VOL. 53, NO. 34 • JUNE 7 - 13, 2018
June is Black Music Month. We celebrate the sounds that shaped America.
See the WI Voter’s Guide 2018 Center Section
Spike in Violence Leads to Community Organizing, Government Response
Vets’ Advocates Push Homeless Agenda in D.C. By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill About 700 service providers converged last week on a Northwest hotel for a conference on how to combat homelessness among veterans, one of the nation’s most complex problems. The National Council of Homeless Veterans, a nonprofit, organized the May 30-June 1 conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, which focused on veteran-specific programs, policies and procedures. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates about 40,000 veterans experienced homelessness on a daily basis. “We want to put ourselves out of business, but these kinds of things just don’t disappear overnight,” said Ralph Cooper, an Air Force veteran and one of the founders who helped establish the council. The group established in 1990 discussed policy recommendations, job training ideas and other programs to help veterans. Nationally, the council assessed the demographic population of homeless veterans at 11 percent among all adults. Roughly 50 percent experience substance abuse, and 50 percent are age 51 and older. Cooper said at least 30 percent of homeless veterans are Black. Locally, the coalition’s data from last year marked 392 homeless veterans in the D.C. area
VETERANS Page 17
By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer
5 Boisterous Washington Capitals fans outside Capital One Arena in Northwest on June 2. The Capitals are up 3-1 against the Las Vegas Golden Knights and play Game 5 in Las Vegas on June 7. With one more victory, the Capitals will win the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup Championship. /Photo by Roy Lewis
Hundreds of concerned D.C. residents gathered in the backyard of a Southeast retail store on Monday, May 30 to brainstorm ways to eliminate gun violence in the District, particularly in Southeast, after one of the most violent weekends in the city this year. During the Memorial Day weekend, four people died and even were more wounded in
VIOLENCE Page 5
Florida Jury Awards $4 to Black Family
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
The internet remains abuzz with mostly outrage and shock that a St. Lucie, Florida, jury awarded just $4 in damages for funeral expenses and pain and suffering in a case in which a county deputy fatally shot a Black father of three through his garage door. Deputy Christopher Newman killed Gregory Hill Jr. in 2014 while he was listening to music in his garage. A mother picking up her child at a school across the street called in a noise complaint. Court and police records show that Newman and another deputy
responded to Hill’s home. Hill, 30, partially opened the garage door, then closed it. Newman reportedly fired four times, hitting Hill three times, including once in the head. No charges were filed against Newman, who said he shot Hill because he brandished a handgun. Hill’s mother, Viola Bryant, filed a lawsuit against Newman and Sheriff Ken Mascara, alleging wrongful death, negligence, excessive force and violations of Hill’s 14th and 15th Amendment rights. Bryant also accused a SWAT team that responded to the scene of firing so much tear gas and
JURY Page 15
5 Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White stands with local residents at a prayer vigil on Friday, June 1 where several homicides have taken place near Ferebee Hope Elementary School in Southeast. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
Celebrating 53 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area