott. “I was very aware of what was going on as a teenager,” said Fenrick, who was 13 at the time. “We read the papers and talked about everything,” As a child, Fenrick saw how people of color, including her family, were terrorized by members of the Ku Klux Klan. “They burned a cross in our yard,” she said of the white supremacist group. She remembers losing the family car after her father had to park it and the family taking a segregated train to Evergreen, Alabama, because the KKK, known as “night riders,” were too “thick” on the road to travel.

But she also witnessed the UDC) and the Howard Unicourage and wit of men like versity School of Divinity. For her father, Liston Bolar, a plant more than 20 years, she worked worker by day who outsmart- as a psychologist for the D.C. ed the Klansmen by night even Public Schools system while though their family had been a working with the homeless. “My call to preach has been target. “My father was a drum major centered around my ministry for justice,” Fenrick said. “He to homeless men,” said Fenrick, who founded Higher Ground taught me to fear no man.” Fenrick said it was the strength Ministries in the 1990s and now of her parents that propelled her works with Saving Souls Deliverance Ministry in the Lincoln as the oldest of 12 children. “My mother was burned over Heights development in North75 percent of her body and laid east. Today it is time for a new in a hospital for six months,” she said. “She had to wait eight movement, but the church is hours to get to the hospital and not prepared, she said. “People are trusting more in then finally a doctor treated her at home by simply changing her themselves instead of God,” she said. “I believe that the church bandages. She was healed.” Fenrick said at that time doesn’t disciple today like they Martin Luther King Jr. was 25 did back then. Jesus said, ‘go and the new pastor of the Dex- and make disciples.’ You can do ter Avenue Baptist Church in anything if you rely on God.” 5 Angeloyd Fenrick /Courtesy photo WI Montgomery and leader of the Montgomery Improvement Association that organized the bus boycott. “They gave us our match! ing orders and the thing that impressed were how well they THE DC HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY (DCHFA) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (3) were organized,” Fenrick said. “We walked everywhere and they arranged for the older peoPortfolio & Asset Management Software Solution ple to get rides. They told them where to stand and [gypsy cabs] Portfolio & Asset Management Software Solution The DCThe Housing Finance (DCHFA), located at 815Ave, Florida Ave,DC, NW, Wash., DC, is would pick them up from the DC Housing FinanceAgency Agency (DCHFA), located at 815 Florida NW, Wash., is requesting bus stop.” requesting proposals for the procurement of a Portfolio and Asset Management Software proposals for the procurement of a Portfolio and Asset Management Software Solution. Preference Even though she was only 13, Solution. Preference is given to CBE’s companies located inForthe For is given to CBE’s and companies locatedand in the District of Columbia. theDistrict detailed of RFPColumbia. visit our Fenrick said the courage disthe detailed RFP visit our website at www.dchfa.org or contact Keami Estep at (202) 777-1600. website at www.dchfa.org or contact Keami Estep at (202) 777-1600. Deadline for submission of played by her parents and other Deadlineresponses for submission of responses is Friday, February 2, 2018 @4:00pm ET. is Friday, February 2, 2018 @4:00pm ET. Questions deadline is Tuesday, January 23,Questions 2018 adults during the boycott has stayed with her for a lifetime. deadlineatisNoon. Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at Noon. “Children were not allowed to get into cars by themselves,” she OFF-SITE STORAGEAND AND ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES OFF-SITE STORAGE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES said. “We walked in fear for our The DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA), located at 815 Florida Ave, NW, Wash., DC, requests prolives. We all had to pull together from qualified storage service providers to furnish Off-site Storage andNW, Electronic Doc- DC, to protect our lives.” The DCposals Housing Financerecords Agency (DCHFA), located at 815 Florida Ave, Wash., ument Management Services (“Records Management”) for the Agency. Preference is given to CBE’s Fenrick moved to D.C. requests in proposals from qualified records storage service providers to furnish Off-site Storage 1960 to attend Howard Univerand companies located in the District of Columbia. For the detailed RFP visit our website at www. and Electronic Document Management Services (“Records Management”) for the Agency. sity and while her parents told dchfa.org, Business Opportunities, or contact Keami Estep at (202) 777-1600 or via email at procurePreference is given to CBE’s and companies located in the District of Columbia. For the detailed her that she was in D.C. to get ment@dchfa.org. Deadline for submission of responses is Friday, February 16, 2018 @4:00pm ET. an education and not be an acRFP visit our website www.dchfa.org, Opportunities, or contact Keami Estep at Questions deadlineatis Monday, January 22,Business 2018 at Noon. tivist, she did both. (202) 777-1600 or via email at procurement@dchfa.org. Deadline for submission of responses is “I knew my destiny was out Friday, Contract February 2018 @4:00pm Questions deadline Monday, &January 22, 2018 at for 16, Consulting Services toET. Develop a Continuity of is Operations of Alabama,” said Fenrick, who Noon. entered Howard University with Disaster Recovery Plan (“COOP”) people such as Stokely CarmiThe DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA), located at 815 Florida Ave, NW, Wash., DC, requests chael and $33 in her pocket. Contract for Consulting Services to Develop a Continuity of Operations proposals for professional services to research, develop, and provide a comprehensive Continuity & of “I was at the 1963 March on Operations Plan (“COOP”). Preference is given to CBE’s and companies located in the District of CoDisaster Recovery Plan (“COOP”) Washington.” lumbia. For the detailed RFP visit our website at www.dchfa.org, Business Opportunities, or contact Fenrick graduated from HowEstep atFinance (202) 777-1600 email at procurement@dchfa.org. Deadline for submission of DC, ard, got married and continued The DCKeami Housing Agencyor via (DCHFA), located at 815 Florida Ave, NW, Wash., responses is Friday, February 16, 2018 @4:00pm ET. Questions deadline is Wednesday, January 24, her education, earning advance requests proposals for professional services to research, develop, and provide a comprehensive degrees in counseling from 2018 at Noon. Continuity of Operations Plan (“COOP”). Preference is given to CBE’s and companies the Federal City College (now

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The DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (3)

located in the District of Columbia. For the detailed RFP visit our website at www.dchfa.org, Business Opportunities, or contact Keami Estep at (202) 777-1600 or via email at JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 5 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER procurement@dchfa.org. Deadline for submission of responses is Friday, February 16, 2018 @4:00pm ET. Questions deadline is Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at Noon.

AROUND THE REGION

WEEK OF JAN 18 - 24, 2018

Source: Black America Web

JAN 18

1966 – Robert Weaver is sworn in as the first secretary of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the first African-American to be appointed to a U.S. Cabinet-level position.

JAN. 19

1918 – American businessman and publisher John H. Johnson, founder of the Johnson Publishing Company and the first African-American to appear on the Forbes 400, is born in Arkansas City, Arkansas. 1961 – The PGA of America removes its “Caucasian-only clause,” opening the door for all players to participate in professional golf tournaments.

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1847 – William R. Pettiford, founder of the Alabama Penny Savings Company, is born in Granville County, North Carolina. 1870 – Hiram R. Revels is elected by the Mississippi legislature to fill the Senate seat once held by Jefferson Davis, the former president of the Confederacy. Revels is the first African-American ever to sit in Congress. 1954 – Chicago advertiser W. Leonard Evans Jr. founds the National Negro Network, the first Black-owned radio network in the country. 1986 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed as a federal holiday for the first time. 2001 – Colin Powell is sworn in by President George W. Bush as U.S. secretary of state, becoming the first African-American to hold the position. 2009 – Barack Obama is inaugurated as the first Black president of the United States.

JAN. 23

1891 – African-American surgeon Daniel Hale Williams founds Provident Hospital — the nation’s first non-segregated hospital — in Chicago. 1946 – Editor, writer and journalist Susan L. Taylor, who served as editor-in-chief of Essence magazine in the ‘80s and ‘90s, is born in New York City. 1976 – Renowned singer, actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson dies in Philadelphia at 77 from complications of a stroke. 1977 – Patricia Roberts Harris begins serving as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Jimmy Carter, becoming the first African-American woman to serve in a presidential Cabinet. 1977 – “Roots,” a TV miniseries based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel, “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” begins airing on ABC, the first of eight consecutive nights. 1993 – Gospel music legend Thomas Dorsey dies in Chicago at 93.

JAN. 24

1885 – Martin R. Delaney, an early proponent of Black nationalism and one of the first three Black people admitted to Harvard Medical School, dies of tuberculosis in Wilberforce, Ohio, at 73. 1993 – Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court justice, dies of heart failure in Bethesda, Maryland, at 84. WI

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6 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

1913 – Fanny Jackson Coppin, a famed African-American educator and missionary who was one of the first Black women to graduate from college, dies in Philadelphia at 75. 2013 – A public inauguration ceremony is held for Barack Obama’s second presidential term coinciding with Martin Luther King Day.

1906 – Aviator Willa Brown, the first African-American woman to earn her pilot’s license in the United States, is born in Glasgow, Kentucky. 1931 – Famed soul singer-songwriter Sam Cooke is born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. 1973 – George Foreman wins by second-round technical knockout over heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in a battle of unbeatens, most famous for announcer Howard Cosell’s call, “Down goes Frazier!”

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MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

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AROUND THE REGION

VIEW P INT By Sarafina Wright

President Donald Trump allegedly referred to Haiti and African countries as s---holes.What are your thoughts? NIKESHA BROWN / PHOENIX, ARIZONA

This is not a game, the “truth” is being told. Republicans are allowing this because this is the way they believe. They have their tax bill passed, so Trump can say whatever he wants to. That’s one of the reasons he does what he wants to do. Trump is sitting in seat of power being protected by his peers. This is not a game. It’s reality!

BRIDGIT E. BOWERS /

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

Yup, and his racist comments will continue to be the topic on all news and media outlets; however, nothing will be done — he will remain in the White House.

ROB GREENE / DALLAS, TEXAS

The Public School Lottery

Mobilize people. Show him and these Republicans who support him your power, and don’t just vote presidential. We need a heavy presence at the polls in these city, state and national elections.

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES. CHOOSE YOUR SCHOOL. START HERE.

Apply today to DCPS and public charter schools for school year 2018-19 at MySchoolDC.org. MICHELLE SMITH / WASHINGTON, D.C.

This man is demonic — it couldn’t be anything else. For someone, his followers included, to be this hate-filled requires divine intervention. I’m not saying sit back and say let God deal with him, but pray for guidance to rid our nation of this demonic spirit that 45 so intensely embraces. I’m sure those who know the Lord were anticipating this wave in the end of times. We need to stop shaking and get to work. WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 7 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AROUND THE REGION

By D. Kevin McNeir / WI Editor/@dkevinmcneir

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While a hearty group of men, women and children converged in Southeast for the annual King Parade and other related festivities on Monday, Jan. 15, one 13-year-old boy who had dreamed of becoming a professional football player and had already chosen his all-white outfit for his senior prom, lost his life in a hail of bullets along Minnesota Avenue and 18th Street. The young boy, Steven Slaughter, had been walking home from a 7-Eleven with his friends when gunshots rang out, causing Steven and his buddies to run for cover. Witnesses say they heard at least five shots and believe they may have come from automatic weapons. However, the real tragedy remains that once again another family must mourn the sudden loss of a child whose dreams will never come to fruition. They must somehow find a way to pick up the shattered pieces

“I weep because I know that in this “great” country, Black lives hold little value to those who have long-stolen away and continue to maintain power. ” of their lives . . . and their broken hearts. And I weep for them. I cry for that family as the father of a young Black man, the grandfather of two Black boys and the father-in-law of a hard-working, Christian Black man whose lives I have long entrusted to God. I weep because I know that in this “great” country, Black lives hold little value to those who have long-stolen away and continue to maintain power. Such frequent examples of the misuse of guns, and the ease with which one can secure these weapons of destruction, apparently mean very little to leaders within the Republican Party. At least, that’s they ex-

hibited as Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, on his first official day of work in Richmond, watched gun-control bills he had backed be demolished by his former colleagues and friends in the state Senate. It didn’t take long for the celebration of his victory to end. Just two days earlier he had been the toast of the commonwealth in what seemed to be a bipartisan jubilee. It didn’t take long for the narrowly-controlled GOP legislators to flex their muscles, rejecting a plethora of Democratic bills crafted to curb gun violence including one that would have required universal background checks for firearm purchases. I hesitate to say it, but feel compelled to do so: I wonder if that the little football player from Southeast had been blond, blue-eyed and a little white sparkle in his white daddy’s eyes, if his death would have been so easily overlooked? We know what weapons do to human beings, human bodies, human families and human communities. But, as long as the bulk of the pain is suffered by Blacks, I guess it’s more important to maintain that Constitutional-right of bearing arms to which we all hold so dearly. Another Black boy dead? Does it really matter? I guess it depends on the seat you occupy. WI

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AROUND THE REGION Graduation Despite Chronic Absenteeism: A Citywide Issue WI Staff Report

A report commissioned by the office that oversees the District’s public and public charter schools issued a report Tuesday that showed that citywide policies for attendance and grading were not followed at Ballou Senior High School. The report, commissioned by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, confirmed a WAMU/NPR exposé that revealed that the Southeast school graduated most of its 2017 senior class despite high rates of absenteeism. Of 177 graduating seniors at Ballou, the records for 133 of them indicated policy violations, according to D.C. State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang, who delivered the report’s initial findings. Though the report focused on Ballou, it also reviewed absenteeism and graduation policies throughout the city’s school system and found that the number of students with high rates of absenteeism and the graduation of students with records of high absenteeism have increased

in recent years. In fact, one of every 10 students who graduated in the city missed most of the academic year. The report found: - 80 percent of students passed courses and graduated despite chronic absence in regular or recovery classes; - Three students graduated despite missing credits in required courses - 27 percent of students earned original course credit through credit-recovery courses, which are supposed to be offered only after a student fails a course required for graduation - 14 percent of students in the graduating class were taking credit-recovery courses while simultaneously taking the original course and 20 percent of the most recent graduating class earned more than 20 percent of their credits through credit-recovery courses (one student received 40 percent of their course credit through credit recovery. - Most credit-recovery courses at Ballou did not meet the D.C.

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requirement of 120 seat hours to receive course credit. But it is unclear how DCPS evaluated whether a student met attendance requirements for credit-recovery courses. The report found that teachers at Ballou felt pressured to pass chronically absent high school seniors and were encouraged to provide students with extra credit and makeup work regardless of how much school they missed. Teachers were also found to have little training in the school’s newly implemented grading systems and their annual performance reviews relied partly on their success in graduating students. DCPS said it has permanently reassigned Ballou Principal Yetunde Reeves and will allow its interim principal to finish the year. A permanent replacement is expected to be chosen in May. Charter and selective high schools in the city had lower rates of absences. An investigation examining attendance policies at other schools is due at the end of the month. WI

5 Young graduates mark a milestone. /Courtesy photo

JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 9 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT

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Harry E. Johnson Sr., city officials and Martin Luther King III and family (far right) are seen during the wreath laying ceremony Jan. 15 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Southwest. /Photo by Brigette White

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“I thought we would have achieved true equality in the U.S. by now as I mark my 76th birthday but I was wrong. But at least I have a voice. We have made progress but I will never forget that I once rode in the back of the bus among the smell of the engine or that I was forced to drink water from segregated drinking fountains.”

– Melba Pattillo Beals

a member of the Little Rock Nine and author of a newly-released memoir, “I Will Not Fear”

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Ralph Northam Takes Reins as Virginia’s New Governor

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WE ASKED. YOU VOTED. 5 Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, alongside Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (left), salutes Virginia Military Corp Cadets during his inauguration at the State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 13. /Courtesy of virginiademocrats.com

By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer Ralph Shearer Northam, sworn in at noon Saturday as Virginia’s 73rd governor, has hit the ground running, having already signed three executive orders — including one that prohibits discrimination — before his first day on the job. Northam, 58, who served as the 40th lieutenant governor of Virginia, brought together some 4,000 well-wishers amid the bitter cold for his inauguration at Capitol Square in Richmond, where he delivered an energetic 20-minute message of unity that called for Virginians to find their “moral compass” in taking on the state’s challenges. In doing so, Northam appeared to allude to the almost-daily distractions surrounding the nation’s seat of power. “Virginia and this country need that more than ever these days,” said Northam, a Norfolk native and Virginia Military Institute alumnus. “It can be hard to find our way in a time when there’s so much shouting, when nasty, shallow tweets take the place of honest debate, and when scoring political points gets in the way of dealing with real problems. “If you’ve felt that way, I want you to listen to me right now: We are bigger than this,” he said. “We all have a moral compass deep in our hearts. And it’s time to summon it again, because we have a lot of work to do.” Northam credited the administration of predecessor Terry McAuliffe with creating 200,000 new jobs, restoring the voting rights of 173,000 citizens, serving free breakfasts to 10 million school-age children and ending homelessness in the state among veterans. As Northam begins his four-year tenure in the wake of the racial violence that occurred last year in Charlottesville, he ac-

knowledged having a lot to delve into. His reference to immediately focus on Medicaid expansions for about 400,000 Virginians and stricter gun laws, drew an instantaneous round of applause. Northam, who said he will on focus on bipartisan projects specifically aimed at inclusivity and diversity, noted that he has already appointed more women to his racially-diverse cabinet than any of his predecessors. In addition, Northam, a pediatrician who along with his wife list as a staunch advocates of early childhood education, vowed to make a notable difference in the state’s governance. “I will always tell the truth and strive every day to maintain trust,” Northam said. “We will leave this place better than we found it. That’s the Virginia way.” Goochland resident Arthur Connor, who braved a long line in the blustery weather after the inauguration to attend the open house at the governor’s mansion, said he believed that by working together, Virginians will move past troubling times. “I see exciting progress for the state,” said Connor, 47 who said his family would benefit from Medicaid expansions. “Anything extra will help being that I’m the sole breadwinner right now for my family. I voted for Northam because I believe he will do what he said.” Wynetta Day, who grew up in Northern Virginia, echoed Connor’s sentiments as she waited to get into the mansion. “This has been an exciting time in history because both our parents still live here and over the years, we’ve made it something of a family tradition attending the inaugurations,” said Day, 51, who traveled “home” from Massachusetts with her husband for the inauguration. “This is not just about one party, but the willingness of people on both sides to work together, and I think the new governor can be a significant game changer in the way politics play out in Virginia. WI

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JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 11 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Baker Leads Democrats in Gubernatorial Race, Poll Says By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III has touted his experience as a former state politician as one reason fellow Democrats should elect him to challenge Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. A two-part poll released last week by Gonzalez Research & Media Services of Arnold, Maryland, show Baker as the top choice in the June 26 primary. However, the other poll that focused on the general election still shows Hogan with a 71 percent job approval rating among voters statewide.

According to the primary election poll, 24 percent would vote for Baker if the election were held today. Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenentz received 14.2 percent and former NAACP President Ben Jealous came in third at 13.8 percent. The rest of candidates stood at single digits: policy consultant Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, who dropped out the race this month, at 5.8 percent; state Sen. Richard Madaleno (D-Montgomery County) at 4.8 percent; Krish Vignarajah, former policy adviser for first lady Michelle Obama, at 1.6 percent; tech entrepreneur Alec Ross at 1.4 percent; and lawyer Jim Shea at 1

5 Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III in the State Capitol on Jan. 10, the first day of the Maryland General Assembly. /Photo by Brigette White

percent. About 33 percent of the 501 people who participated in the primary election survey are undecided. The general election survey had 823 voters registered voters who indicated they’re likely to vote in November. The research firm conducted the poll between Dec. 27 to Jan. 5. Patrick E. Gonzalez, who runs the firm, said Baker is helped by his residency in the D.C. area, where he received 44 percent

of the vote in Prince George’s, Montgomery, Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties. “He comes from the region of the state that delivers most of the votes in the Democratic primary,” Gonzalez said in an interview. “Part of it is also he is very popular in his own county and he has a significant level of support in neighboring Montgomery County. Between those two, he has about a quarter of the vote which gives him a 10-point lead.” The poll shows Baker also received the highest percentage of

African-American voters at 30 percent. However, 34 percent of those voters are still undecided. Meanwhile, Baker’s campaign said in a statement Friday, Jan. 12 that it raised slightly more than $1 million so far. The campaign attributes 73 percent came from Marylanders. Baker said voters have seen improvement in Prince George’s, such as leading the state in job growth and decreasing homicides from last year by 18 percent. “If we can do things in Prince George’s County, imaging what we can do with the right leadership across the state,” he said. “I think that’s what’s resonating with people.” Although Democrats approve of Baker going against Hogan in the general election, the Gonzalez poll shows Hogan at 47 percent compared to Baker’s 37 percent. In terms of regional votes in the state, Hogan only received only 21 percent of the votes in the Washington metro area and 24 percent in Baltimore City. However, Baker would receive about 12 percent of the general election vote on the Eastern Shore and western Maryland. The poll raised questions about President Donald Trump. For instance, 60 percent of those surveyed in the general election poll don’t approve of Trump’s

POLL Page 40

Kirwan Commission Calls for Universal Pre-K, Teacher Raises in Md. By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill An education commission gave a preliminary update on its assessment of Maryland public schools on Thursday, Jan. 11, issuing policy recommendations that include expanded early-childhood education and increasing teacher salaries. The meeting at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt laid out the early recommendations from the report by the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, known as the Kirwan Commission, released earlier this week. In addition to universal pre-K and salary increases over the next four to five years for state teachers, the commission also called for making sure high school students are college- and career-ready by the end of the 10th grade and raising certain benchmarks such as professional development.

12 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

State Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-District 22) of University Park, who serves on the 25-member commission, said the price tag to implement a new statewide system of education could be at least $2 billion. “If we are going to have a lot of success, how much is it going to cost?” Pinsky said. “If you want a world-class system … it’s going to take a lot of changes.” Pinsky admitted a tax hike to pay for restructuring the system — especially in an election year — is “scary,” but said he’s willing to raise taxes nonetheless. The state legislature created the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in 2016 to assess and possibly revise state formula to distribute money for schools and enact new policies. The commission is led by William E. Kirwan, former chancellor of the University of Maryland system. The new recommendations are partly based on five policy areas: early childhood education;

ample supply of high quality and diverse teachers and school leaders; college and career readiness pathways; more resources for at-risk students; and governance and accountability. According to the draft document, some of the recommendations come from education systems in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New Jersey. Those states pay its teachers at least 16 percent more in salaries than Maryland. In addition, the report highlights how the three states pay an average of $2,200 more per student as opposed to Maryland. Student achievement ranks “average” among others states based on figures from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), viewed as the nation’s record. In 2015, the state ranked 29th and 25th in fourth-grade and eighth-grade math, respectively. For reading in the same year for those students, it ranked 26th for fourth-graders and 18th for

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5 Prince George’s County School board member Lupi Quinteros-Grady speaks during a Jan. 11 meeting in Greenbelt at which state Sen. Paul Pinsky (left) gave updates on recommendations to a statewide plan for school funding. /Photo by William J. Ford

eighth-graders. “Putting it bluntly, despite a significant increase in state funding over the past 15 years, Maryland students still perform in the middle of the pack within the US, which is in the middle of the pack against the rest of the modern world,” according to the report. Other proposals in the report:

• Mandate that universities improve the quality and rigor of their teacher preparation programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; • Require all community colleges to enroll students that achieve the 10th grade standard in initial credit-bearing course-

COMMISSION Page 40

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SICK LEAVE from Page 1 pinger, who sat upstairs in the Senate chamber to watch senators vote down Hogan’s veto. “This is an issue [for which] 700,000 Marylanders have waited for half a decade. There are parents who have kids that are sick. They are ready [for sick leave].” All eight senators from Prince George’s County voted in favor of the legislation, which will allow an employee to earn an hour of sick leave for every 30 hours of work. The Senate needed 29 votes to void Hogan’s veto. “Paid sick leave is something that is human — it’s morally right,” said Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-District 26) of Accokeek. “For us to say if you’re sick, you have to give first priority to whether or not you are going to get paid — that is not right. It is a historic day and a step in the right direction.” Senate Republicans such as Stephen Hershey Jr., who represents portions of four counties in Western Maryland, said small-business owners and workers he heard from in committee meetings requested higher wages and health benefits toward future retirement. “It is an overly prescriptive policy that forces job creators to do something,” he said. “Paid sick leave was not high on the list of what employees wanted.” Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said the legislature will hold a hearing on Hogan’s “compromise” paid sick-leave

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY bill during the session. Hogan’s version, released in November, would allow businesses to offer paid sick leave in increments for those with 50 or more employees this year, 40 or more employees in 2019 and 25 or more employees in 2020. “I hope the governor comes down and talks about his own bill,” said Miller, who represents portions of Prince George’s and Calvert counties. Friday’s approved bill may not go into effect for 90 days, which Miller said would give time for businesses to set up while the regulations are being processed into law. Hogan spokeswoman Amelia Chassé issued a statement afterward urging lawmakers to consider the governor’s bill, or least approve legislation for certain small businesses to receive tax credit. “Now that this political posturing is over, it’s time for the legislature to get down to the business of fixing the serious flaws in this bill that Senator [Thomas] Middleton and numerous others openly acknowledged today,” she said. “We urge legislators to fast track the governor’s Small Business Relief Tax Credit to ensure employers aren’t forced to close their doors and lay off their employees. Instead of frantically trying to buy time by pushing off the effective date of their bill, legislators should come to the table and pass the governor’s compromise solution to protect workers and job creators.”

5 The Maryland Senate votes during a Jan. 12 session of the state’s General Assembly to override Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a paid sick-leave bill. /Photo by William J. Ford

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous praised lawmakers for overriding the governor’s veto. “Providing paid sick leave to Marylanders is just plain common sense and Governor Hogan was wrong to veto this bill the first time,” Jealous said. “Our economy works best when we invest in our people and that starts with investing in their health. Maryland’s working families are stronger because of this bill. Come November, they will remember who had their backs while the governor played politics.” WI

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” These words has been the inspiration of our cultural creed. They set our country apart from dictatorships or oligarchies refusing open pathways to freedom. Our scientist, inventors, scholars, entrepreneurs, and activists came from shores seeking hope. Our democratic values imbue hope and enliven possibility. For sure, our nation has a long way to completely live up to the ideas scribed on the Statue of Liberty; however, at least, we can debate and have discourse. Our civic identity is grounded on diversity and engagement. As our nation engulfs in a debate on who’s in and who’s out, our values, integrity, history, and civism must be in the forefront. Democracy is being tested. Not a member? Please visit our website, www.pgcoc.org or drop by for a visit to get started! Membership is good for a full calendar year, so it’s always a good time to join! David C. Harrington President & CEO Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce www.pgcoc.org

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JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 13 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN THE NEWS

Compiled by Lauren Poteat WI Contributing Writer

COUNTY OFFICIALS ADDRESS OPIOID EPIDEMIC

As the opioid crisis continues to take a drastic toll on the United States, Montgomery County

officials are looking for ways to reverse the epidemic. In an attempt to combat this issue, police officials held a press conference last week to educate residents on the overall rising problem, particularly for those who use heroin, fentanyl and carfentanyl. During that same day a de-

5 Discovery Communications will soon leave Silver Spring. /Courtesy of glassdoor.com

partmental Narcan (Naloxone) training class was also held in order to teach officers how to administer the life-saving drug and learn about the fundamentals of

addiction, how opiates affect the body, and how Narcan works to reverse the effects of an overdose. More than 200 officers attended the class. In 2017, county police responded to 57 non-fatal overdoses and 69 fatal overdoses in 2017, compared to 52 non-fatal and 40 fatal overdoses in 2014. To date, officials have reported a 145 percent increase in the number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses from the various drugs over the past four years.

5 Maryland officials look to end the war on drugs. /Courtesy of thesaber.org

DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS SET TO EXIT SILVER SPRING

Discovery Communications announced last week that it will sell its headquarters in downtown Silver Spring and move the site to New York City in 2019, leaving many to wonder the future of business for the area. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav announced in a company-wide memo the “difficult decision” to reduce the company’s footprint in Maryland over time, with the ultimate closure and sale of their One Discovery Place headquarters building in Silver Spring. Currently an estimated 1,300 people work for Discovery in Maryland, which also helped to

14 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

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grow and build the downtown Silver Spring area. County Executive Ike Leggett said that the county and state made a “tremendous offer” to try to keep the business, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Discovery helped revitalize downtown Silver Spring when their headquarters opened off Georgia Avenue at Colesville Road in 2003.

BETHESDA RESTAURANT WEEK BEGINS

Bethesda’s Restaurant Week is underway, and the event will allow new businesses to shine while allowing older eateries to highlight their latest menu options. Throughout the week, over 250 participating restaurants in the D.C. area will offer special menus and prix fixe menus, allowing residents to choose the restaurants they want to visit based on budgets and taste buds. During the event, which began Jan. 12 and will run through Jan. 21, partakers will also be able to snap photos of their meals and restaurants and share it on Instagram for a chance to win a gift card from one of the participating venues. WI

5 Bethesda kicks off Restaurant Week. /Courtesy of tripsavvy.com

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BUSINESS Lyft Partners to Help Immigrant Wartime Allies With Income By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer Ride sharing company Lyft and No One Left Behind, a nonprofit organization that helps Afghan and Iraqi combat interpreters, announced they will partner to help those wartime allies with income as they resettle in the U.S. Piloting in D.C., the program will provide those with Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) with the opportunity to earn income through driving for Lyft. The U.S. State Department estimates over 9,000 immigrants with SIVs have resettled in D.C. since 2008. “Lyft’s partnership is integral to our mission to support these heroes and their families as they get resettled with transportation and a source of income,” said Matt Zeller, co-founder and CEO of No One Left Behind. “We want them to successfully transition into their new lives and receive their due for the service they provided to our troops. Earning a living is a big part of the puzzle, and we are thrilled to work with Lyft to help.” To date, No One Left Behind estimates that they have helped over

5,000 of the approximately 50,000 immigrants with SIVs that have resettled in the U.S., working to ensure that those who have served alongside U.S. troops as combat interpreters in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are able to find new lives in America. Lyft’s Express Drive program aims to give those immigrants the chance to easily and affordably get on the road and begin earning, even if they don’t have a car. Lyft will also providing No One Left Behind with ride credits to enable SIVs and their families to take Lyft rides to essential appointments with doctors, registration offices, government agencies and more. The company said that while the partnership will pilot in D.C., there is potential for it to extend to additional cities in the future. “Lyft is proud to support this community of Afghan and Iraqi combat interpreters and veterans as they transition to a new life in the United States,” said Stephen Taylor, Lyft’s Mid-Atlantic general manager. “With 10 percent of Lyft drivers being veterans and being a veteran myself, our partnership with No One Left Behind is one that we’re especially proud of.

5 Soldiers rest from the battle. /Courtesy photo of Fox News

“Lyft is honored to assist these veterans with flexible opportunities to earn a living as they plant new roots in this country,” he said. WI

“Lyft’s partner-

ship is integral to our mission to support these heroes and their families as they get resettled with transportation and a source of income.” MATT ZELLER

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (t/a Events DC) Bid Announcement The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (t/a Events DC) is soliciting bids from qualified vendors to perform Architectural Engineering Services. Interested parties can view a copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) by accessing the Event DC’s E-procurement website at www.wcsapex. com and opening APEX BID #18-S-011-471. Notification of your intent to attend the mandatory site visit must be provided to Andrea Lennon, alennon@eventsdc.com no later than 02:00 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2018. Key Dates MANDATORY Site Visit: 10:00 AM EST, Friday, January 26, 2018 Questions Due Date: 05:00 PM EST, Friday, February 2, 2018 Proposal Due Date: 03:00 PM EST, Tuesday, February 13, 2018 WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 15 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

NATIONAL CBC to Honor Recy Taylor at State of the Union

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer

While accepting the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award, Oprah Winfrey highlighted the life and story of Recy Taylor in a speech about racism and sexism. Now, in continued effort to keep her name alive, members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are organizing to honor her legacy at the State of the Union Address this month. Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old African-American sharecropper and

new mother, was walking home from a church service in the small town of Abbeville, Ala, on Sept. 3, 1944, when a car full of armed white men approached her. She tried to run, but was abducted and driven into a wooded grove, where the six men brutally raped her and threatened to kill her if she cried out or reported the rape, according to state records. Despite her attacker’s warnings, Taylor reported the incident to the authorities. Her story gained national attention and the NAACP sent a young investigator by the name of Rosa Parks to

handle Taylor’s case. However, two grand juries chose not to indict the attackers. Taylor died last month, just days before her 98th birthday. “She lived, as we all have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men,” Winfrey said. “I just hope that Recy Taylor died knowing that her truth like the truth of so many other women who were tormented in those years, and even now tormented, goes marching on.” Her rape is the subject of a new documentary that coincides with a growing number of sexual assault and harassment accusations and as one of the planned protests set to take place during the upcoming national address, CBC members will wear red pins in remembrance of Taylor. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) is spearheading the effort. “In this effort, we must also acknowledge the inequities in acknowledging our suffering and the failure of judicial system in administering justice,” Coleman tweeted of the movement. “We cannot forget the many marginalized women who have spoken up, spoken out and have long been ignored.”

5 Recy Taylor /Courtesy photo

Coleman will also encourage CBC members to wear all black, in line with other planned demonstrations to show solidarity with women who have been sexually assaulted. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), a CBC member and survivor of sexual assault, plans to wear black and a red pin at the State of the Union.

“I’ll be wearing black during this year’s State of the Union address as a symbol of support for the allies working to end sexual assault, harassment, and workplace inequality,” Moore said. “I’ll also be joining [Coleman] in wearing a red Recy Taylor pin as tribute to her legacy and quest for justice.” WI

Returning Residents in the District Given a Much-Needed Helping Hand By Lauren Poteat WI Contributing Writer The founder of an organization that advocates for formerly incarcerated citizens has introduced a new networking program to help returning residents find better ways to get and stay successful. Eric Weaver, founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Returned Citizens, made the announcement during a Jan. 10 event at the Southeast headquarters of Check It Enterprises, a local organization that seeks positive alternatives to gang activity for gay residents in D.C. “I was incarcerated for 22 years, and from the year I first left prison to now, things haven’t changed much,” Weaver said. “It’s still very difficult to for re-entry citizens to get basic things like jobs, employment, cars and the simple ability to live with their families in public housing, because of their records. “A lot of people aren’t just

16 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

criminals by pure choice,” he said. “A lot of them want to go on and be their best selves, but receive major governmental hurdles that keep knocking them down. They’re looking for a way to survive, a way to take care of their kids. With this new organizational program, our goal is to connect re-entry citizens with other groups that specifically cater to people who have been incarcerated, giving them hope and another chance at life.” The Jan. 10 event was attended and supported by dozens of local residents and organizations, including The Wire and the National Reentry Network of Returning Citizens. “It is time for the population to come together,” said Ronald Moten, creator of Check It Enterprises. “If we don’t come together all of the progress we have made over the years means nothing. Politically, economically and educationally … we have to start now.” In D.C. alone, Blacks ac-

count for 89 percent of incarcerated persons, despite making up only 50 percent of the District’s population. Most arrests occur in Wards 7 and 8, two of the most heavily Black-populated segments in the city. Of these arrests, over 70 percent are male. But despite these alarming statistics, D.C. is also one of the few places in the United States that allows re-entry citizens to vote. “This program, this organization … is much bigger than ourselves,” Weaver said. “It’s about mobilizing the people with the political atmosphere. We are a 501 C4, which means we can do things like lobby and endorse candidates. … This is a big election year and with the help of the Board of Elections, we plan to take the whole election process to the local jail and allow them to vote. These people can turn their lives around and want to make sure we’re a part of that and our re-entry community and make a difference.” WI

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5 The National Association for the Advancement of Returned Citizens specializes in assisting formerly-incarcerated residents. /Courtesy photo

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INTERNATIONAL Compiled by Lauren Poteat / WI Contributing Writer

Sorority Honors Nonprofit for Africa Support

5 International Alpha Kappa Alpha President Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson presents a check to Africare. /Courtesy photo

Alpha Kappa Alpha, America’s first Black female sorority, placed high emphasis on the support and development of Africa during a milestone anniversary. As part of the sorority’s weeklong celebration of its 110th anniversary in D.C., International President Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson and officials presented a $10,000 check to the Africare House, one of the nation’s most experienced and largest Blackled nonprofit international development organizations. “I love Africare House,” Wilson said of the northwest D.C. facility. “And assisting them goes hand in hand with our organization’s mission. A major component we deal with is childhood hunger, so to be able to provide resources and support to parts of the world like Africa is invaluable. Last year we were able to donate items such as food, nutrient packs and over 60,000 school dresses for children. We also do work in Haiti and have successfully built schools in places like South Africa. Every year each president does something extra meaningful with Africa, as we take service to all mankind with high regard, however our organization has the longest standing relationship with Africare.”

South Africa Shuns H&M for ‘Monkey’ Ad Several H&M clothing stores in South Africa have been temporarily closed amid protests outside the stores against an online ad by the Swedish company that featured a Black child modeling a hooded sweatshirt that read “coolest monkey in the jungle.” Hordes of demonstrators including South Africa’s second-largest opposition party, Economic Freedom Fighters, were seen at H&M locations across the country, marching in and outside various stores, while individual protesters ransacked some locations. No staff or customers were injured. “Out of concern for the safety of our employees and customers we have temporarily closed all stores in the area,” H&M said in a statement Saturday. Critics pointed out that two other jungle-themed sweatshirts advertised on the company website made no mention of monkeys and were modeled by white children.

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African Nations Unite Against Trump Remarks

5 Donald Trump has been taken to task

for allegedly disparaging Haiti and African nations. /Courtesy of sundaynews.co.zw

Ghana and South Africa are coming together to summon U.S. diplomats in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump allegedly slamming Haiti and African nations as “s---hole” countries. The summons will allow the various nations to voice their concerns. South Africa’s government also announced Sunday a formal protest of the remark, which Trump allegedly made during a meeting in the Oval Office about immigration. Other nations including Haiti, Botswana and Senegal have also summoned the diplomats, looking for a response sometime this week, Undersecretary of State Steven Goldstein told CNN. State Department officials have reportedly advised diplomats not to try to interpret or soften the president’s remarks, but rather listen to and acknowledge the countries’ concerns and emphasize areas of shared cooperation.

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HEALTH 5 D.C. Department of Health advertisement. /Courtesy photo

D.C. Uses Controversial Advertisement in support of HIV Prevention Pill By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer A bold new advertisement campaign launched by the D.C. Department of Health uses sexual innuendos to promote the use of a pill called PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) to stop the spread of the HIV virus. The provocative ad, which has been running on local television to various reactions,

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shows a woman licking an ice cream cone, a man stroking a golf club and a bottle of mustard erupting. “Thinking about sex,” asked and alluring female voice. “Then think about PrEP.” PrEP, a daily pill approved by the FDA and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 90 percent. A decade ago, nearly four

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people a day were diagnosed with HIV in the city. Though the number dropped to less than one person a day in 2016, the number of HIV-positive residents (13,500, or 2 percent) living in the city exceeds the World Health Organization’s definition of 1 percent as a generalized epidemic. D.C. health officials hope the ad will increase awareness of the pill to help prevent the spread of HIV. WI

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EDUCATION HIV Preventive Drug Absent in Many Black Communities By Lauren Poteat WI Contributing Writer In the United States, Blacks represent only 12 percent of the U.S. population, but account for more than 44 percent of HIV diagnoses. Though there is no cure for HIV, there are safe and effective treatments that keep people healthy and stop its spread. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, help protect HIV-negative people from getting the disease. Currently the only approved PrEP medicine is a drug called Truvada. Though it has been available since 2014, statistics from health care professionals show large disparities in consumption and in awareness between Black and White communities. “Black and Brown people account for the largest population of infections, particularly males and new cases in the U.S., but White

males are the number-one consumer for the drug Truvada,” said Danielle Houston, a representative for Gilead, a research-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative medicines. “Unfortunately, HIV for the Black community is part of a large list of problems,” Houston said. “In America, the number-one cause for death for Black men is homicide, the number-three killer is suicide and number six is HIV. Though HIV is on the top 10 list [it] doesn’t take immediate concern. Most infections happen between the ages of 20-29, so there lies a lot of conflicting stories. People in the Black community need to be more aware of what is available out there for them and know that life is hard, but HIV is something that can now be prevented.” The early adopters of PrEP have largely been white gay men

5 Truvada is currently the only HIV preventive drug in the U.S. /Courtesy of countynewscenter.com

and couples where one partner is HIV-positive, especially those trying to conceive naturally. However, the communities most at risk of HIV are Black and Latino men who have sex with men, transgender women, and Black women. The groups that are most affected by HIV are least aware that PrEP is an option. “In the Black community, you will find a lot of people not heavily covered with health insurance,” said Jazmin Sutherlin, a representative from Heart to Hand, a Prince George’s County nonprofit that provides health support services and medical care

to all low-income residents living with a chronic illness, with a focus on HIV/AIDS. “People aren’t going to the doctors as much as they should and that’s where you start to see a major decline in the use of PrEP. “I transitioned into a female almost 12 years ago and though I am not HIV-positive, people need to understand what that means,” Sutherlin said. “Talking about PrEP is really about empowering people about a drug that allows them an extra layer of protection.” Any doctor can write a prescription for PrEP. Prescriptions are written for 90 days. While

on PrEP, people are expected to regularly get HIV/STIs tests along with other check-ups. That means that a person on PrEP has to be engaged in health care. Most health insurance plans cover PrEP and there are co-pay and medication assistance programs available to ensure patients who need them. Though PrEP can protect a person from getting HIV when they have condomless sex with a person who is HIV-positive, PrEP does not prevent any other sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy. So its use should be combined with other safer sex practices. WI

Black Developers Create Gaming App By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer

5 Partners Adrian McDaniel (left) and Tremayne Torrie of Sasha Says /Courtesy photo

20 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

Remember the game Simon Says? Well, an Atlanta-based African-American male duo has brought that concept to the digital market with an application ready to be downloaded today. Launched in December, founder Tremayne Toorie said that “Sasha Says” is a cross between “Simon Says” and “Bop-It” — two interactive games for children that grew to prominence in the ‘80s and ‘90s. “It all starts with a vision,” he said. “And I had an idea that I wanted to create an experience on a mobile app and mobile phone where it would create a nostalgic effect of a game from our past that we use to play like Simon Says. “Something that would keep

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the user entertained and engaged by using everyday gestures that you use on your phone like swiping, tapping and shaking your device,” Toorie said. “The innovative nature behind Sasha Says is why it has a sweet home on the app store.” Partner and senior developer Adrian McDaniel’s job requires him to make sure the app runs smoothly and that the user experience is seamless, but also to inspire Black youth to look into development. “We felt like it was very important for Black youth to be able to see a Black mascot, especially a Black female mascot, in games,” McDaniel said. “That isn’t something you get to see very often and we also thought it was important to inspire Black youth to maybe get into development.

“I don’t know if you know of any Black game developers, but I can’t even name any off the top of my head, so it’s very important to get that point across to show our community this is something they can explore,” he said. Toorie, founder of Atlanta-based tech company Splash House Studios, started the development of Sasha Says in May, but needed some assistance. “About two months into the development, I knew there were some aspects of this project that I would need assistance with and that there is more power in numbers,” he said. “I went on LinkedIn and searched for a iOS developer, I found Adrian, sent him a message and the rest is history.” McDaniel said that the duo

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Bite Into a Booming Culinary Scene at Alexandria Winter Restaurant Week Alexandria Winter Restaurant Week showcases the inventiveness of local chefs in neighborhoods throughout the city, including Old Town, Del Ray and the West End. At a range of locales, from fine dining establishments to casual neighborhood favorites, guests will savor the flavors of Alexandria’s distinctive collection of eateries. For 10 days and two weekends, more than 60 Alexandria restaurants offer a $35 three-course dinner OR a $35 dinner for two during Alexandria Winter Restaurant Week, January 26 to February 4, 2018. More than 30 restaurants will also offer lunch menus at $10, $15 or $20 per person in addition to the dinner specials. This year, there’s a lot of buzz about new restaurants participating in Alexandria Winter Restaurant Week, including Hank’s Pasta Bar, Cedar Knoll, Café 44, La Trattoria and Nectar Coffee & Wine Bistro. Returning participants include Restaurant Eve, Sonoma Cellar, Magnolia’s on King, Vermilion, Evening Star Café, Virtue Feed & Grain, Mason Social, Cheesetique, Columbia Firehouse and Del Ray Café. In Old Town, stroll along brick-lined streets to independent restaurants tucked into 18th- and 19th-century architecture housing chef-driven cuisine and family-friendly fare. One of the newest additions to Winter Restaurant Week is Hank’s Pasta Bar in North Old Town, from renowned D.C.-area chef Jamie Leeds of Hank’s Oyster Bars. Hank’s puts a modern twist on classic Italian comfort food with handmade offerings like Jamie’s favorite linguini with clam sauce and perfectly paired creative cocktails. Just south of Old Town located on property once owned by George Washington, Cedar Knoll is a hidden gem and another newcomer to Winter Restaurant Week. Offering American and French cuisine with waterfront views of the Potomac River, Cedar Knoll has two

roaring fireplaces inside a historic building built around an 1800s log cabin. Cozy up by the fire and make it a date night this Winter Restaurant Week. Experience a booming dining scene in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood, filled with restaurants that have garnered “best of ” accolades from the Washington Post, Washingtonian and more. New to the neighborhood and Restaurant Week, Nectar Coffee & Wine Bistro comes from two Irish sisters who wanted to bring a “local Irish hamlet coffee and bistro concept to the Del Ray neighborhood.” Returning and local favorites include Del Ray Café, serving classic French fare inside a house tucked off Mount Vernon Avenue, as well as Evening Star Café, Live Oak, Cheesetique and more. This Winter Restaurant Week, lunch specials at participating restaurants rival dinner menus with their creative and elegant courses. Foodies will find delectable three-course lunches at some of Alexandria’s most lauded eateries including Bastille, Columbia Firehouse, Hawwi Ethiopian Restaurant, Vola’s Dockside Grill, Lena’s WoodFire Pizza + Tap and more. Guests can also browse a special flipbook featuring this year’s Restaurant Week menus at AlexandriaRestaurantWeek. com, where they can make their reservations online as well.

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2018 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT

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In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com

PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF D. Kevin McNeir, Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Dr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings columnist Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince George’s County Writer), Eve M. Ferguson, Hamil Harris, Tatyana Hopkins, Jade James-Gist, Edwin Lake, Daniel Kucin, D. Kevin McNeir, Lauren Poteat, Dorothy Rowley, Brenda Siler, Sarafina Wright (General Assignment Writer) PHOTOGRAPHERS John E. DeFreitas, Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Demetrious Kinney, Mark Mahonny, Lateef Mangum

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. witnessed the atrocities and multiple inequities that Blacks in Birmingham, Alabama, faced day in and day out. They were overwhelmed with a rigid system of segregation. They were unable to vote. They were denied employment opportunities that would provide them with a decent wage. They could not try on clothes in the stores in which they spent their hardearned money. Black children were barred from the city’s better public schools. Even liquor stores had separate waiting lines for Blacks and whites. Dr. King pondered these and other forms of injustice as he sat alone in a Birmingham jail cell. There he would compose a note to the city’s white clergy who had severely criticized him, labeling him an outside agitator. In his note, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he would offer one phrase to encapsulate his defense for pressing on and continuing the boycott for which he had earlier called, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The struggle in Birmingham served as a primer for Dr. King and other leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. Given the problems and divisions facing our nation today, we would be wise to both revisit and apply the

lessons that were learned from the Birmingham encounter – most notably King’s admonition that “We can’t wait.” “We cannot wait, because the jails are full of young Black men, including many who are fathers but unable to parent their children. We can’t wait, because we know now that failing to make education a priority cheats the country of latent talent. We can’t wait, because our young men and women are being programmed to kill (it’s called ‘serving our country’),” King writes in his collection of thoughts first outlined during his time in solitary confinement, later published in the book, “Why We Can’t Wait.” In his conclusion, he shares his optimism for a brighter tomorrow. “Many are searching. Sooner or later all the peoples of the world, without regard to the political systems under which they live, will have to discover a way to live together in peace . . . Nonviolence, the answer to the Negroes’ need, may become the answer to the most desperate need of all humanity.” Perhaps Dr. King remained unexplainably optimistic because he understood that as bad as things

were, we, the African-American community, have faced far worse conditions. And there have always been those courageous enough to stand up, to sit down, in the case of Rosa Parks, to tell the truth, expose the lies and be a witness for justice and love. As Dr. Cornel West, my intellectual mentor and instructor at whose feet I learned so much during my matriculation at Princeton Theological Seminary has often said, “Just as [we] had to break the back of white supremacist slavery to save democracy, [we] will have to break the back of American apartheid or [we] will lose [our] democracy. We have made real progress in America since 1963. Yet, many things seem to have gone unchanged. If we are truly committed to King’s vision of the “Beloved Community,” we must contend with the inevitability of becoming embroiled in a particularly messy struggle – one that will require hard work, the elimination of naïve prophecies of the future and the truth, as West likes to say, that we press on with “hope on a tightrope.” So be it. We can’t wait. We really cannot wait. MLK

Perhaps Dr. King remained unexplainably optimistic because he understood that as bad as things were, we, the African-American community, have faced far worse conditions. And there have always been those courageous enough to stand up, to sit down, in the case of Rosa Parks, to tell the truth, expose the lies and be a witness for justice and love.

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MLK - 2

Memphis 1968 Sanitation Workers Honored by NAACP

Surviving Strikers Receive ‘Vanguard Award’ “I AM a MAN” became the powerful slogan behind an initiative led by Memphis Sanitation Workers during their 1968 strike in which they demanded better working conditions and more equitable pay. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., joined their fight during which he delivered his “I Have a Dream” sermon on the evening of April 3, 1968. An assassin’s bullet ended his life in Memphis on April 4, 1968. /Courtesy photo

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir The 14 surviving union members who participated in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final protest for civil rights, the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike, before a sniper’s bullet tragically ended his life, received the prestigious Vanguard Award during the 49th NAACP Image Awards on Monday, Jan. 15. The program, broadcast live on TV One, took place in Pasadena, CA. The NAACP has emerged in the forefront as the nation’s first major organization to recognize the workers as part of the “I AM 2018” campaign launched by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees [AFSCME] and the Church of God In Christ [COGIC]. The Vanguard Award serves as an “honor presented in recognition of the groundbreaking work that has increased understanding and awareness of racial and social issues,” said an NAACP spokesperson. Previous honorees include: Tyler Perry, Aretha Franklin, Stanley Kramer, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Retired AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer William “Bill” Lucy, a pivotal force behind efforts to organize the Memphis sanitation workers in 1968, received the NAACP Chairman’s Award during the ceremony. Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME, expressed humility in the Memphis workers being honored. “Imagine the courage it took

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for African-American municipal employees in the Jim Crow South to defy the local power structure and go on strike – not just for a living wage, and not just for decent working conditions,” Saunders said. “These brave men were striking to demand dignity and respect.” “I AM A MAN” – A Slogan that Would Ground a New Movement for Equality Last summer, Saunders and Charles E. Blake, Sr., Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), along with U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and other leaders from the labor, religious and civil rights movements, announced the launch of “I AM 2018,” a new campaign commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike and the assassination of Dr. King. The long-term initiative will connect the legacy of the strikers and the civil rights icon to issues that now threaten to tear America apart. “I AM 2018” represents a grassroots voter education and mobilization campaign that will train thousands of activists to create change in their communities and carry on the legacy of Dr. King and the sanitation workers. “I AM A MAN” became the slogan of the 1968 striking workers in their efforts to shed greater light on the deplorable working conditions they faced and to assert their humanity. Organizers of the campaign say they will continue the work for which Dr. King paid the ulti-

mate price and will address issues of economic justice including health care, a living wage and paid sick leave. “As we approach the 50th anniversary of those history-making events, we need to tell the story of Memphis again,” Saunders said. “’I AM 2018’ is about drawing inspiration from the heroes of Memphis but it isn’t just a reflection on the past. It’s an urgent call to fight poverty and prejudice, an urgent call to advance the freedom of all working people and to remind America of the inextricable link between racial justice and economic justice,” he added.” Leaders of the COGIC say they’re proud to continue in the collaborative spirit fostered among religious, civil rights and labor organizers that came to fruition during the 1960s. “The vision of COGIC Urban Initiatives is to build healthy individuals, families and communities for a successful future. By attacking problems in communities across the nation from interrelated perspectives, we maximize the likelihood of success,” said Charles E. Blake, Sr., presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ and a major partner in the campaign. Lewis, who organized sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in Nashville while a student at Fisk University and who helped form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee under the tutelage of Dr. King, said the march for progress must continue. “The day that Dr. King

dreamed of – that day has not come,” Lewis said. “Make no mistake about it, we’ve come a long way. There’s been a lot of progress but there are still millions of people who are left out and left behind.” “AFSCME, the church, organized labor, and all of us are saying that when you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to say something and to do something. And that’s why we must go to Memphis,” he said. In addition to events being planned this spring on April 3 and 4, the campaign plans to train thousands of community activists over the coming year and work with groups committed to promoting economic justice in cities and states across the country. “These are challenging times for civil rights,” said Vanita Gupta, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “But we will not stand idly by while the White House or Congress seek to turn back the clock on our hard-fought progress. We will continue to protect our most vulnerable and to demand that everyone has a seat at the table.” On April 3, 1968, Dr. King stood in the pulpit of Mason Temple in Memphis – the global headquarters of the COGIC – and delivered his prophetic “Mountaintop Speech” to a sanctuary overflowing with community supporters, church members and the city’s sanitation workers, members of AFSCME Local 1733 then en-

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gaged in a strike protesting low pay and poor working conditions. Dr. King would be assassinated less than 24 hours later. Other national organizations, including the NFL Players Association [NFLPA], have already pledged their support in the ongoing battle for the rights of union workers. “We are a union that cannot forget that every benefit that we have is inextricably tied to the rights already paid for by the courage of others,” said DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA. “As in years past, the February date of the Super Bowl will be played during our annual celebration of Black History Month and as a tribute to AFSCME and other labor unions.” Learn more about upcoming events and take action at www. iam2018.org. AFSCME’s 1.6 million members – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families. The Church of God In Christ is the largest African-American Pentecostal denomination with 8.3 million members worldwide and 12,000 churches in the U.S. Bishop Blake’s home church, West Angeles Church of God In Christ in Los Angeles, has 24,000 members and stands as one of the largest congregations in the country. MLK

Martin Luther King III: Walking in his Father’s Footsteps

Martin Luther King III is flanked by NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes and NNPA Chair Dorothy Leavell as he received the 2017 NNPA Lifetime Legacy Award. /Photo by Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS; ONLY LIGHT CAN DO THAT. HATE CANNOT DRIVE OUT HATE; ONLY LOVE CAN DO THAT.

The DC Lottery honors Martin Luther King, Jr. and the countless African-American heroes who’ve contributed in our journey toward civil rights, equality and freedom.

Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the late civil rights legend and Coretta Scott King, was just a few months shy of 11 years old when his father died at the hands of an assassin in Memphis on April 4, 1968. He went on to graduate from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Among the many high-profile roles King has taken on are that of community activist, county commissioner and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Council, the organization for which his father served as its first president. Like his father, King has led protest marches and has convened police brutality hearings. “There’s a barbaric mentality today with police shootings of African Americans but all of that can change when people rise up which is why I applaud Black Lives Matter,” King said. “One of the things we’ve not done in the past is mobilize people and different groups and this election coming up in November is important because we need a stopgap in Congress because this president doesn’t have an understanding of what goes on in communities of color,” he said. King continued: “Right now the Republicans have the presidency, the House and the Senate. But, this coming election creates prospects of one or both houses being flipped to people who would have some sensitivity to these issues.” King, the National Newspaper Publishers Association 2017 Lifetime Legacy Award recipient, said he’s calling on African-American groups, Latinos, women’s organizations, the LGBTQ community and others to get out and vote. “That is what needs to happen in Novem-

ber so that come January 2019, we can get legislation that will help,” he said. With the nation observing the holiday that honors his father, King said his mother deserves a lot of credit for the late activist’s success and for keeping his legacy alive. “My mom is partially responsible for what my dad’s legacy is today because she stayed on the battle field, lived 40 years beyond my dad and was able to establish the King Center just months after he died – this year marking 50 years since she did that,” King said. He said the holiday doesn’t mean individuals should take a seat or a timeout. “For us, it’s a day of being engaged, cleaning up communities, helping seniors, helping our young people. It’s a holiday that’s something significantly different,” said King, whose schedule for the holiday included a speech at the National Action Network’s annual breakfast in the District. During the annual observance, he also joined others in laying a wreath at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and participated in a service project in honor of his father. He recalled his father’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech and declared that the dream has yet to be fully realized. “The dream has not been fulfilled. There’s an aspect that’s been accomplished because we have African-American billionaires and that was part of the dream. But we still have African Americans in poverty, we disproportionately lead the pack in every major area whether it’s heart disease, diabetes or hypertension because of the level of stress that we as a people are forced to live under,” he said. Today’s society remains racist, a factor that causes stress, King emphasized. “We’ve seen communities from around the world who come here and are able to get a loan and start a business while we’ve [Blacks] been here forever and we’re unable

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Keep marching March because “darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” March because “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” March because “hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Comcast celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with an exhibit inspired by his words. Take a virtual tour of the artwork created by Philadelphia area students by visiting VoicesOf TheCivilRightsMovement.com.

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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2018 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT

Former MLK Aide Celebrates Civil Rights Icon Clarence Jones, Martin Luther King III and Andrew Young. /Photo courtesy Courieronline.com

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Dr. Clarence Jones met Martin Luther King, Jr. at the ages of 29 and 31, respectively. Jones joined King’s legal team in 1960 when the government accused the civil rights leader of tax fraud. The two formed a bond and Jones, who would become the first Black man to make partner at a Wall Street investment bank, would go on to assist King in penning somae of his most memorable speeches including the unforgettable, “I Have a Dream.” Now, a visiting professor at the University of San Francisco and a writer-in-residence at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute, Jones once again prepared for the annual King Day observance during which he paid tribute to his old friend. “I think we have to be careful that we don’t fall into the trap of

sanitizing Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Jones said. “African Americans in particular have to fight against this because the sanitized version tells us that he was someone who simply gave moving speeches and so forth. Indeed, he was, but make no mistake about it, that brother was deep,” he said. History has revealed that the two men held mutual admiration for one another. In 1962, King reportedly wrote a letter that recommended Jones to the New York State Bar. In the missive, King wrote: “Ever since I have known Mr. Jones, I have always seen him as a man of sound judgment, deep insights and great dedication. I am also convinced that he is a man of great integrity.” Jones continued to function as King’s lawyer and advisor throughout the remainder of King’s life, according to the online “King Encyclopedia.”

If I attempted to wake up and live in his shoes, I’d fail miserably but it’s a major blessing to have his name and to try to carry it in such a way to make my parents proud. Martin Luther King, III

He assisted King in drafting the “I Have a Dream” speech and preserving King’s copyright of the momentous address, acting as a member of the successful defense team for the Southern Christian Leadership Council. In addition, Jones served as part of King’s inner circle of advisers known as “the research committee” and contributed with Vincent Harding and Andrew Young in the development of King’s “Beyond Vietnam” address which the civil rights leader delivered at New York’s Riverside Church on April 4, 1967. Jones praised King as one who successfully dealt with the “jugular vein of the American system: power and money.” “If there had been media polls when the March on Washington occurred in 1963, Dr. King would have had at least a 70 percent approval rating because even white people loved him,” Jones said. “They’d say, ‘I’ve never heard a

Negro speak like that before’ and he’s committed to nonviolence,” he said. Among those King would influence in the assistance of African Americans in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality, would be the then president of the U.S., Lyndon Johnson, Jones noted. At one crucial moment in the Civil Rights Movement, King referred to Johnson as the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln because of Johnson’s success in securing both the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, Jones said. “But, we had to tell him that he wasn’t being honest because we knew how to count and when we looked at the Treasury, King told Johnson, ‘There’s no way in the world that you can spend all that money on the Vietnam War because there will be nothing left to do the things you’ve said you want to do,’” Jones said. “It was a practical thing. We

understood that Lyndon Johnson had wrapped himself into this great 20th century emancipator next to Lincoln and, don’t get me wrong, he was a bad dude. The baddest dude there was in terms of civil rights,” Jones said. “But, he got lost because apparently he didn’t know how to count. King told him if he had 100 cents and spent 80 cents on the war, that would leave just 20 cents remaining and that it would hurt us and our cause,” he said. Jones recalled that King maintained a healthy respect for several of the country’s historically-Black institutions. “The two essential pillars of support of the Civil Rights Movement were, first, the Black Church and then the Black Press,” Jones said. “The Black Press was critical and very important in telling our story and in our efforts to increase support for our cause,” he said. MLK

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dad around the world that many may not realize until you visit places like Bosnia where the town of Tuzla has its city hall situated on a street named Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. His message resonates there and in other parts of Eastern Europe, China and, of course, parts of Africa,” King said. “When you speak in universal tones, people understand. They understand that their plight could have been different and that my father spoke for them and others who had no voice,” he said. If his dad were alive today, his biggest concerns would include the threat of nuclear war, healthcare and poor communities, King said. The elder King would also cringe at the violence in communities like Chicago, Atlanta and other urban areas that have been plagued by killings, his son said. “It’s at epidemic levels and we’ve

got to do better. We can and must do better because we have the ability,” King said. “We’re currently looking at discussions around responsible gun legislation. For example, if someone wants to use a cell phone they must put in a code. Gun manufacturers can put a code on guns too so that we can determine the owner of a gun if and when it’s used to carry out a crime. We have the technology.” Finally, King reminisced about his father’s close relationship with the Black Press. “Not just ownership but the writers for the Black Press. Papers like the Chicago Defender, the Atlanta Daily World, the newspapers in Washington,” King said. “The Black Press was tremendously important then and it is important now because that’s where we get our information.” MLK

to get business loans,” he said. “This isn’t to suggest that we should have a victim’s mentality. You have to acknowledge the problem and know that you can overcome it,” King said. Living in the shadows of his father isn’t easy but he admits that it provides certain unique opportunities to contribute. “If I attempted to wake up and live in his shoes, I’d fail miserably but it’s a major blessing to have his name and to try to carry it in such a way to make my parents proud,” he said. “I want to continue the legacy that my parents forged – a legacy of fighting for freedom, justice and equality for all.” King said his mother always encouraged him to think globally. “My mom used to tell me there was a greater appreciation for my

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County’s ‘Top Ladies’ Honor King’s Message of Service By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill A group of Prince George’s County women have long-committed themselves to ensuring that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of and directive for offering service to local communities continues where digital technology and social media reign supreme in today’s society. The county’s chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction [TLOD] hosted its sixth annual prayer breakfast Saturday, Jan. 13 at Martin’s Camelot in Upper Marlboro. The nonprofit organization, since receiving its charter Aug. 30, 2009, has served by example including conducting visits to senior citizen homes and women’s shelters and participating in the county’s annual health fair at the Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. “When you live in the area, you have to impact the area because you’re not just a resident where you live,” said Kristen Kimble, who chaired the breakfast and serves as the group’s chaplain. “I have learned as a woman, you can’t help everybody. But you can use the gifts you have to make a difference for somebody.” Chapter Organizer and former president (2009-2013) Lady Jacqueline L. Wilcher, shares the following message about the mission which the group’s members believe lies ahead. “Prince George’s County is the ‘wealthiest’ county for African Americans in the nation and according to 2013 estimates, there are 900,000 residents. But we still face challenges with crime, deteriorating schools and health care, among others that lead us to one of two responses,” she writes. “The first is to turn away from these problems and focus on creating a good life for ourselves and our small personal circle. The second response is to decide that there are so many problems on so many levels of our society that the only chance we have of making progress is if we, as individuals and families and groups, all chip in. This response is based on the idea that ordinary people, not just the government, have an important day-to-day role

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to play in addressing problems and in making life better in our communities.” “In other words, there are a lot of ways for all of us to make a difference and our communities would be better if we all did a little more. Yes, there are challenges facing our community. But with challenges bring opportunities,” she notes. The Prince George’s County Chapter provides mentoring and networking opportunities for middle and high school students 13 and older, working toward encouraging youth to reach higher academic standards and collaborating with other organizations in order to “raise awareness of the negative words used to describe African-American youth and women and obtain greater appreciation for ethnic and cultural heritage.” The 146 women and 139 teenagers in the TLOD Prince George’s chapter represent the largest in Area II with groups from Vermont to Richmond, Virginia. Kym Elder, chapter president, said every woman and teenager are members of both the National Council of Negro Women and the NAACP. When women are inducted into the organization, they all receive the title of “Lady.” She added that the organization recently volunteered in the Mayor’s Masked Ball, held on Jan. 27 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Northwest – a social event that raises money for the United Negro College Fund. “Without giving back and helping one another, and specifically assisting those in need, we all fall short of living out our full destinies and potential,” she said. “We all have something to offer and assist someone. As a community and nation, we will fall short if we choose not to aid a fellow man [or] woman.” Wilcher says their mission remains the same, just as it has been since the organization’s founding in 1964 in Tyler, Texas – to provide quality service to youth and adults, serving the community with enthusiasm, energy and excitement aligning with their national theme of “investing in values that support, enhance and sustain.” WI Editor D. Kevin McNeir contributed to this article. MLK

The Ladies of PGCC 2017-2018. /Courtesy photo

MLK Holiday DC Essay Contest Winners 2018 Elementary School Tyaiona Jones 1st Place- $300 W.B. Patterson Elementary School Malaysia K. Hylton 2nd Place- $200 Center City PCS-Capitol Hill Darrell Boyd 3rd Place- $100 W.B. Patterson Elementary School

Middle School Miguel Coppedge 1st Place- $300 Washington Global PCS Kechelle Settle 2nd Place- $200 John Philip Sousa Middle School Tionna Gay 3rd Place- $100 John Phillip Sousa Jr. High School

High School Hans Capozzi 1st Place - $300 McKinley Technology High School Kayla Rowles 2nd Place - $200 BASIS DC Lauryn Renford 3rd Place and MBYLI Winner - $100 Thurgood Marshall Academy

TYAIONA JONES 1ST PLACE- ELEMENTARY W.B. PATTERSON

As I walk through my Bellevue neighborhood, I see children throwing many types of objects at the buildings. I am terrified of any foreign object coming through my window. Throwing dangerous objects at people’s windows is an issue that really affects the safety of my daily life. I even think about it when I am at school. As I am reflecting on this issue of vandalism, I recall one day I heard a big crash near the window. There was a big brick on the floor in my living room. I jumped out of bed and screamed as loud as I could for my mom. Finally, when she came in my room she saw a big hole in the window. As my mom called the police, she looked outside and saw two kids throwing bricks and rocks at another building. I was anxious that it would happen to me again and I did not feel safe at all. When I think about how I can make my neighborhood safer, there are some changes I can implement. The first thing I would do is to call our ward’s councilman, Trayon White, to hold a town hall meeting to highlight this issue. In addition, I would ask parents in my community to form a neighborhood watch group that could work closely with the police. Also, I would ask adults for a donation to rebuild the apartments. In addition, my friends and I would have a bake sale, collect pennies and collect bottles to add to the donation. Last, I would keep the buildings that got repaired safe and make sure the people that did bad things to the buildings go to someplace else. These are just a few of the positive things that we will begin to start doing in my neighborhood.

MIGUEL COPPEDGE 1ST PLACE- MIDDLE WASHINGTON GLOBAL PCS

What issue(s) of concern are impacting your community and how can you implement change?

There are a few issues of concern that are impacting my community. The first issue is there is no or not enough community policing in the neighborhoods or schools. Children are afraid of the police because all they see on the news or on videos are people and children of their skin color (Black) getting beat up or killed. I chose to implement change by writing a book titled “Friendly Officers” which highlights six D.C. police officers that are dear and close to me displaying community policing. I also did a Community Policing PSA with Chief Peter Newsham to talk about how the police and the communities can come together and make D.C. a safer and better place to live which you can find on YouTube. February 24, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. at Shaw Library. I will be doing a reading of my book and will accompanied by the officers in the book and Chief Newsham to have dialogue about community policing and how the Metropolitan Police Department can better serve the communities in which they serve and protect. I think there should be more community policing events for children in their neighborhoods and schools to build up trust between them and the police. For example, I think the police should go to the schools and have the children do police activities like investigations or scavenger hunts. The second issue of concern that is impacting my community is there are not enough mental health programs to help

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where you’ve been and where you’re going.

the children with their problems. As a child who suffers from ADHD, Mood Disorders and Bipolar, it’s an everyday struggle to manage my moods and/or meltdowns. Children like me need more support groups and community support workers who are dedicated regardless of pay to help us with managing our struggles. It really makes a difference when you have someone who understands what you are going through that can help you. One thing that I do to help children like me is to share the tools and techniques that I learned from my mom, therapist and community support worker. I would like to create a support group in my school where we can share our issues and give advice or suggestions to help each other with managing our problems. In conclusion, as a young citizen of Washington, D.C., I am doing my part to ensure that law enforcement provide community policing in the neighborhoods in which they serve and protect and that the children in these communities aren’t afraid of them through my “Friendly Officer” book and forums where dialogue To find this essay contest I simply logged into my computer at home and started typing, but it’s not always that easy for a lot of other kids in my community. One important issue of concern in DC right now is lack of access to a computer or internet in the households of many children. Children within our own public school system in DC are given homework assignments that they can’t complete because it’s not always easy to be in an out of the library every day. The problem is not that internet is not available for everyone, it is that because access to it is not convenient for those who don’t have it at home, they often decide that going out of their way outweighs the benefits. This is not something the children can be blamed for because they are still young and cannot be expected to be as independent and resourceful as they are often expected to be. Simply because a child lives in the inner city, should not mean they are held to a standard of self-reliance where they are expected to plan around their misfortune. Something needs to be done about this issue and there are a few different ways it could be approached. First, DCPS could take action to help students get access to the internet at home. Second, libraries could create ways for students to be able to access the internet more easily at the library itself. Lastly, the government could create ways for parents to get computer and internet access in their homes. With these solutions comes a lack of help, but if people like me who want to help their community find ways to do so, this issue could be resolved. At my school, McKinley Technology, a new system was just implemented this year where students go to their advisory classes in the morning and pick up their personal laptops. This is a start in terms of DCPS helping, but the fallacy is that we have to turn them back in at the end of the day. I’ve even seen many students take these laptops home because now that we mostly do work on computers in class, teachers assign most homework on the computer which is a disadvantage for many students who don’t have internet at home. If DCPS was to institute a system where students in need of computers can check-out laptops at the end of each day and check them back in during the school day, which brings me to my next point. Some students are used to utilizing the library or might not have WiFi to access the internet even if they were offered these school laptops. For these kids, libraries could assign hours where computers are strictly reserved for students because it is common that even if they are ready to use library computers on a consistent basis, students fall victim to long lines of people using the computers for non-academic affairs. Lastly, when I attended the MLK march last year, I met representatives from two organizations, Project Reboot and Wildtech, that are both working on getting low-cost computers to DC residents. They even offer internet access for ten dollars a month. If the DC Government paid for student fee waivers valid with these organizations and others like them, the percent of students without computer or internet access in their homes would decrease dramatically. I believe that these resolutions are not far-fetched. It would not take too much funding or effort to institute systems of free technology for students. There are a few ways that I can help with the solutions that I proposed. First, I could go to the chancellor of DCPS and explain what my school is doing with the laptops and give him a written plan on how to do it for other schools. Second, to help make my idea for reserved computer time for students in public libraries a reality, I can send this idea to the executive officer of DC Public libraries and explain that, as a student I see this benefitting my community. Lastly, I can do my part by spreading my knowledge of organizations already in place and spread my ideas for creating more. I have already put people in need of technology on to these organizations, but my outreach could continue to expand with hard work and dedication. I For me, creating change in my community benefit myself, my family, and my friends which is motivation enough for me to do all I can do. MLK

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America Says, ‘Happy Birthday’ to Dr. King By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer On Monday, Jan. 15, people from across the U.S., including the newly-inaugurated governor of Virginia, celebrated what would have been the 89th birthday of the iconic civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with a variety of community-based projects, worship services and heart-felt testaments confirming their ongoing commitment to continuing his legacy in their own lives. His youngest daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, also joined the tributes, stating in a tweet her prayer that “our global community, from educators to politicians to artists to law enforcement, will truly hear his voice, follow his teachings and demonstrate his love for humanity.” While New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker celebrated the day – recently recognized by President Donald Trump as a federal holiday – by launching a podcast about justice with Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), California Sen. Kamala Harris participated in an event that focused on Hollywood’s newly-launched anti-sexual harassment and assault initiative, “Time Up.” Harris also participated in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade in Los Angeles, serving as the grand marshal. During an interview Monday on “The View,” Lewis, a King mentee and fellow civil rights leader, commented on the racial violence that occurred last year in Charlottesville and its impact. “What happened then, made me very sad. I cried. I don’t want to go back, I want to go forward,” Lewis said. “I want it to continue to be part of an effort to make American one where we lay down the burden of race, the burden of hate and create one society and one people,” he continued, “because we live together in one house – the American House, the world house – where we must all learn to live together as brothers and sisters as Dr. King would put it, or perish as fools.” Lewis, who stands in firm op-

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position to President Trump on many fronts, said the civil rights movement taught its supporters to withdraw from evil and that given his sentiments about the nation’s commander in-chief, he says he still has doubts about the legitimacy of Trump’s victory. The veteran congressman added that while King’s daughter said she felt her father would have been open to meeting with Trump, he disagrees. “I knew her father very, very well,” he said. “I met him when I was 18 and working with him and getting to know him, I think he would have taken the same position I took [when Lewis refused to attend the opening late last year of the civil rights museum in Selma].” He further asserted that had King still been alive, Trump would not have ascended to the presidency. “Dr. King would have been able to lead us to a different place,” Lewis said. “Our country would be different and the world community would be different.” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, on his first day on the job, chose to spend part of the afternoon last Monday at Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond where many prominent 19th- and 20th-century African Americans, including Maggie Walker, are buried. Northam, accompanied by the cemetery’s owner and several community workers, bundled up for the cold weather to help rid the historic burial grounds of months – and in some cases, years – of overgrown brush and scattered debris. “First of all, I wish everyone a happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,” Northam said while walking through the 5,000-plot cemetery. “Dr. King spoke and taught us about the importance of unity and equality, and just to see everybody out here helping with the clean-up today, [reminds] us that we live in a diverse society where we’re all God’s people and that we need to be inclusive in Virginia so no one is singled out.” MLK

Despite his civic activism that took him both across the U.S. and around the world, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made it a priority to share special time with his family. /Photo courtesy Bernice King

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL The Unbelievable Truth About Trump’s Health President Donald Trump underwent a four-hour health exam last Friday. He had a team of 12 doctors involved. And, despite findings that he is overweight, has high cholesterol, he’s sleep deprived and needs more exercise, his primary physician says he is in excellent health. Most importantly, according to his physician, Trump’s cognitive health is “normal.” So why, a reporter asked, can Trump be considered in such great health when, at 71 years old, 6’3” and overweight at 239 pounds, he still eats McDonald’s often and gets very little exercise other than from playing frequents rounds of golf? “It’s called genetics,” his physician Dr. Ronny Jackson, explained. “I don’t know. Some people just have great genes. I told the president if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200 years old.” Like many Americans, Trump can elect to follow or ignore the advice of physicians who strongly encourage him to eat better and to exercise more. The American taxpayer ensures that he is given great healthcare despite his choice to ignore the advice of his doctors. And so, it makes sense why he wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act because improving the quality of health for most Americans means nothing more than having “good genes.” The rest will take care of itself. But most Americans are not so lucky and they don’t have access to great healthcare. Neither do they have 12, or even one doctor to oversee their healthcare annually. Past presidents knew this and realized the value of good healthcare for themselves and for all Americans. The dilemma of improving the American healthcare system and providing access to affordable healthcare was at the top of their agendas leading to a successful effort by former President Barrack Obama who successfully passed the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to the fast food-eating, diet soda-drinking, overweight Trump, the clock is turning backwards causing many Americans to become confused about the availability of affordable healthcare. Ignoring essential, life-saving healthcare advice while denying others access is clearly not a sign of someone with good cognitive health, despite Trump’s doctors’ findings. WI

White U.N. Soldiers Should Face Full Brunt of Law Several years ago, a contingency of soldiers and United Nations staff were sent to Central African Republic to stabilize the country after over a decade of civil war. They were sent there to help keep peace. Instead, these white peacekeepers sexually abused hundreds of girls, women and boys, according to child rights organizations and the United Nations’ own records. And despite many forms of lip service, the rapes continue. In 2014, after shocking allegations first began to surface, and after eventually acknowledged by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the newly-appointed leader of the U.N. promised that upon taking the helm in 2016, he would immediately crack down on the atrocities. Last September, he exclaimed: “Sexual exploitation and abuse have no place in our world. It is a global menace and it must end.” Since then, U.N. officials vowed to improve funding and staffing to address sexual abuse cases. But such lofty promises have meant nothing to those who have been and continue to be raped with impunity. One mother from Central African Republic shared her tale of horror about her 10-year-old son who was raped one year ago in Bouar, 300 miles from the nation’s capital city. The young boy remains, in her words, as “traumatized.” “I have realized that nothing must be expected from these white people,” she recently said to a USA Today reporter. “Now, I put everything in the hands of God.” While the Trump Administration focuses on “fake news,” “crooked Hillary,” and a new tax reform system that does little for Americans that need economic assistance the most, we call upon them, or perhaps sounder minds, to remove these rapists from their posts and have them face the full brunt of the law. The world, and America, should be ashamed. WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

TO THE EDITOR Ballou Success Tainted by Scandal Send Trump Back to His S…hole When I read in The Washington Informer last year about the success of the students at Ballou Senior High School, I was thrilled. One could only be extremely encouraged over the fact that the entire senior class had applied to college, which must have been a historical moment for the school. I know for a fact that there are too many young people across our city that never see higher education in their future and to have the assistance of school teachers and counselors to lead them through a college application must have been life-changing for many of those students. And now we hear that many of those same students did not meet the requirements for graduation. So where are they now? Will The Informer follow up on that story one year later? How many went to college and did they make it through the first semester? It’s a shame what is happening in our schools that teachers and administrators are taking shortcuts just like their students. I hope The Informer will continue to follow this story because education is extremely important to the success of our community.

How dare Donald Trump disgrace the land where even his own ancestors came from, if he truly knew the history of mankind. But in his effort to reduce the numbers of immigrants, many who are seeking refuge in the U.S., he used racist remarks to focus on those who from Africa and Haiti. I have close connections to the African community and I am always impressed by the high value they place on education. Their children, for the most part, are high achievers and they are never given the kind of recognition other ethnic groups get for their contributions to STEM and the financial sectors of this country. Mr. Trump should be ashamed, but more African Americans need to stand up against the racism that always seems to be directed at us. Jonathan Gray Hyattsville, MD

Valerie Buff Washington, DC

Readers' Mailbox

The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer. com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you.

JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 23 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Donna Edwards

Days of Selling Out Prince George’s Residents Must End

In my 35 years as a resident and taxpayer in Prince George’s County, I’ve watched developers and big-name companies work the process, securing favorable zoning decisions, taxpayer financing, and give little in return for our investment. To be sure, this is not true of every project and every developer, but we’ve had too many instances of under-the-table payments, favorable deals, and indicted and

convicted elected officials, some as recent as 2017. This is not who we are, and in 2018 it must change in order for us to make the kind of progress we deserve. For too long, we’ve seen some of our leaders selling out Prince George’s County to the highest bidder. In my campaign for County Executive, I have decided that I will not accept campaign contributions from developers because we need to turn the page, rid ourselves of a reputation for “pay to play.” My pledge should not be mistaken for shunning development, but I will lead by severing the umbilical

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cord of developer money that has often gotten in the way of good decision-making. The next era of progress in Prince George’s County must be built on transparency and accountability. We shouldn’t be afraid to hold the public and private sector accountable — whether it’s passing legislation to raise the minimum wage or negotiating project labor agreements and community benefit agreements for large-scale development projects. Systemic corruption happens when contracts are low-bid and workers are not paid wages that allow them to take care of them-

selves and their families. It happens when sole-source contracts go to the same handful of friends and political donors, cutting out minority-, women-, veteran-owned and local businesses and leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for lack of competition. Systemic corruption happens when patronage jobs are awarded with no accountability to the institutions of government or to taxpayers. This weakens our reputation and standing in the region and leaves hardworking people across our county struggling to keep up and without the quality services we’ve earned.

2018 is a turning point. We will grow our county by incentivizing positive economic development and opening up opportunities for those who have been shut out because they’ve chosen not to pay or because they haven’t paid enough. We will target development around our transportation hubs, reinvest in older, gateway communities, protect our cultural and environmental resources, expand participation of small and minority owned businesses, and pay workers a living wage so they

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By Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

As the world community observes and celebrates the 89th birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is important for Black America to assess how far we have come 50 years since the tragic brutal assassination of Dr. King in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. As a young worker for the

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), under the visionary leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. from 1963-1968 in North Carolina, I still have many vivid memories. I remember Dr. King’s admonition to “Stay focused on building an inclusive beloved community, and to not let evil in high places divert us from the pathway that will ensure freedom, justice and equality for all.” Today, as we acknowledge and pay tribute to Dr. King’s free-

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dom-fighting legacy, there are 47 million African Americans in the United States and more than a billion people of African descent in Africa, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia and in other places throughout the African diaspora. We are all called to remain vigilant and vocal in our unified demands for freedom, economic empowerment and equality. Let no vulgar utterance of “sh-hole,” racist rhetoric or arrogant

actions by evil in powerful high places divert our attention and focus from what we should be doing to continue our long struggle for liberation from centuries of abject oppression, slavery, poverty and racism. Dr. King, in his final years, had to consistently remind us that our struggle was local, national and international. One of King’s most famous quotes was, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” As we reflect and renew our commitments to the dream and

activism of Dr. King, we dare not become complacent or satisfied with the status quo of economic inequality and racial disparity in the U.S. and throughout the world. We dare not become comfortable with the growing unnatural climate disasters caused by environmental injustices and global warming. We dare not fall asleep amidst the welcomed resurgence of youth and student activism who

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By Keith Magee

Martin’s Birthday Sermon: The Negro Is Your Brother

As the world pauses to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the greatest African Americans, most conscious Americans are bowing our heads, though not in prayer. We are enraged that Donald Trump, who garnered the presidency through his “birther” inquisition, questioning President Barack Obama’s legitimacy and identity, continues to display vulgar bigotry, hatred and racism. He, and the GOP, have spent his first 360 days, literally, attempting to turning around the

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Obama administration’s policies to support the disenfranchising of non-White Americans and nations. Equally, many of us are appalled by the silence from the African-American “faith leaders” who flood the airwaves, pulpits and megachurch auditoriums with messages of deliverance, hope and prosperity in the face of this adversity and darkness. If we’ve ever needed “a Word” from the Lord, as a community, we sure do need it now. Yet as my grandmother would say, “you can hear a rat piss on cotton” from those leaders who have such stark messages that will free you from every defiling form of

deviant, lustful, immoral and heart-wrenching sin that will send you to the hell. Dr. King was a global humanitarian, yet his primary calling was as a prophet. He used his prophetic voices to spare not and cry aloud, addressing the concerns across racial identity, leading the charge for equality for the least advantaged. King and his contemporaries, jailed in Birmingham, understood that they weren’t just wrestling against being bitten by dogs, hosed down and lynchings, but there were principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places. And those high places had seats that affected public

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and social policy. In the book “Where Have All The Prophets Gone?,” Marvin McMickle reminds preachers that they have no right to preach prophetic words with their fists balled up and index fingers pointing out and pointing away from themselves. I contend that preachers all need to point a finger toward themselves and examine their calling. Jesus was a prophet who came to set at liberty them that were bruised. We can’t just deliver a superficial message of faith without works. Sitting in a s---hole because of injustice, Dr. King pens, “The Negro Is Your Brother,” commonly known as the Letter from

the Birmingham Jail. About the letter, McMickle says “King preaches from the prophetic text and becomes a prophet in our midst.” In the absence of any of the modern-day celebrated and proclaimed apostles, (arch) bishops, and right-reverends having a prophetic word, in response to the recent Trump debacle, we will let King preach for them this Sunday morning: “Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial ‘outside agitator’ idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Donna Fletcher

As a Parent, I’m My Child’s Biggest Advocate As a parent, I recognize that I am my children’s biggest advocate and I work hard to make sure that they have the best learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. When I relocated from Washington, D.C., to Florida, I struggled to find schools that were rigorous in their instruction, included strong community and parental involvement, provided a diverse selection of extracurricular activities, and offered the support services my children needed.

Eventually, I found a school that met the majority of my expectations, but that school was located in a different county. As a result, I relocated to an address within that area. With a background in education and familiarity with the District of Columbia Public Schools system (DCPS) through my older children, I constantly found myself comparing the materials being taught at my children’s elementary school to the lessons that were taught in DCPS over 15 years earlier. To my chagrin, my younger children were lagging far behind academically.

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Therefore, my search to find a more rigorous academic program led me to placing my younger children in a private, Christian-based school. However, I have found that while private schools promote a superior academic experience, in actuality, they lack more than they deliver. Academic rigor, community and parental involvement, extracurricular activities, and the passion needed to encourage the love of learning were all missing from the private school my children attended. Thus, my search continues. The new national education law,

the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), gives more power back to states to determine their own academic standards, but provides several grant opportunities to ensure school districts are implementing evidenced-based interventions to improve academic achievement. Student Support and Enrichment Grants combine several programs from No Child Left Behind to improve academic achievement by providing all students with funding for improved school conditions, well-rounded learning, and efficient use of technology. Title IV, Part B of ESSA also provides

opportunities for communities to expand or establish community learning centers, which provide a broad array of resources; including meaningful parent engagement. Florida has updated its academic standards in an attempt to align them with college-and-career-ready expectations twice, since 2011; the most recent update occurred in 2015. However, Florida’s ESSA plan does not explain the process through which updates have occurred. Florida does attempt to emphasize a well-rounded education

its ownership rules requiring a single incoming owner control at least 30 percent of the equity of the team to satisfy league rules and debt limits are capped at $250 million. That means one person must write a check for a minimum of $600 million to be controlling owner. Diddy’s net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $820 million. Though undoubtedly wealthy and backed by other well-heeled celebrities — NBA star (and Charlotte native) Stephen Curry

tweeted to Diddy: “I want in.” — he’ll need more than just Curry to buy the Panthers. In whatever deal that comes about for the Panthers, the city of Charlotte is a player. The city council approval of $87.5 million in public money keeps the Panthers in town through the 2018 season. While Steph and Diddy count names, the Carolinas has a pool of potential owners for the Pan-

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By William Reed

Is Diddy’s NFL Talk Just Hot Air?

The Carolina Panthers football team is for sale, and several high-profile Blacks have offered to join an ownership group to make a bid. Among them is Sean “Diddy” Combs, who hopes to remedy the league’s lack of minority owners by throwing his hat into the ring. Former Baltimore Colts tight

end Jerry Richardson has owned the Panthers since they joined the NFL in 1993, but announced plans to sell the franchise amid allegations of workplace “misconduct” by the 81-year-old. For his part, Diddy promises an entrance as conspicuous as Richardson’s exit, vowing to bring in Colin Kaepernick in hopes of reviving his career: “I will immediately address the Colin Kaepernick situation and put him in the running for next year’s starting quarterback.”

Askia-At-Large

Of course, there’s the matter of the price tag. One of the problems that come up with African Americans owning these teams is that they’re so expensive. The average NFL franchise is valued at $2.3 billion and the league has very tight restrictions on ownership. And despite Diddy’s plea for “affirmative action,” NFL ownership remains a billionaire’s game. Forbes magazine values the Panthers at $2.3 billion. In recent years, the NFL has altered

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By Askia Muhammad

Trump’s Money Can’t Buy Class

It doesn’t matter care what kind of denials they throw up, I am convinced that Donald J. Trump is a tramp. A bum. Even though he’s got plenty of money, and is not homeless, that makes him a well-spoken, educatedat-the-best-schools-tramp. He’s a well-dressed bum, a ne’er-dowell, someone who is not to be trusted. In less than one year in office, he has told more than 2,000 lies or misrepresentations. That amounts to more than 5.5 lies

per day! He’s just a no-good, lying tramp. But with the revelations that dude’s lawyer paid off a porn star named Stormy Daniels $130,000 one month before the 2016 presidential election to keep her from revealing the proof of her affair with him in 2006 — his wife Melania was pregnant at the time with their son Barron at the time — it proves that (in the words of the street hustlers) the guy is a “trick,” as in a “john,” a “mark,” a “buster,” a “sucker.” Tricks are the customers who patronize prostitutes. They are whoremongers. That’s just what Donald J. Trump is, a whore-

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monger. He is a person of low repute. In 2006, it also appears that a former Playboy model named Karen McDougal says she also had an affair with Donald Trump in 2006. McDougal reportedly sold the exclusive rights to her story to the National Enquirer for $150,000 shortly before the election. The Enquirer never ran the story. Guess who’s a close friend of the CEO of the newspaper’s parent company? The guy has a reputation for (and he boasted of doing it during the infamous “Access Hollywood” interview with Billy Bush) bursting into the dressing rooms as Miss America beauty contestants were in various

stages of undress, so he could “inspect the merchandise,” so to speak. He’s a slutty dude and a whoremonger. Which brings us to the socalled Russian “dossier?” The Donald vehemently denies the account in a report secretly prepared by a former British MI-5 agent, and at first financed by money from the Republican National Committee. The RNC was worried that Russian agents might be able to blackmail the slimy candidate, so they commissioned the report, and then dropped their funding of it midway through the investigation. The Democratic Party and the Clinton

campaign stepped in and funded the report’s completion. It seems “the dossier” contains a salacious report that this trampy whoremonger who boasted of groping women hired a couple of prostitutes while he was in Moscow, paying them to urinate in a bed in a hotel room where President Obama and his wife once slept. While he denies that “peepee” report, the loudest of all the scandals swirling around his filthy nest he calls a life, the behavior is consistent with his style, his slutty modus operandi. He’s just that kind of a lowlife

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JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 25 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

LIFESTYLE ‘Jefferson’s Garden’ Addresses America’s Contradictions New Ford’s Theatre Play Part of Women’s Voices Festival

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir Women take center stage, as the director, playwright and leading actors in a new play, “Jefferson’s Garden,” which opens this week at Ford’s Theatre and serves as part

of Washington’s Women’s Voices Theatre Festival. The showcase of original works by female writers continues on more than 25 local professional stages through February. With the American Revolution as the backdrop, the play, written

by Timberlake Wertenbaker and directed by Nataki Garrett, provides a view of historical fiction which examines the contradictions between our Founding Fathers’ ideals and the realities of freedom. Christian, a Quaker pacifist, defies his family to fight in the Revolution while Susannah, an enslaved woman, feels compelled to fight for the British after being promised her freedom should the Brits win the fight. The paths of the two protagonists cross with many figures whose names have become foundational to early American history: Sally and James Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and George Mason. Along the way, we witness the unfolding of the many compromises America made after initially professing the promise of equality for all. “The American revolutionaries fought for freedom and spoke of hope but there was a deep contradiction at the heart of their rhetoric,” Wertenbaker said. “It seemed to me that this particular moment in American history is when the fault lines were laid, when the definition of freedom was corrupted. These are fault lines we suffer from today.” Garrett, a D.C. native who grew up in the Bay Area, says that while Jefferson appeared to be onto something, it was “not enough to help my people.” “I hope our audiences will ask 3 Playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker and director Nataki Garrett (both seated) with the design team for “Jefferson’s Garden.” Second Row: Jennifer L. Nelson (Dramaturgy), Ivania Stack (Costume Design), Anne Nesmith (Hair and Wigs), Laura Mroczkowski (Lighting), Milagros Ponce de Leon (Scenic Design) and John Gromada (Sound Design). / Photo by Carolina Dulcey.

5 “Jefferson’s Garden” director Nataki Garrett with Costume Designer Ivania Stack at Ford’s Theatre. /Photo by Carolina Dulcey.

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5 Felicia Curry plays Susannah, an enslaved woman who is tempted to fight for the British when they promise her freedom. /Photo by Christopher Mueller.

themselves, who am I in this story, where do I fit in its history and how do I continue to support or dismantle the consequences of history today in the 21st century?” she said. “During my work on this play, I discovered a kind of reverence for idealism,” she said. “Before, I thought more in terms of absolutes. Jefferson, because he was a slave master, had to also be a hypocrite. But then I wondered how was he able to inscribe such amazing language?” “The paradox is that it existed within the same body. God clearly used him to write the Declaration of Independence. But he was still a human being and therefore flawed. That doesn’t remove the fact that the ideas which he penned so elegantly are still what we wished for and for which we still wish in these turbulent, troubling times.” The production features Christopher Dinolfo as Christian and Felicia Curry as Susannah, with Christopher Bloch, Michael Kevin Darnall, Kimberly Gilbert, Michael Halling, Thomas Keegan, Kathryn Tkel and Maggie Wilder. The director of “Jefferson’s Garden,” Garrett, previously displayed

her talents for D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre in the recent production, “An Octoroon.” She currently serves as associate artistic director of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company. “I am excited that Timberlake [one of the United Kingdom’s leading playwrights who makes her Ford’s Theatre directorial debut] has chosen to address the question of freedom through the experience of both the Quaker immigrants like Christian’s family – who come to this new land in search of hope and possibility, fleeing persecution and the enslaved characters in the play – whose freedom is relegated to the perception of their value in this newly-formed republic,” Garrett added. “Jefferson’s Garden” is recommended for ages 15 and older. The performance is 2 hours and 30 minutes including an intermission. For more information on Ford’s Theatre and the Ford’s Theatre Society, visit www.fords.org. EDITOR’S NOTE: Look for our review of the play and an in-depth conversation with actress Felicia Curry who serves in the role of Susannah in next week’s edition. WI

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Vanessa Williams Headlines Annual MLK Day Concert By Eve M. Ferguson WI Contributing Writer While songstress Vanessa Wil liams may have seemed a peculiar choice to perform for Monday’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. birthday concert, “Let Freedom Ring” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, she was perhaps the best suited in the event’s 16-year history. She has not only walked the walk, she has talked the talk, and according to the amazingly timeless singer, her musical selection for the free concert was “very carefully curated for appropriate songs.” While many of us remem ber how she won, then lost, the Miss America crown, Williams truly 27 made the most of adversity, becoming a popular singer, actress and Broadway star. Her albums “The Right Stuff,” “The Comfort Zone,” and “The Sweetest Days” received multiple Grammy nominations. Her 1994 Broadway debut in “Kiss of the Spider Woman” became a box-office sensation, and she continued to star as the Witch in “Into the Woods” in 2002, “The Trip to Bountiful” in 2013 and “After Midnight” in 2014. But between her movies, re cords and Broadway shows, Williams also won seven NAACP Image Awards and was honored with the Human Rights Campaign Ally for Equality Award for her work on behalf of the gay and minority communities. Beginning her set with her hit “Dreaming,” Williams, looking

stunning in a floor-length black sequined gown, went on to sing works that reflected the aims of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., perhaps the most famous dreamer. Her song “Colors of the Wind,” from the Disney animated film “Pocahontas” won the Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. “Tonight is about dreams, peace and love,” she commented before singing her soulful ballad, “Love Is,” and “Children Will Listen” from “Into the Woods.” She also graciously turned over the mic to her backup singers and fellow Broadway star Carmen Ruby Floyd. Following Williams’ tribute to Lena Horne, whom she called a “great activist,” Floyd performed Duke Ellington’s “Creole Love Song,” which has no words, but Floyd’s dramatic facial expressions and stellar vocals drew rousing applause from the audience. Floyd will appear in the Broadway production of “Hello Dolly” in February. Williams ended her set with two songs backed by Georgetown University’s “Let Freedom Ring” choir directed by Rev. Nolan Williams Jr., who started off the concert with an impassioned speech about inclusion and King’s work. The set-closers were “If There Were No Song,” from Williams’ latest album, “The Real Thing,” followed by “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” The annual John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award was given to Steve Park, who sat with the renowned basketball coach in

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the VIP box, for the work done through his Little Lights Ministries. The organization serves children and adults living in Potomac Gardens, Hopkins Terrace and Benning Terrace public housing projects. His work, along with his wife Mary Park, focuses on enrichment activities for children and their parents living in Ward 8 whose incomes often fall below $12,000 a year. It was established in 1995 inspired by a 13-yearold child Park met who could not read. The urban ministry is dedicated to enhancing the lives of at-risk and underprivileged children. Park and his family moved to Anacostia, where they still reside, in order to be closer to the families they serve. WI

LIFESTYLE

5 Vanessa Williams /Courtesy photo

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LIFESTYLE PARADE from Page 1 The walk began from there, led by female faith leaders singing “We Shall Overcome.” “We are out here to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the single-most important man with the most important message in the second half of the 20th century,” said Keith Silver, who cochaired the event with Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes. “Dr. King was a world renowned leader, but more than that, he was a friend to Washington, D.C. Dr. King used to come here as a friend of Walter Fauntroy for the call of DC Home, which was a forerunner to the DC Statehood movement.” Participants braved sub-freezing temperatures, which Barnes said were a welcome reminder that change doesn’t come without sacrifice. “We have this little chill, this little bite in the air, but it’s all right because we are going to have a great day, and this great day is going to give us the warmth and energy to keep on moving,” she said. Barnes and WJLA-TV reporter Sam Ford served as announcers for

the parade, as a number of groups ranging from the Garfield Elementary School band to students from Malcolm X Elementary marched in honor of King. Just before the march began, Moma Sandy Morgan asked participants old enough to remember where they were when King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. “I remember in Washington, D.C., when they contacted Petty Green to go on the air and calm the people down because of the burning on 3rd Street and 14th Street and ruining our own community and our own stores,” Morgan said. And now, 50 years after King’s death, the same corridors that were gutted in anger by people stuck in poverty are now lined with multimillion-dollar housing complexes. Even at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Morris Road in Southeast, the crumbling old homes from a different era have been replaced by new buildings and construction cranes. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton had to pause and take note of the emerging skyline as she walked the parade route. The venerable District politician also took a moment to address

5 (L-R) Total Sunshine, Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, MLK Event Organizer Stuart Anderson, and News Channel 8 Broadcaster Sam Ford pause for a photo-op after a successful Martin Luther King Jr. Day Peacewalk and Parade in Southeast on Monday, Jan. 15. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

President Donald Trump’s Trump’s recent alleged slur of Haiti and African countries while expressing his desire to halt immigration to the U.S. from certain regions of the world. “President Trump couldn’t have chosen a more inappropriate time, if there was ever an appropriate time, to make disparaging remarks about people of color through the world,” Norton said. “As we march today, we are making a statement that we stand for the King of love and not for Trump.”

Norton was trailed along the parade route by the same Metropolitan Police Department motorcycle unit that guides and protects the president every day. Mayor Murial Bowser was next, with a happy gang of followers passing out green beads and wearing green beanies. “This is a great celebration of Martin Luther King with all eight wards of the city,” said Bowser who was joined by several Cabinet members, including Tommy Wells, head of the DC Department of Energy and the Environ-

ment. Wells, who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, said a part of King’s legacy that resonates with him is the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” a document that an imprisoned King wrote urging white clergy in Alabama to get involved in the civil rights movement. D.C Council member Vincent Gray (Ward 7) said that one of the things King pushed hard for was to get people jobs and that he and fellow lawmakers today “need to do more to make that happen.” WI

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BORN TO BE GREAT By the time she’s ready to attend college, the majority of all jobs will require education and training beyond high school. Jobs in healthcare, community services, and STEM will grow the fastest among occupational clusters. To be ready for these jobs of the future, students in grades K-12 need learning experiences that meet them where they are, engage them deeply, let them progress at a pace that meets their individual needs, and helps them master the skills for today and tomorrow.

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The Every Student Succeeds Act empowers parents like you to make sure that the opportunity for a great education is the standard for every student. To get involved, visit www.nnpa.org/essa. © 2018 National Newspaper Publishers Association. All rights reserved

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LIFESTYLE

Rev. Jeremiah Wright Still a Champion for the People

Stroke Has Not Slowed Controversial Pastor’s Fight for Justice By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

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For more than 25 years, the second Sunday in January has been known as “Jeremiah Wright Sunday” at the historic Andrew Rankin Chapel on the Howard University campus. That is his spot on the scheduled kickoff of the annual birthday observance for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “The teaching of our speaker has not changed. Each speaking moment is special,” Bernard L. Richardson, dean of Howard University’s Rankin Chapel and associate professor for Pastoral Care and Counseling, said about the man of the hour, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright. This preaching moment was even more special because 16 months ago, Wright suffered a major stroke, paralyzing the left side of this body and causing a cardiac challenge. Because of his medical condition, he was not able to make his annual trek to Rankin Chapel in 2017. But on Sunday, Jan. 14, the room was packed with eager congregants at Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University, where the annual service was held this year because of infrastructure damage sustained on the Howard University campus during the region’s recent frigid weather. How would Wright look? What would he sound like? Wright was rolled onto the stage with the other participating clergy. From his wheelchair, in a raspy but clear voice, he said, “The devil thought he had me, but God kept me in my right mind.” Wright has always been revered as one who can translate lessons in the Bible to the current environment by his contemporaries and by those preachers coming behind him. He did just that in his King Week sermon, connecting his theme of “Take a Knee” to a passage from I Samuel 7:6-12. He told parishioners that Bible scholars saw two glaring points in the selected scripture, First, the people of God were shown to worship the gods of their oppressors. Second, the scripture has a feeling of “terror text” which Wright citing the contemporary embracing of the flag in America. “We worship money, bling bling, guns, killing, sex, and some Black folks even worship Number 45,” said Wright breaking down the scripture’s message. “You cannot

WRIGHT Page 40 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

5 Rev. Jeremiah Wright /Photo courtesy Rankin Chapel photographer

5 Rev. Jeremiah Wright greets parishioners following his sermon at the Rankin Chapel service at Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University on Jan. 14. /Photo courtesy Rankin Chapel photographer

5 Howard University alumnus and award-winning composer Richard Smallwood leads the combined choirs in performing his anthem “Total Praise.” /Photo courtesy Rankin Chapel photographer

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LIFESTYLE

wi A book review

Horoscopes

ARIES Things seem to be progressing well for you, and this trend continues over this week with a sterling set of influences aiding your journey to success. Now can be an opportunity to make that big push you’ve been dreaming of, especially as the new moon is perfectly placed to aid you in your quest and help your plans blossom. There is a shift to a lighter and more easygoing zone that encourages you to socialize and enjoy mingling with others, which can be beneficial. Lucky Numbers: 3, 14, 23

“So You Want to Talk about Race”

TAURUS You seem to be able to accomplish so much when you join forces with others. This week, a very dynamic aspect involving upbeat Jupiter and intense Pluto could see you taking a step forward that has positive consequences for the future. And with a sizzling new moon encouraging you to leave your comfort zone, things are certainly looking good. A shift in focus to your sector of goals and ambitions on Jan. 17 could mean that you’re ready to take on new responsibilities. Lucky Numbers: 1, 23, 57

by Ijeoma Oluo c.2018, Seal Press $27 ($35 Canada) 248 pages

GEMINI Something you’ve desired for a long time could come to fruition this week. Or you might have an opportunity to get moving on a plan or business idea that could be very lucrative. Still, it would help to keep your feet on the ground and not have too many expectations. With lovely Venus entering your sector of far horizons on Jan. 17, followed by the sun on Jan. 19, you could feel moved to research travel options or anything else that lets you unwind. Lucky Numbers: 5, 36, 46

So You Want to Talk About Race By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer It’s all there in front of you. Plain as day. Plain as the nose on your face with nothing left to tell, it’s all in black and white — or is it? When it comes to racism, says author Ijeoma Oluo, it’s complicated, and in her new book “So You Want to Talk About Race,” there may be shades of gray. In a world of White supremacy, Ijeoma Oluo’s “Blackness is woven” into her life, her preferences, her comfort level. When she was a child growing up in Seattle, her Blackness led to questions, because her mother is White. As a student, it affected Oluo’s education and that bothered her. Even so, she didn’t talk about it much until “something inside me began to shift.” She began to realize that racism was the root of what was making her so uncomfortable. But is it “really about race”? It is, Oluo says, “if a person of color thinks it is...” or if it “disproportionately or differently affects people of color.” Part of the problem here, she says, is that we can’t agree on a definition of racism. It’s something “that we have to talk about...” And yet, she says (mostly to White people), “You’re going to screw this up” by saying the wrong thing. Even the most well-meaning person can verbally blunder and you can fix your faux pas, or you can make things worse. Complicating matters, you must be mindful of intersectionality, because no one is singular. “And it all starts with conversation,” says Oluo. That people of color are “disproportionately criminalized” is not “all in our heads” and Driving While Black is a real thing. Black students need affirmative action to level a long playing field. Our school systems, she says, must learn “cultural sensitivity for black and brown children.” Cultural appropriation isn’t just something that happens to African Americans. No, you can’t touch Oluo’s hair. No, you can’t say the N-word, but you can fight racism, though “it is not at all fun.” When Oluo says that her book is going to make you uncomfortable, sit down. She’s not lying to you. “So You Want to Talk About Race” is squirmy. Though White America is obviously who Oluo is talking to here, she ultimately speaks to people of all races as she points out the fine lines we all walk: what’s insulting to one person is not to another and hurts can run entirely along racial lines. Here, though, Oluo helps navigate the waters with keep-your-mouth-shut advice on one hand and tips on how to speak out without being unintentionally racist on the other. To do it, she uses candor, anger, exasperation and — though she says she’s not feeling funny — some humorous stories to illustrate the many analogies for which she reaches. Overall, this book will do exactly what its author sets out to do: it’ll spark conversation and it’ll make you think. “So You Want to Talk About Race” proves that black and white isn’t always clear at all. WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

JAN 18 - 24, 2018

CANCER Connecting with or working alongside others can be a very positive and lucrative experience. With a sparkling aspect between lively Jupiter and intense Pluto, much can be accomplished when you team up with others on your wavelength. And the new moon in your sector of relating can help any endeavor get off to the best possible start. As the week progresses, your attention could shift to business affairs and financial matters, and you might be ready to sort out any key issues. Lucky Numbers: 2, 12, 17 LEO This week, you might be ready to take a step forward toward a health or work goal that you have been researching for some time. You can get things off to the best possible start. This could be an especially busy time, but there is a shift in focus from Jan. 17, when luscious Venus enters your sector of relating, followed by the sun on Jan. 19. This could see you enjoying more social activities. Lucky Numbers: 40, 47, 52 VIRGO Romance, creativity, and leisure activities seem to be a major focus. This week, though, a very special aspect could see you acting on an idea whose time has come. This might be a creative opportunity that takes your business or work to a new level, and so it could be very important to you. With a new moon urging you on, this could be one of the best times to make your move. From Jan. 17, health and fitness could also be a priority. Lucky Numbers: 7, 25, 58 LIBRA The coming week could see you forging ahead with a major plan on the home front. The new moon in Capricorn can be a great asset in this regard, so it would certainly be worth taking that first step. At the same time, it would be helpful to keep your feet on the ground and be mindful of costs. As the focus shifts to your sector of leisure and pleasure on Jan. 17, you can get great enjoyment from creative hobbies and romantic opportunities. Lucky Numbers: 3, 33, 38 SCORPIO Your mind may be working overtime, but this could be the reason that so many opportunities are now showing up for you. One could become a priority when benevolent Jupiter aligns with potent Pluto in your sector of communication this week. The new moon in this same zone encourages you to share your plans with others to get the support you need. However, the focus shifts to home and family affairs on Jan. 17. It’s time to indulge in some self-care and pampering. Lucky Numbers: 6, 13, 35 SAGITTARIUS An idea that may have come to you in a dream or as an intuitive nudge seems to take on greater importance this week. This can be an opportunity to take things to the next level by thinking about how you can make it a reality. The new moon in your personal financial zone can help you kick-start this process. Communication and interaction become important from Jan. 17, with some sterling encounters opening new doors for you. Lucky Numbers: 14, 18, 50 CAPRICORN The week ahead could be a turning point for you, with a wonderful aspect between adventurous Jupiter and intense Pluto paving the way for positive developments. There is also a new moon in your sign encouraging you to step out and act. As it’s the best moon of the year for you, using it to help you fulfill a dream can bring the rewards you’re hoping for, especially at this auspicious time. From Jan. 17, money and finances could become more of a priority. Lucky Numbers: 24, 26, 43 AQUARIUS Listening to your gut feelings can be the way ahead this week, particularly if you’re about to launch a major project. As positive Jupiter aligns with fervent Pluto, your instincts could play a big part in how matters unfold. Also, there is a very positive focus as luscious Venus and the sun move into your sign on Jan. 17 and Jan. 19, respectively. This can feel like a rebirth and a chance to get going on other projects that have been on the back burner. Lucky Numbers: 25, 34, 39 PISCES Your social life continues to be busy, and you seem to be deriving so much enjoyment from it. This week brings a golden opportunity to bring a dream to life, especially if you collaborate with friends or others on your wavelength. A new moon in your sector of friendship means this could be the perfect time to kickstart such a project. The focus shifts to a more secluded sector of your chart on Jan. 17. The coming four weeks are a time to relax and reflect. Lucky Numbers: 5, 10, 28

JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 31 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

CAPTURE THE MOMENT

King Day: A Time for Service, Silence and Successful Celebration 4 Residents from across the Washington Metropolitan area participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Peacewalk on Jan. 15 in Southeast. /Photo courtesy of Maurice Fitzgerald for the Martin Luther King Committee

5 The Martin Luther King Jr. Peacewalk and Parade Committee host a health fair Jan. 15 at the Barry Farms Recreation Center in Southeast. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter

5 ANACOSTIA MEETS THE NEW BLACK WALL STREET

To kick-off the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, a coalition of Ward 8 business owners partnered to host “The New Black Wall Street PopUp Social and Fish Fry” at Check It Enterprises on Jan. 12 in Southeast. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter 4 The Ujamaa School Drummers which includes (L-R) Khensu Huyehinsen, Yao P, Kofi Zulu, Ezenwa Egaim, Jawanza Zulu, Kwasi Davis and Nazir Hutchinsen performed Jan. 13 at the Oxon Hill Library for the celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. /Photo by Demetrious Kinney

32 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

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SPORTS Bucks Drop Wizards in D.C. for 2nd Time This Month By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points and grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks over the Washington Wizards 104-95 at Capital One Arena on Monday, the second time this month the Bucks have come away from D.C. victorious. Washington, playing at home on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday for the fifth straight year, was in a charitable mood, committing a season-high 24 turnovers. The Bucks, on the end of a back-to-back after a road loss Sunday to the Miami Heat, had 14 steals Monday and scored 25

points off Wizards turnovers. Milwaukee also had 20 second-chance points. “That’s the key,” Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said of his team’s sloppy play. “It’s hard to win that way.” Although shooting guard Bradley Beal scored 19 points, he only shot 1-for-7 from the 3-point line and committed seven turnovers. Beal and backcourt mate John Wall took 39 of the Wizards’ 76 field goal attempts, or about 52 percent. Small forward Otto Porter Jr., who missed the 104-95 home loss to Milwaukee on Jan. 6 because of a right hip injury and back tightness, scored eight points on 3-for-8 shooting from the field Monday. Porter, who logged 31 minutes

1. Theodore Roosevelt (17-2) (DCSAA)

D.C. High School Basketball By Daniel Kucin Jr. WI Contributing Writer @danielkucin88 Each week and for the duration of the season, The Washington Informer will feature our choices for the top five high school basketball programs in the greater Washington area, specifically the DCIAA (District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association) and the WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference), for their efforts based upon win/loss record, strength of schedule and winning streak:

The Roughriders secured their 10th consecutive win after taking down Ballou Senior High School (Washington, D.C.), 88-52, on Jan. 12. Six-foot-four junior center Darius Buchanan led the way in the contest with 15 points, more than twice his season average of 6 ppg.

2. Gonzaga (12-1) (WCAC)

Gonzaga is still hot after defeating DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Md.) 71-62 on Jan. 11 for its 12th win of the season. Eagles senior forward Terrance Williams went off for a double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against the Stags. Williams currently leads Gonzaga in scoring so far this season (17.8 points per game) while senior forward Myles Dread and sophomore point guard Chuck Harris are averaging in dou-

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5 Washington Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) slams two of his 18 points against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 15 at Capital One Arena in Northwest. /Photo by John De Freitas

Monday, said he’s on a minutes restriction as he recovers, but doesn’t know exactly what that restriction is. “The more I play, the more [I] get back in rhythm,” he said. “I’m just trying to get back legs back. Work on my core. Just try to be available.” Brooks said Porter needs to figure out how “to get himself open” to receive more shot attempts.

Antetokounmpo, who ranks in the league’s top 15 in double-doubles, picked up where he left off earlier this month against Washington, when he dominated the Wizards in a 34-point, 12-rebound performance. The Wizards also had problems Monday containing Bucks point guard Eric Bledsoe, who scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 23 overall.

ble-figures per contest up to this point.

Senior shooting point guard Rasheed Gatling leads Dunbar in scoring on the season, averaging over 16 ppg.

3. Thurgood Marshall Academy (11-6) (DCSAA)

Thurgood Marshall is on a twogame winning streak after dropping Paul Public Charter School (Washington, D.C.) by 35 points on Jan. 9 and Parkside High (Washington, D.C.) by 27 on Jan. 12. Senior small forward Darius Richardson led his team in scoring with 23 points with eight rebounds and senior guard Savion Gallion scored 18 points against Parkside and accounted for six rebounds and two assists.

4. Dunbar (11-6) (DCSAA)

Dunbar dismantled Anacostia High School (Washington, D.C.), 65-19, on Jan. 10. Senior guard Ahmad McKeithan led the Crimson Tide in scoring with 15 points, while senior Husain Mubah-Neal and junior Tyrek Simmons scored 10 points each.

5. Woodrow Wilson (12-8) (DCSAA)

Despite the loss, Wall called it “an honor” to play on King’s birthday, particularly in D.C. “Plus, [with] my dad being from here and living here and growing up, it’s a blessing,” said Wall, who had 27 points along with nine assists. “We are all still sticking to what he had with this dream, and we are just trying to get everything to be right with it. To be able to play in this city is an honor, with some much great things going on here.” The Wizards began a fivegame, 11-day road trip Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets. Washington’s next home will be Jan. 30 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. WI

The Washington Informer Top 5 is strictly based upon the opinions of The Washington Informer sports division and will run throughout the duration of the DCIAA and WCAC basketball seasons. WI

5 Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (2) drives to the basket to attempt a layup against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 15 at Capital One Arena in Northwest. /Photo by John De Freitas

Woodrow Wilson defeated Capital Christian Academy (Upper Marlboro, Md.) in a gritty dogfight, 66-64, on Jan. 13. Sophomore shooting guard Dimingus Stevens led the Tigers in scoring with 20 points, but it was the play of junior point guard Carlos Dunn that stole the show in the second half. Dunn, who finished the game with 15 points, scored seven in the fourth quarter, including a late go-ahead free throw, earning him MVP honors.

JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 33 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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5 Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter. /Photo courtesy Getty Images

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LIVES from Page 1 matter little to law enforcement officials. In 2017, police killed 1,129 individuals and officers were only charged with a crime in 1 percent of those cases, according to the report. Of the 1,129 killed, 27 percent were Black, despite African-Americans making up just 13 percent of the U.S. population. The statistics from the Mapping Police Violence report revealed that in 631 of the incidents, officers were responding to nonviolent offenses or when no crime had been reported at all. Eighty-seven killed had stopped for a simple traffic violation. Most of those unarmed who were killed were individuals of color, the report noted. Incredibly, there were only 14 days in 2017 when no one

was killed by a law enforcement officer. Cullors’ book asks readers to remember that protest in the interest of the most vulnerable comes from love. She and the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement have been called terrorists, but in truth, they are loving women whose life experiences have led them to seek justice for those victimized by the powerful, Cullors said. “I am grateful for all the positive and moving reviews this book has been given thus far,” she said. “I’m so honored Amazon gave the book a number 1 release. “We must continue to challenge a country that kills Black people with impunity and #BlackLivesMatter has stood up courageously to some of the most powerful government agencies in this country,” Cullors said. “I hope this book

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reinvigorates our work across the globe.” Co-written with award-winning author and journalist Asha Bandele, the 272-page book sees Cullors reflecting on her life growing up in Van Nuys, California, surrounded by a devoted family and supportive friends, weaving her experiences into the larger picture of how predominantly marginalized neighborhoods are under constant systemic attack. “To call the founders of BLM terrorists is an unconscionable lie,” said Michael Eric Dyson kn a review of the book. “This strikingly beautiful memoir puts the lie to the notion that Black Lives Matter comes from anything other than a place of love — love of self, community, people, and, ultimately, the very soul of a Democratic nation. “BLM seeks to acknowledge the truth, and Patrisse Cullors’ story is a moral example to the nation,” Dyson said. Kryss Shane, a social media consultant, copywriter, author and social worker, said that while it can be easy to assume someone is just out to make money, it should be remembered that Cullors is the voice of a movement, with a platform that affects many. Shane said Cullors should have a publicist vet media members seeking interviews and comments. “Cullors cannot possibly be expected to make short statements each time that fully encompass her much larger and lengthier experiences, points, and goals,” Shane said. “Her encouragement that people read her book is not self-focused, it is allowing people to know that there is more she’d like to say and where they can go to hear those words, if they so choose.” WI

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RELIGION THE RELIGION CORNER

Try Something New in 2018!

with Lyndia Grant For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. — Jeremiah 29:11 The new year is upon us, therefore there is time for each of us to think of “Something New in 2018!” Why go through life doing the same old thing, day after day, month after month, and year after year? It is not beneficial to continue to live your lives without new experiences. We would not have moved up from kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade without learning something new each and every year! Did you notice when you did not study your math well, and you barely passed the course, it was quite difficult the next grade? In fact, some of you probably had to get some tutoring sessions either from an after-school program, a family member or even a paid tutor. Learning at every level to the best of your ability was and still is a must.

Does this topic bring some new and exciting things to mind that you are interested in? My older brother, who is now 72 years old, has decided to go to the local community college to learn how to use his computer. Though he has put this off all of his life, it has suddenly become of interest to him. He will do just fine. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear! Let’s take a look at some examples that you can relate to. Col. Sanders is best known for creating a fried chicken recipe that would become the world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken. Sanders focused on franchising his fried chicken business around the country, collecting a payment for each chicken sold to eventually become the world’s largest fast-food chicken chain. Each of us can do more than we think we can. How many of you have heard the story of the elephant with the chain around its ankle? An elephant can be held by only a small chain tied to its front leg. No cages. Clearly the elephants could, at any time, break away from the chain, yet for some reason, they won’t. Even with a trainer nearby, these elephants would still not try to break the chain. So when researching this subject, you’ll learn that when elephants are very young and much smaller, someone can use the same sized rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grew up, they have already become conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never attempt to break free.

These animals could at any time break free from their bonds, but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were. How many of us — like those elephants — go through life hanging on to a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? Les Brown taught all of us Les Brown Speakers that we must fail our way to success. He told us that each time we fail, we will learn not to do that same thing again the next time, thus we will be moving ourselves forward. Failure is not an option. It will happen to everyone. It is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life. My challenge to each of you is to try something new this year! In the words of the late, great Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, “If it is to be, it’s up to me!” WI Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest Foggy 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.

Mt. Zion Baptist Church Reverend John W. Davis Pastor

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.

5101 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089

1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.) Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m. “A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold”

Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com

www.mtzbcdc.org

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JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 35 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor

Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor 9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 Fax: 301-499-8724

700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849 Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00am 5th Sundays: 9:30am 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30pm

Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 a.m. 7 10:00 a.m. Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Crusader Baptist Church

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., Pastor

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor

Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor

Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor

2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org

800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703

4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30am 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00am Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30pm Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00am “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45am Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00pm Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment

1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661

Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00am Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30pm Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org “God is Love”

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Third Street Church of God

Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors

Drs. Dennis W. & Christine Y. Wiley Pastors

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor

Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor

4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax

3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) (202) 562-4219 (Fax)

5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555

1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office 202-638-1803 fax

610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00am Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30pm

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30pm (dinner @ 5:30pm) Sunday School: 9:00am – Hour of Power

Blessed Word of Life Church

www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org

“An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantbaptistdc.org

Campbell AME Church

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 am Sunday Church School: 8:45 am Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 pm Thursday: 7: pm “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: faithdefender@verizon.net

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org

Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00am Worship Service: 10:00am Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45pm Thur. Bible Study: 7:15pm

(Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 am Communion every Sunday: 11:00 am Sunday School: 10:00 am Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 pm Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com

Mount Carmel Baptist Church Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor

Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher

Service and Times Sunday School 8 – 9 AM Worship Service 9 – 11 AM Tuesday Night Bible Study 6:30 – 8:00 PM Wednesday Daytime Bible Study 11 AM – 12:30 PM

“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 am

Sunday Worship Service: 8 AM and 10:45am Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45am; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45am; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6am & 6:30pm Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org emailus@gmchc.org

St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us...

Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor

Turning Hearts Church

4275 4th Street, S.E. Washington, DC 20034 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445

Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45am Church School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45am Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 pm Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30am

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:20 a.m. Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net

Twelfth Street Christian Church

Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10am

36 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

themcbc.org

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church

All Nations Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor

7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471

2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591

2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730

Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Service 11:00 a.m. Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com

Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:15AM Sunday School: 9:00am Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7PM: Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church Shall; Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, and Exalt Our Savior. (Acts 2:41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org

St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 pm Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

Israel Baptist Church

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office • (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!

623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 Fax (202) 483-4009

4504 Gault Place, N.E. Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00pm www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

“Where Jesus is the King”

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288

1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org

5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10: am Holy Communion: First Sunday 10: am Sunday School: 9: am Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30pm Motto: "Faith On The Hill"

Mount Moriah Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 P.M Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 P.M. Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

New Commandment Baptist Church

Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor

Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964

8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240

13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 am and 10:45 am Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 am & 10:45 am Sunday School: 9:30 am Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 pm Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 pm Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 pm

Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM

Rehoboth Baptist Church

“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org

Salem Baptist Church

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor

Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 am Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 am Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 am Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 pm

Emmanuel Baptist Church

“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 p.m. Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 p.m. Noonday Prayer Every Thursday

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Rev. Joan E. Buchanan Executive Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 7:30am Worship Service: 11:00am New Member’s Class: 9:45am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00am Church School: 9:45am Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am

Service and Times 9:30AM. Sunday Church School 11:00 Am. Sunday Worship Service The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Wednesday 7:00pm Prayer & Praise Services 7:30pm. Bible Study Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries 10:30am A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

Christ Embassy DC

Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Friday Evening Service: 7:00 P.M. ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com

“Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class 8:00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Sunday Morning Worship Service 10:00 am Wednesday Service 12:00 pm

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 A.M. Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 A.M. Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 P.M. Prayer Service Bible Study

“The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address: admin@pbc712.org

Shiloh Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor

Worshiping Location Knights of Columbus - 1633 Tucker Road Fort Washington, MD 20744 (240) 838-7074

621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112

917 N St. NW - Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-4294

9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10 am Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 am 1st Sunday Baptism: 10: am 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10 am Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 pm Prayer Meeting: 7:45 pm

Service and Times Sunday Morning Prayer Service: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship: 10:40 a.m. Third Sunday Baptismal & Holy Communion:10:30 a.m. Tuesday Church At Study Prayer & Praise: 6:30 p.m.

Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 a.m. Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 a.m. Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 p.m.

602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595

2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 a.m. Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30 a.m. & 10:30a.m. Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 12 Noon

Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”

The Church Where GOD Is Working.... And We Are Working With GOD

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 am Sunday School: 9:00 am Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer / Bible Study: 6:15 pm - 7:20 pm (Tuesday) Theme: “The Kingdom Focused Church” Matthew 6:33 and Mathew 28:18-20, KJV Email: stmatthewsbaptist@msn.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org

Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 a.m. Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 p.m. Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “

Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.

JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018 37 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 1214

Administration Number 2017 ADM 001480

Administration No. 2017 ADM 637

Administration No. 2017 ADM 000625

Administration No. 2017 ADM 001463

Geraldine Johnson Cary Decedent

Estate of Rosemary E. Reed Miller Deceased

Armetro S. Cole Decedent

Annie Hayes Decedent

Michelle R. Baker Decedent

Richard S. Kelley & Joseph C. Ardito DC Affordable Law Firm 1717 K Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

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

Laurie Pyne O’Reilly 1050 17th Street NW, Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Alfonso W. Cary, Sr., whose address is 1308 Port Echo Lane, Bowie, MD 20716, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Geraldine Johnson Cary who died on July 18, 2017 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 July 4, 2018. 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 July 4, 2018, 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: January 4, 2018 Alfonso W. Cary, Sr. Personal Representative

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Sabrina E. MillerFord for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless 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. Order any interested person to show cause why the provisions of the lost or destroyed will dated July 24, 2000 should not be admitted to probate as expressed in the petition. 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: January 4, 2018 Sabrina E. Miller-Ford Petitioner/Attorney TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY

Jean E Wallace Decedent Larry C. Williams, Esquire 7600 Georgia Ave., NW Suite 405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ronald A. Wallace, SR., whose address is 6120 Eastern Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20011 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jean E. Wallace who died on 9/17/2017 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 07/11/18. 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 07/11/18, 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: 01/11/18 Ronald A. Wallace, SR. Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

38 JANUARY 18 - 24, 2018

Date of first publication: January 4, 2018 Jennifer Concino, Esq. Personal Representative

Date of first publication: January 4, 2018

TRUE TEST COPY

Deborah F. Cole Personal Representative

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Administration No. 2017 ADM 001441 Weldon B. Smith Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Margaret Smith, whose address is 156 Park Terrace Ave., West Haven, CT 06516, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Weldon B. Smith who died on January 24, 2002 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 4, 2018. 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 July 4, 2018, 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: January 4, 2018 Margaret Smith Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Robin C. Baker, whose address is 1217 G Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Michelle R. Baker who died on August 1, 1994 without 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 July 11, 2018. 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 July 11, 2018, 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: January 11, 2018 Robin C. Baker Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

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

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

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Administration No. 2017 ADM 1462

Deborah F. Cole, whose address is 528 23rd Place NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Armetro S. Cole who died on April 20, 2015 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 4, 2018. 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 July 4, 2018, 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.

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

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

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

Jennifer Concino, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, #700, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Annie Hayes who died on November 17, 2016 without 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 4, 2018. 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 July 4, 2018, 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.

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 001479

Administration No. 2017 ADM 001473

Administration No. 2017 ADM 620

Mary F. Quaid aka Mary Frances Quaid Decedent

Elton Clyde Witcher Decedent

Joseph Dawson, Jr. Decedent

Aimee D. Griffin 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

Deborah D. Boddie, Esq. 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

Valerie Edwards, Esq. Antonoplos & Associates, Attorney At Law 1724 DeSales Street, NW, #600 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

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

Barbara Fisher, whose address is 633 Kenyon Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Elton Clyde Witcher who died on June 5, 2017 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 07/11/18. 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 07/11/18, 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.

Karen D. Dawson and Sherry L. Dawson, whose addresses are 7959 Riggs Rd. #10, Adelphi, MD 20783 & 10810 Blackstone Ave., Cheltenham, MD 20623, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Joseph Dawson, Jr. who died on May 6th, 2017 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7-18-2018. 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 7-18-2018, 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.

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Anne Marie Mood and Marvin Mood, whose address is 13 Doolittle Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20886 were appointed Personal Representative(s) of the estate of Mary Frances Quaid aka Mary F. Quaid who died on August 2, 2017 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/11/2018. 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 7/11/2018, 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: 1/11/2018

Date of first publication: 01/11/18

Anne Marie Mood Marvin Mood Personal Representative

Barbara Fisher Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

TRUE TEST COPY

Date of first publication: 1-18-2018 Karen D. Dawson Sherry L. Dawson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Anne Meister Register of Wills

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LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. 2017 FEP 000138 7/6/16 Date of Death Anita L. Robinson Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Michele R. Proctor whose address is 4610 Blaine Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Anita L. Robinson, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on July 6, 2016 Service of process may be made upon Michele R. Proctor, 4610 Blaine Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019 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: 4610 Blaine Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019 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: 1/18/2018 Michele R. Proctor Personal Representative Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

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WRIGHT from Page 30

will continue to update the app to make it more universal, and they are currently developing a version for Android. “Development and creating applications is the same as a writer,” he said. “You’re writing stories in code and the great thing is we get to see that story play out in the game. Most people will just see the game and the individual, but there is thousands upon thousands of lines of code that created that experience. To get to this point is amazing. “We want the kids to say, ‘Hey,she’s got curly hair like me and this is a fun game,” McDaniel said. “It’s very simple and easy to use, no harsh language, violence or sexual innuendos — just a very simple game to play where people use hand-eye coordination and it can help improve your memory.” WI

worship the gods of oppressors while expecting God to deliver you from the oppressor. We hold on to what we worship while asking God to preserve us and to protect us.” For Wright, he saw opposing beliefs do not work. As the sermon continued, he recalled his time as a Howard University Divinity School student in 1968. He subtly share a message that was clearly preparing worshipers for the upcoming 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination on April 4. He talked about what happened in the District following the news of King’s death. With a bit of humor, Wright spoke of people looting stores and grabbing clothes that did not fit, passing bottles of whiskey from out of a liquor store and engaging in “free shopping” at a Safeway store that employees had abandoned.

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“I saw the despair, the hopelessness, the futility, and the fun people where having in the wake of King’s murder,” Wright said to congregants. “It was terrifying and incredible to my generation, just as [Sept. 11] was to your generation.” Throughout the sermon, Wright shared what he has learned in life and most recently from experiencing a stroke. He offered a perspective on settling down to reflect. “Reflecting takes time, reflecting takes honesty, reflecting brings pain, and reflecting brings me much laughter,” he said. Then Wright circled back to the sermon’s theme, “Take a Knee.” Because he was not able, he asked parishioners to take a knee in honor of those who have been unjustly killed and for those who made sacrifices for justice in America. Those at the service who were able knelt at Wright’s request. “At the end of the sermon when we were all asked to take a knee, I was reminded of the photos that I’ve seen of Rev. King and fellow protestors knelt in prayer before a protest or act of civil disobedience,” said attendee and D.C. resident Ayanna Hawkins. “It felt very much like we were kneeling in preparation for the work ahead.” Wright made sure that worshipers at the Rankin Chapel service knew that in spite of a stroke, he was still committed to speaking his truth to combat injustice. WI

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work in the White House. About 41 percent of the voters in primary poll chose “removing Donald Trump” as the “most important issue in the election.” All seven Democratic gubernatorial candidates have pushed a connection between Trump and Hogan. Kevin Harris, chief strategist for the Jealous campaign, said in a statement that approval ratings don’t matter, only voter turnout. “Most Marylanders still aren’t willing to give Hogan a second term because they can’t name anything he’s done to actually make their lives better,” Harris said. “The truth is, Hogan trying not to be Donald Trump doesn’t actually help to stop our schools from failing, health care premiums from rising or stop the record numbers of deaths happening from the opioid epidemic and gun violence.” Gonzalez said this year’s election may be the state’s most historic since 2006 when former Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich sought re-election to a second, four-year term and lost to Democrat Martin O’Malley, a former mayor of Baltimore during that time. In addition, Gonzalez said this year’s competitive Democratic primary helped increase interest throughout the state. “It’s going to be 10 months of political excitement,” he said. WI

work without remediation; • Distribute money equitably, but with fewer resources to wealthier jurisdictions. The report doesn’t address specifically how much money should go to rural or urban areas. It also didn’t mention school construction, a question raised by Greenbelt Mayor Emmett Jordan. “Our charge was operations and instruction, not bricks and mortar,” said Pinsky, who added a final report wouldn’t be completed until the fall. Although the report advocates for more money toward students in low-income and other economically distressed areas, it doesn’t give some specific ideas to hire a diverse pool of teachers to help lead those students. Charlene Mahoney, a member of the education advisory committee in District 2, said the school system should hire teachers who speak at least two languages. “I know this is more of a strategy being discussed, but more diversity should be focused on students who don’t speak full English,” she said. “We are a majority African-American community, but we must also make sure other students succeed, too.” WI

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within its bounds.” King refers to himself, Jesus and other great reformers as extremists: “So, the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be? Will we be extremists for hate or for love? In that dramatic scene on Calvary’s hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime — two were extremists for immorality. Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.” And I believe this creative ex-

tremism fused in love should compel clergy to come out from their silence and stand up for justice, for equality and inhumanity. In other words, silence in the face

of such demeaning rhetoric and practices from the White House is ungodly and demands a godly and bold response. WI

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Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has elected the new leadership of Derrick Johnson, and we all should be card-carrying members of the NAACP. The African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa has elected the new leadership of Cyril Ramaphosa, and we all should be supportive of the ANC to ensure that Nelson Mandela’s and Oliver Tambo’s legacies are carried forward to new heights in South Africa. In fact, throughout the African diaspora, we should be unifying and working together with a renewed energy, determination and vitality. Sisters and brothers standing together with mutual respect and commitment is the order of today. Keep your heads up. Put your fists back up in the air. It is movement-building time again. Long live the spirit and memory of Martin Luther King Jr.! WI

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know so well the contradictions of the evils of police brutality, mass incarceration, healthcare inadequacies, unemployment and too-low wages, and failing educational systems in a nation that has an abundant concentration of wealth at the very top levels of society. This year also marks the 191st year of the Black Press in America since this first publication of Freedom’s Journal in New York City on March 16, 1827. Every hour, day, week, month and year, the Black Press continues to publish and distribute the truth and advocate for freedom and justice in the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean and throughout the world. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote editorials and op-eds for the Black Press at a time when the so-called mainstream media would cast negative coverage

about the progress of the Civil Rights Movement. This year, 2018, should be the payback year with the largest Black voter turnout in American history. All of those repressive elected politicians that have supported voter suppression need to be removed from office by the overwhelming power of massive voter mobilization and turnout in every state legislative and congressional voting district across the nation. Our time has come again. Let’s unify and win more victories at the voting booths. Let’s strengthen Black-owned businesses and our families and communities. Subscribe to and support the Black Press. We owe it to the memory and living legacy of Dr. King to strengthen and refortify all our national civil rights organizations. We should all be networking together with stronger operational unity. The National

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tracted businesses in almost every corner of this county, and we’re on track to establish our county as a healthcare hub in the Washington region. The next decade will dictate much for Prince George’s, and it’s critical that we have leadership that is unbossed and unbought to ensure our county truly gets a fair deal. I’ve stood unafraid to take on big developers or special interests plenty of times in the past. I believe the time has come for an era of unprecedented transparency and accountability for our county. In Prince George’s County, transparency and accountability are our most powerful tools for change. It’s well past time we use them. I’m running a people-powered campaign, and I intend to run county government the same way. WI

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can provide for their families. I stand ready to work with my colleagues to ensure that our contracts process is just as competitive as it is transparent. And we’ll work to level the playing field so our homegrown businesses and our local workforce actually benefit from investments in our schools and communities. We need developers to know that we will work with you, but we will always put the interests of our County first. At every level of government, transparency is the best way to combat corruption effectively and to impose accountability. Whether the question is how much casino revenue is coming to the County and how and where it’s spent; or the details of the school budget and performance, including executive compensation, teacher salaries,

and graduation rates; or whether our contracts (tax dollars) are bid competitively so all our businesses play on a level playing field — we deserve answers. In the words of the often-quoted Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” Justice Brandeis also reminded us that “the most important political office is that of private citizen.” In Prince George’s County, we need more sunlight to empower private citizens so that those elected will engage in public service, not private gain. Of course, it’s not all bad news. We’ve made great strides over the years. The financial rewards from MGM National Harbor are significant and the fact that they have an organized workforce means that their workers are being paid livable wages with good benefits. We’ve at-

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FLETCHER from Page 25 by including progress in science and social studies as an indicator of school success. However, Florida fails to include progress in English Language Proficiency (ELP) as an indicator of school success and will only provide assessment instructions in English; despite a diverse student population. Furthermore, Florida does not incorporate student subgroup (race/ ethnicity) data in its school grading system. Student subgroup data will only be reported on school report cards. This process does not guarantee struggling subgroups will be identified and supported. Florida proposes to use a simple A-F grading system to identify underperforming schools. For schools that do not earn a “C” grade after two years, the plan calls for the schools to close or turn over operations to a charter or an external operator. While schools are held accountable

for continued failure, as a parent, I am concerned about the impact on students who are enrolled during the two-year improvement period. Lastly, Florida does not explain how it will use the set-aside Title I dollars for school improvement or how the state will encourage the equitable distribution of funds. Overall, while the plan clearly articulates its intentions, it provides little explanation for how the stated goals will be achieved. How can I, as a parent, get more involved and engaged to help advocate for my children? For my children, who are in the middle of the pack, how can they receive resources to accelerate their abilities to the next level? How does Florida’s ESSA Plan empower parents to choose higher-performing schools with very few available spots for students zoned to underperforming schools? Florida’s ESSA plan is not an all-encompassing document; specifically as it relates to the lack of

information regarding explanations for funding, school accountability and amended academic standards. The consolidated state plan should be viewed as one additional resource in the search to find answers and be empowered to affect our children’s education. As a parent, I believe my goal is to support instruction received inside the classroom by fostering added learning through enriching opportunities outside the classroom. As a parent, I recognize, I am my child’s biggest advocate. The ESSA resource website created by the National Newspaper Publishers Association is a great tool for parents looking to increase their engagement within the school system. Visiting the site frequently has provided me with information, research and the inspiration to keep pursuing my children’s best academic interest. WI

Tree in 2015 for $9.1 billion. Steve and Jerry Wordsworth are the biggest minority shareholders of the team with an estimated 16 percent. - Bruton Smith, the 90-yearold founder and chairman of Speedway Motorsports, manages eight Nascar tracks and was valued at $1 billion early last year. - James Goodnight, co-founder of analytics software firm SAS, is North Carolina’s richest resident at $9.9 billion. His co-founder, John Sall, is the state’s second-richest resident.

The pair owns a country club and hotel together. - Michael Jordan is worth an estimated $1.4 billion, with roughly $600 million tied up in his 90 percent stake in the Charlotte Hornets NBA team. Jordan took control of the Hornets with $25 million in cash while absorbing $150 million in debt and agreement to fund future losses. Jordan also recently participated in the $1.2 billion purchase of the Miami Marlins MLB franchise. WI

that bum’s unfit to be president. He’s unfit to be a dog catcher. Even feral animals deserve better treatment than this dotard has delivered to the American people from the White House. He behaves like he was raised

in the jungle by hyenas. He calls Mexican immigrants “rapists” and “criminals.” He referred to protesting Black NFL players as “sons of bitches.” He said Nigerian immigrants, once admitted to this country, would never return to their “huts.” He called Haiti, El Salvador and other African countries as “s---holes,” and now wants to defend himself saying he used the sobriquet “s---house,” not “s---holes,” and he’s got two sycophantic Republican senators who claim he didn’t say it. Those acolytes may be worse than the trampy, slutty, lying trick in the White House. So, in fairness, I can’t say that this wicked man is any one of the bad hombres I’ve outlined: tramp, trick, or unfit for office. In fairness, he is all of the above, and he’s just one year in — 365 or so days, and 95 days on the golf course in office. As the old folks would say, “Lawd, have mercy on us.” WI

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thers that have substantial assets at their disposal: - The Belk family, which currently has a roughly 5 percent stake in the team, owned and operated a department store chain founded in 1888 before selling in 2015 for roughly $2.7 billion. - The Levine family is another retailing family owns about 10 percent of the team:. Leon Levine founded Family Dollar in 1959 and the Levines ran the company until its sale to Dollar

ASKIA from Page 25 tramp. So does that make him unfit to be president of the United States? Is a pig’s foot pork? Is the pope Catholic? Of course

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