Serving Our Community in the DMV
Vol 61 No 23
March 19 - 25, 2026
Prince George's Spelling Bee! Pages 12 & 27
After National Organizers’ Announcement, D.C. Target Boycott Organizers Plan a Pivot
Black Women, Allies, and Elected Officials Navigate HIV Prevention Landscape
By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Writer
By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Writer
More than a year into a nationwide boycott that decimated Target’s revenue, members of the “Mothership Three” made an announcement that has raised questions about the status of a movement to hold Target accountable for its capitulation to the Trump administration. Though the Rev. Jamal Bryant has ended his “Target Fast,” his fellow Mothership members Tamika D. Mallory and former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner are still locked in on those who’ve sworn off the red bull’s eye. D.C.-based 5 Demonstrators hold signs during a March 11 press conference announcing plans
In recent years, local health officials have reported a significant decline in HIV prevalence. With new yearly cases dropping below the 200 mark, the lowest recorded since the 1990s, the District counts among the forerunners of national efforts to end HIV as a public health threat. As Valerie Rochester explained, meeting that goal requires continuous focus on a population most at risk of contracting HIV. “Black women still continue to be the highest, the fast-
Vision Includes Focus on Local Vendors, Negotiations for Direct Control of Investments from Target Corporation
D.C. Council Eases PrEP and PEP Access, Nonprofits Weather Federal Funding Gaps
to pivot for the Target boycott in the District and nationwide. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The
TARGET Page 15 Washington Informer)
KIPP DC’s New CEO, Shannon Hodge Stands Up for School Choice KIPP Parent and Foundation CEO Commend Hodge for Engagement, Knowledge of Public Charter Sector
By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Writer As District families gear up for the release of MySchool DC Lottery results, recently installed KIPP CEO Shannon Hodge is celebrating what she calls great enthusiasm for the local education agency (LEA) that controls nearly two dozen schools and programs across the city. Hodge, a longtime fixture in the local public charter ecosystem, said she’s seen strong community interest in 5 New KIPP DC CEO Shannon Hodge has experience that includes service as KIPP DC KIPP DC, and other public charter schools for that matpresident, co-founder of Kingsman Academy ter, during EdFest school fairs at Kraken Kourts & Skates Public Charter School in Northeast and and Eastern Senior High School last year. founding executive director of the DC Charter
EDUCATION Page 21 Alliance. (Courtesy Photo)
HIV Page 18
Black Press Sunday Highlights Power of Truth-Telling Amid Nationwide Challenges Service Kicks off Weeklong Celebration, Offers Inspiration
By Micha Green WI Managing Editor As the nation navigates war, division, and recent threats to First Amendment protections, Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in Northwest, D.C. kicked off Black Press Week (March 16-20) and celebrated Women’s History Month with a service that honored barrier breakers in media, feted fearless reporting, and prayed to preserve truth-telling. “Many of us have to start with 5 The Rev. William Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. prayer,” said Washington Inform- Church in Northwest, D.C., preaches during Black Press Sunday on
BLACK PRESS Page 11
March 15, a second-annual celebration of uplifting African Americans through fearless journalism. (Micha Green/The Washington Informer)
Celebrating 61 years. Your credible and trusted source for Black news and information. MARCH 19 - 25, 2026 1
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER