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GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OFFICE OF TAX AND REVENUE NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE Notice is hereby given that all real properties described on the list below, for which real property taxes or vault rents (including penalties and interest, if applicable) were levied and in arrears on October 1, 2025, for which Business Improvement District (BID) taxes (including penalties and interest, if applicable) were levied and in arrears before September 1, 2025, or for which any other tax certified to the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) for collection hereunder remains unpaid, shall be sold at public auction to the highest bidder at the 2026 Real Property Tax Sale (Sale). The Sale shall be held pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 47-1330, et. seq. The Sale shall begin on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and continue, except Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, until all the real properties available for sale are sold. During each day, the Sale shall be conducted from 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon and from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. or until all the real properties scheduled for sale for that day are sold. The Sale shall occur at OTR located at 1101 4th Street, SW, Suites W244 and W250, Washington, DC 20024. All real properties are listed below in square, suffix and lot, or parcel and lot, number order. The name of the owner of record and premise address of each real property are also stated. Additionally, the list states condominium unit and parking space numbers, if available. Certain real properties on the list do not have street numbers or premise addresses; therefore, none can be provided. A real property without a street number is generally stated on the list as having “0” as a street address number. Real properties are sold as described by their square, suffix and lot, or parcel and lot, numbers; such property descriptions may be viewed on a property map (e.g., DC Atlas Plus, found at http://atlasplus.dcgis.dc.gov). Real properties may be removed from the list at the discretion of OTR. The list states the amount for which each real property may be sold at the Sale; an additional $200.00 Tax Sale Fee shall be added at the time of the sale. The stated amount for which a real property may be offered for sale can be lower than what an owner would have to pay in order to prevent the real property from being sold. Owners must contact OTR to determine the amount that must be paid in order to avoid the sale of their real properties. Purchasers must be aware that additional liabilities, which are not reflected in the total amount for which the real properties are offered at the Sale, may be due and owing and such additional liabilities may include liens previously sold to a third party. A purchaser at the Sale acts at his or her own risk and must exercise due diligence in selecting real properties upon which to bid in good faith. At the Sale, the purchaser acquires a certificate of sale to the real property that may ripen into title if the owner (or other party with an interest) fails to redeem. The owner (or other party with an interest) has a statutory right to redeem the real property until his or her equity of redemption has been foreclosed by the purchaser’s lawsuit. If the owner (or other party with an interest) fails to redeem the real property, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia may order that a deed be issued to the purchaser after the purchaser pays all taxes, costs, and expenses. The purchaser shall monitor their portfolio for the status of tax payments being made by accessing the Properties Sold at Tax Sale (Redemption Report) found on OTR’s website at https://mytax.dc.gov. A certificate of sale shall be canceled if, inter alia, it is later determined that the delinquent taxes, including accrued interest and penalties, were satisfied before the end of the last day of the Sale. The date of sale of any real property shall be deemed to be the last day of the Sale, regardless of the actual day of the Sale during which the real property was offered and sold. The certificates of sale shall indicate the date of sale as being the last day of the Sale. WEDNESDAY - July 15, 2026 Square-Suffix-Lot Improved Primary Owner 0014- -2072 &IMP NATARAJ, PRASAD 0014- -2243 &IMP SIMON,WILLIAM D 0014- -2244 &IMP 2501 B HOLDING LLC 0015- -2112 &IMP FISHER, GRAHAM W 0015- -2220 &IMP TOBIAS, ELIZABETH 0015- -2263 &IMP DOLAN, CHRISTOPHER C 0024- -5031 &IMP CARRIGAN,JANICE F 0030- -2025 &IMP CHOUDHRY, DINESH 0038- -2020 &IMP WASHINGTON CIRCLE ASSOCIATES LLC 0049- -0031 &IMP KING, KIMBERLYA 0051- -2279 &IMP HOPPING,JULIA S 0067- -0808 KRIKSTEINE, HARRY 0069- -2037 &IMP SECHSER, ERIK D 0070- -2111 &IMP BORDEN, KENNETH M 0070- -2138 &IMP WEISS, SCOTTA 0071- -2018 &IMP HARRISON, R B 0071- -2048 &IMP DAVID LEE TRUSTEE 0071- -2059 &IMP FUCHS, DOUGLAS 0092- -0805 JOHNSON, LOTTIE H 0096- -2030 &IMP BIRSKY, SHERYL K 0097- -2117 &IMP KANNASUTE, SAICHYT 0110- -0069 &IMP DELZELL, KATIE R 0110- -2100 &IMP WILBER,VALENTINE M 0111- -0050 &IMP 1610 19TH STREETAPARTMENTS LLC

Secondary Owner NATARAJ, RADHIKA

Premise Number Street Name Quadrant Unit # Parking Space Taxes Owed 2555 PENNSYLVANIAAVE NW 605 3,467.57 2501 PENNSYLVANIAAVE NW 5A 10,289.03 2501 PENNSYLVANIAAVE NW 5B 8,772.92 1010 25TH ST NW 404 3,402.40 2515 K ST NW 406 4,192.46 2515 K ST NW 512 4,810.47 CARRIGAN, CHARLES R 1275 25TH ST NW 806 3,572.37 CHOUDHRY, DHRUV 2401 H ST NW 308 3,002.20 3 WASHINGTON CIR NW 406 30,999.28 KING, CATHERINE N 1330 22ND ST NW 29,933.81 1155 23RD ST NW 6H 7,013.15 P ST NW 31,220.28 1332 21ST ST NW 201 2,634.27 1260 21ST ST NW 601 5,042.80 1260 21ST ST NW 710 3,745.51 THE JEFFREY Z SLAVIN REVOCABLE TRUST 1177 22ND ST NW 2L 15,822.55 1177 22ND ST NW 5E 6,534.87 FUCHS, LYNN S 1177 22ND ST NW 6D 10,802.83 21ST ST NW 134,976.79 1409 1/2 21ST ST NW 1C 2,688.62 1330 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 404 4,258.83 1735 FRASER CT NW 14,137.31 1900 S ST NW 103 3,136.80 1610 19TH ST NW 18,476.66

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Vol 61 No 36

June 18 - 24, 2026

Purchasers shall have filed Form FR-500, Combined Business Tax Registration Application, prior to registering. This form should be filed online by visiting OTR’s website at https://mytax.dc.gov. A potential purchaser, including a natural person or business entity delinquent in the payment of in rem taxes (e.g. real property taxes) to the District, or one who has been convicted of a felony involving fraud, deceit, moral turpitude, or anti-competitive behavior, may not bid at the Sale or otherwise acquire an interest in real property sold at the Sale. A potential purchaser, including a natural person or business entity, must certify that such purchaser: 1) is not more than one year in arrears in any jurisdiction in the payment of in rem taxes not being contested in good faith; and, 2) has not been convicted in any jurisdiction of a felony involving fraud, deceit, moral turpitude, or anti-competitive behavior. Registration for the Sale is mandatory and begins Monday, June 29, 2026, online via https://mytax.dc.gov. Registration continues until the final day of the Sale. Prior to bidding at the Sale, a purchaser of real property must have made a deposit of at least 20% of the total purchase price. ALL PAYMENTS MUST BE MADE TO THE D.C. TREASURER BY CASH, CERTIFIED CHECK, CASHIER’S CHECK, POSTAL MONEY ORDER, OR BANK WIRE. OTR is conducting four public seminars to explain tax sale procedures. Potential purchasers are highly encouraged to attend a seminar and review the District of Columbia 2026 Real Property Tax Sale Informational Guide (FAQ) available at https://otr. cfo.dc.gov/page/real-property-tax-sale. To enroll in a seminar, please register online via https://mytax.dc.gov. The seminars will be held online via the Microsoft Teams platform, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, and Thursday, June 25, 2026. The Microsoft Teams invitation link will be sent to the email you have provided at the time of registration. On each day, the first seminar will take place from 9:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., and the second from 1:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. During each of the four seminars, OTR will generally explain the tax sale process and follow up with a question and answer period. The seminars are free and all are welcome. Enrollment is mandatory for anyone planning to attend one of the seminars. Enrollment will be granted on a firstcome/first-served basis and will continue until all available slots are taken. A person with a communication impairment requiring an interpreter for the Sale shall notify OTR of the need for an interpreter no later than July 8, 2026, if they will be attending the Sale on July 15, 2026, and by July 9, 2026, if they will be attending the Sale on July 16, 2026. If an interpreter is required for the public seminars, OTR shall be notified no later than June 17, 2026 (if appearing at the seminar on June 24, 2026) and by June 18, 2026 (if appearing at the seminar on June 25, 2026). For additional tax sale related information, please visit https://otr.cfo.dc.gov/page/real-property-tax-sale. You are also welcome to contact OTR at (202) 727-4TAX (4829), via email at Patricia.Watson@dc.gov, or visit its Customer Service Center at 1101 4th Street, SW, Suite W270, Washington, DC 20024. Radee Skipworth Interim Deputy Chief Financial Officer Office of Tax and Revenue 0111- -0823 0115- -0802 0131- -2015 0131- -2016 0131- -2017 0131- -2018 0131- -2019 0132- -0206 0137- -0061 0139- -0005 0150- -0248 0152- -0091 0152- -2279 0153- -0103 0153- -0129 0154- -2251 0155- -0152 0155- -2099 0155- -2310 0156- -0852 0157- -2452 0158- -0812 0158- -2016 0158- -2019 0159- -0860 0175- -2011

&IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP &IMP

HARRIS,JOSHUA L HOSTAGE AID WORLDWIDE, INC. EJAR PROPERTIES LLC EJAR PROPERTIES LLC EJAR PROPERTIES LLC EJAR PROPERTIES LLC EJAR PROPERTIES LLC 1805 19TH STREET LLC INMOBILIARIA LLC POWER BLOCK LLC NUTLEY STREET PROPERTIES LLC 9 TREE LLC PROMOCO LLC LINDSAY,JESSICA K IRVING AND REVERE STREETS LLC LAWRENCE,ALLEN L SHKOR, MATTHEW E BROLAND, GLORIA C KALFUS, MASON DUPONT MANOR LLC PAWLAK, PIOTR M STATE OIL COMPANY OF AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC PRAYAGA, RAMA HELEN C RIVERATRUSTEE ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF WASHINGTON ZILBERKWEIT, ERIC

1630 C 1906 1821 1821 1821 1821 1821 1805 1324 1819 1717 1722 1813 1725 1719 1724 1738 1712 1601

ZILBERKWIET, ERIC M

1711 1319 1325 1325 1717 2026

2026 TAX SALE REPORT

19TH ST SUNDERLAND PL T ST T ST T ST T ST T ST 19TH ST 18TH ST M ST U ST SWANN ST 18TH ST RIGGS PL 18TH ST 17TH ST R ST CORCORAN ST 18TH ST 17TH ST MASSACHUSETTS AVE 18TH ST 18TH ST 18TH ST RHODE ISLAND AVE 16TH ST

NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW NW

202 203 301 302 303

1 86 4 P20 Yes 312 RP-210 RP-213 4

9,955.38 12,971.60 4,460.68 4,460.68 4,460.68 4,460.68 4,460.68 10,136.82 134,259.20 26,087.18 36,669.37 8,856.92 2,873.02 170,335.07 23,191.35 5,227.90 41,503.90 75,536.51 3,127.63 231.65 4,122.38 135,152.60 4,173.85 3,380.07 2,063,114.42 5,471.46

JUNE 2026 tax - 1

Tax Sale Supplement Center Section

Ward 7 to Lead Local Juneteenth Celebration in Lockstep with Other U.S. Cities Second Annual Juneteenth Parade Makes D.C. the Flagship City for ‘Opal’s Walk for Freedom’

By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Staff Writer For the second consecutive year, community members will celebrate Juneteenth with a Ward 7 parade that starts at a local church

Janeese Lewis George, Robert White Dominate in Initial Count of First Ranked-Choice Voting Election

With some of the first-round tabulations for ranked-choice voting com-

plete, D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) is emerging as the interim winner of a highly contentious mayoral Democratic primary. Tuesday night’s results from D.C. Board of Elections (DCBOE) showed Lewis George, a democratic socialist

who caught the ire of the city’s moderate Democrats and President Donald Trump, securing nearly 53% of the vote, just above the threshold of what’s needed to declare victory. “Let it now be laid to rest. It is the

ELECTION Page 9

More Than a Coach: Rodger McCoy’s Legacy Lives on Father’s Day and Beyond By DeMarco Rush

FATHER'S DAY Page 44

‘Born From Resistance’

At the Intersection of Pride and Juneteenth, Black LGBTQ+ Voices Center Liberation By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

WI Contributing Writer

As families across the country celebrate Father’s Day on June 21, many members of Washington, D.C.’s swimming community are remembering the late Rodger McCoy, a coach and mentor whose influence stretched far beyond the water. “Rodger was a father figure to a lot of the children, he

JUNETEENTH Page 44 3 A woman holds up a Juneteenth flag at a celebration in Washington, D.C. in June 2024. For the second consecutive year, Ward 7 will host a Juneteenth parade that starts at a local church and ends at Fort DuPont Park with a community picnic and go-go music. (WI File Photo/Cleveland Nelson)

5 Ward 4 D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is emerging as the interim winner of a highly contentious District mayoral Democratic primary. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr., Tatiana Allen and Jordan Armstead WI Senior Staff Writer and WI Interns

and ends at Fort DuPont Park with a community picnic and gogo music. This walk preceding the parade will take place in coordination with “Opal’s Walk for Freedom,” a

5 Swimming communities across the District and nation are remembering the late Rodger McCoy, a coach, mentor, and father, who died on April 20. (Courtesy Photo/Facebook, National Black Heritage Championship Swim Meet)

Set against the backdrop of Pride parades and Juneteenth celebrations, this weekend reflects the enduring legacies of a nation shaped by the pursuit of freedom and those determined to win. While corporations showcase

RESISTANCE Page 44

5 D.C. native and Empress of Pride Rayceen Pendarvis speaks during D.C.’s annual Silver Pride celebration on Friday, June 12, honoring the role of LGBTQ seniors in advancing queer rights. (Courtesy Photo/Team Rayceen Productions)

Celebrating 61 years. Your credible and trusted source for Black news and information. JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 1

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CONTENTS

Page 36

Page 12

Page 19

Page 6

Page 32

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Prices Effective Friday, June 19 thru Thursday, June 25, 2026 Unless otherwise noted, offers in this ad are in effect at 6 a.m., Friday thru Thursday midnight at your local Safeway stores. LIMIT ONE COUPON PER ITEM PER DAY PER HOUSEHOLD. Prices and savings vary among store locations. Not all items or varieties available in all store locations. Quantities limited to inventory on hand and subject to availability. Sales in retail quantities only and we reserve the right to limit quantities sold to per customer. While supplies last. Unless otherwise noted, transactional limits may apply. On Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) offers, customer must purchase the first item to receive the second item free. BOGO offers are not 1/2 price sales. If only a single item is purchased, the regular price applies. Manufacturers’ coupons may only be used on purchased items, not on free items. All rebate offers are subject to applicable manufacturer’s additional terms. Customer pays for applicable taxes, bottle/can deposit and bag fees, if any, on purchased and free items. We reserve the right to modify or cancel offers and/or correct typographical, pictorial and other ad or pricing errors. Prices for products ordered online generally are higher than in our physical store locations and may vary by fulfillment method chosen. Online promotions, discounts and offers may differ from those in our physical store locations. Offers are void or restricted where prohibited or limited by law and have no cash value. No cash back will be given. **Coupon must be downloaded to your Safeway for U account prior to purchase and is one time use only. Limit 1 offer per household.

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 3

wi hot topics

STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER

Obama Presidential Center Opens on Juneteenth with an Eye on the Next Generation

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

PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes

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 $96 per year, two years $168. 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

4 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

STAFF Micha Green, Managing Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, WIN-TV Producer Ra-Jah Kelly, Digital Asset Manager Lafayette Barnes, IV, Editor, WI Bridge DC Desmond Barnes, WIN Daily Editor Anthony Tilghman, Social Media Strategist ZebraDesigns.net, Graphic Design Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Angie Johnson, Office/Circulation Manager Jada Ingleton, Content Editor REPORTERS Stacy Brown, National Reporter Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr., Political/Education Reporter Brenda Siler, Lifestyle Reporter Ed Hill, Sports Reporter Richard Elliott, Reporter Skylar Nelson, Sports Reporter Mya Trujillo, Multimedia Reporter PHOTOGRAPHERS Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Ja Mon Jackson, Asst. Photo Editor Roy Lewis, Jr. Robert R. Roberts Anthony Tilghman Abdullah Konte Cleveland Nelson INTERNS Evan Aldridge, Summer Intern Tatiana Allen, Summer Intern Jordan Armstead, Summer Intern Will Deffaa, Summer Intern Razak Diallo, Summer Intern

On June 19, as communities across the nation commemorate Juneteenth, the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center will open its doors on Chicago's South Side, creating a new institution dedicated not only to preserving history but to inspiring future generations to shape it. The opening places one of the nation’s most significant cultural projects alongside the holiday that marks the end of slavery in the United States, connecting two defining chapters of the Black American experience. The $850 million campus in Jackson Park is dedicated to preserving the legacy of President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama while encouraging visitors to engage in public service, community leadership, and civic participation. The 19-acre site includes a museum, athletic facilities, an auditorium, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, walking trails, gardens, a playground, public art installations, and gathering spaces

designed for community use. “It’s deeply personal for me. I grew up on the south side of Chicago. I rode my bike through Jackson Park as a child, so this is a part of my childhood,” Valerie Jarrett, president and CEO of the Obama Foundation, told The Informer’s Brenda Siler. Jarrett said the center represents a significant investment in the neighborhood where the first Black president began his rise in public life and where the former First Lady spent her childhood. The Obama Foundation has said that the center was designed to be more than a traditional presidential library. In addition to exhibits documenting the lives and careers of the Obamas, the campus includes spaces intended for education, recreation, cultural programming, and community engagement. Jarrett described the project as “far more than just a

OBAMA Page16

SPJ Coalition Urges Trump Administration to Withdraw Federal Worker NDA Proposal A coalition led by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is urging the Trump administration to abandon a proposal that would allow federal agencies to require employees to sign nondisclosure agreements, warning that the measure could discourage whistleblowers, limit communication with journalists, and reduce public access to information about the workings of government. In comments submitted to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, SPJ joined press freedom, transparency, and civil liberties organizations in opposing the proposal, arguing that federal employees are already subject to extensive laws governing classified information, privacy protections, and sensitive government records. The coalition said the proposed agreement risks creating confusion about what employees can legally disclose and could deter workers

from reporting misconduct or speaking about matters of public concern. The proposal would establish a governmentwide NDA that agencies could require current employees and new hires to sign. According to OPM, the agreement is intended to reinforce existing obligations to protect sensitive information and prevent unauthorized disclosures. The agency has pointed to recent leaks involving immigration enforcement operations, law enforcement activities, and military planning as examples of why additional safeguards are needed. Critics argue that the proposal reaches far beyond classified information and could have a chilling effect on lawful speech.

SPJ Page 17

In Lawsuit Filed in D.C., Ben Crump Accuses U.S. of Using Black Babies in Deadly Vaccine Experiment The families of two Black infants who died nearly six decades ago have filed a federal lawsuit accusing the United States government of secretly using their children in dangerous RSV vaccine experiments without their parents’ knowledge or consent. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined attorneys William H. Murphy Jr., Carol Lexing Powell, Malcolm P. Ruff and Nabeha Shaer in announcing the lawsuit on behalf of the families of Ross Otto Hambrick and Victor Marcellus King. The complaint, filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, alleges that the federal government, through the National Institutes of Health, targeted Black infants from low-income families for experimental vaccine testing in

1965 and 1966. According to the complaint, both children were injected with what attorneys described as a highly concentrated experimental RSV vaccine known as “Lot 100.” Hambrick and King both died in January 1967. “The complaint alleges that the United States government, through the NIH, selected the most vulnerable children it could find — Black infants from low-income families — to test a dangerous, highly concentrated experimental vaccine known as ‘Lot 100,’” the legal team stated in a release

LAWSUIT Page 21

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AROUND THE REGION

‘It’s Scary’: D.C. Immigrants React as Trump Administration Broadens Citizenship Crackdown By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Washington’s immigrant communities are watching closely after the Trump administration announced a new effort to strip citizenship from 17 naturalized Americans accused of immigration fraud, a move officials describe as the largest denaturalization initiative in modern U.S. history. The announcement has stirred concern among naturalized citizens across the District, where immigrants account for nearly 14% of the population and where roughly 44,000 residents have become U.S. citizens through naturalization. Many say they never imagined their citizenship status could become part of a national political debate. Cathy Park, who was born in South Korea and became a U.S. citizen after immigrating with her family, said she viewed naturalization as the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice. “A dream come true,” Park, a North-

east resident, told The Informer. Park arrived in the United States after earning multiple scholarship offers as a teenager. Coming from a family of medical professionals, she built a life in America believing her citizenship status was permanent and secure. That sense of certainty has changed. “It’s scary,” Park said. “He’s like the boss of bosses and if the president wants to do something, take away our rights, our citizenships, the courts must stop him but it’s hard to imagine anyone stopping him.” Emmanuel Kamara, who emigrated from Liberia and settled in Washington in 2012, said he also believed becoming a U.S. citizen placed questions about immigration status firmly in the past. “I always said, beautiful things can happen in this beautiful country, and that’s what I instilled in my children, and we are proud to be looked upon as normal Americans,” he said. Kamara explained the adminis-

tration’s latest actions have unsettled many naturalized citizens who previously felt insulated from immigration enforcement efforts. “It’s a scary time and it’s especially confusing because people like us felt we had no reason to be concerned anymore,” he said. “We’re not criminals, and I understand the government has stated that they are targeting criminals, but it seems it’s more than that.”

5 Immigrants in the D.C. area are watching closely after the Trump administration is expanding efforts to denaturalize citizens. (WI File Photo)

Administration Expands Administration Efforts

The Justice Department announced Monday that it has filed denaturalization actions against 17 individuals accused of obtaining citizenship through fraud or concealment of disqualifying conduct. According to federal officials, some of those targeted were convicted of serious crimes, including sex offenses involving children, while others were

convicted of fraud-related offenses or accused of lying during the naturalization process. Federal law has long permitted the government to seek revocation of citizenship when officials can prove a person obtained naturalization unlawfully or through material misrepresentation. Historically, however, such cases have been relatively rare.

The Justice Department filed an average of just 11 denaturalization complaints annually between 1990 and 2017, according to figures cited by federal officials, The Trump administration has made denaturalization a higher priority since returning to office. In 2025, the Justice Department expanded the categories of naturalized citizens considered priorities for review. Last month, federal officials announced a dozen denaturalization cases, then described as the largest effort in years. The latest announcement exceeds that number. Recent Justice Department information revealed that, since the beginning January 2025, the Trump administration filed more than 60 civil complaints seeking to revoke the citizenship of naturalized individuals. “American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly. If you come here, break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 5

AROUND THE REGION

black facts

JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

Lionel Richie (left)

Harry Belafonte (right)

Wilma Rudolph (center)

June 18

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1899 – Inventor W.H. Richardson patents the "Baby Buggy," the first reversible stroller. 1942 – Bernard W. Robinson, Harvard University medical student, becomes the Navy's first Black officer. 1968 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that it is a violation of the law to discriminate in selling or renting residential property.

June 19

1865 – Blacks in Texas are notified of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued two years earlier, marking the beginning of "Juneteenth." 1918 – John H. Johnson, editor and publisher of Jet and Ebony magazines and founder of Johnson Publishing Company, is born. 1948 – Actress Phylicia Rashad, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable in "The Cosby Show," is born in Houston.

June 20

1949 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lionel Richie is born in Tuskegee, Alabama. 1960 – Harry Belafonte becomes the first African American to win an Emmy Award for his special "Tonight with Harry Belafonte." 1967 – Muhammad Ali is convicted in federal court of violating the Selective Service Act by refusing induction into the armed services. He was fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in prison. Ali, who opposed the Vietnam War, refused to report for service on grounds of his religion of Islam.

June 21

1832 – Joseph Rainey, the first African American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, is born. 1927 – Former Cleveland Mayor Carl Stokes, the first African American elected mayor of a major city, is born. 1945 – Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. becomes the first African American to command a U.S. Army Air Corps base.

6 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

June 22

1937 – Famed boxer Joe Louis knocks out James J. Braddock in the eighth round at Chicago's Comiskey Park to win the heavyweight title.

June 23

1940 – Sprinter Wilma Rudolph, winner of three gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics, is born. 1997 – Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X, dies at 61 from burns suffered three weeks earlier in a house fire set by her grandson.

June 24

1936 – Mary McLeod Bethune officially joins the National Youth Administration staff as director of the Division of Negro Affairs, becoming the first Black woman to head a department of a federal agency. 1968 – Police shut down a tent city set up on the National Mall in D.C. by the Poor People's Campaign, an anti-poverty movement organized by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and led by Ralph Abernathy after King's assassination. The demonstration, which had gone on for six weeks, brought thousands to the Mall, and nearly 300 protesters, including Abernathy, were arrested once the tent city was removed. WI

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Political Messaging Vendor Pays $1 Million to Settle D.C. Tax Claims By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

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A company whose technology has been used by political campaigns, advocacy organizations, and nonprofit groups across the country has agreed to pay $1 million to the District of Columbia to resolve allegations that it failed to collect and remit sales taxes on its services for roughly a decade. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced that Toskr, Inc., which does business as GetThru, reached a settlement with the Office of the Attorney General after an investigation into the company’s tax practices. The case was brought under the District’s False Claims Act following a whistleblower complaint that prompted an independent investigation by the Attorney General’s office. Under the agreement filed in D.C. Superior Court, GetThru will pay $1 million to the District and must begin collecting and remitting D.C. sales taxes on taxable services sold to customers in the nation’s capital. According to court records, the company cooperated with the investigation. “Companies that do business in the District by making sales to our residents, visitors, businesses, and nonprofits have a legal obligation to collect and pay sales taxes — revenues which fund essential

5 Attorney General Brian Schwalb says GetThru will pay $1 million to the District and must begin collecting and remitting D.C. sales taxes on taxable services sold to customers in the nation’s capital. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

public services,” Schwalb said. GetThru provides peer-to-peer text messaging and calling technology used by political campaigns, advocacy organizations, labor groups, and nonprofits to communicate with supporters, voters, and donors. According to the Attorney General’s office, the company sold services that qualify as taxable data processing services under District law. The District’s Office of Tax and Revenue identifies data processing among the services subject to D.C. sales tax. Businesses providing taxable services to customers located in the District are required to collect the tax and remit it to the government. Failure to do so can expose companies to tax liabilities, penalties, and enforcement actions. According to allegations outlined in the consent order, GetThru failed to collect and pay required D.C. sales taxes on millions of dollars in sales to District-based customers from 2016 through May 2026. The Attorney General’s office intervened after reviewing allegations originally filed by a whistleblower under the District’s False Claims Act. The settlement does not contain

an admission of liability by GetThru. The agreement resolves the District’s claims and requires the company to comply with D.C. tax laws moving forward. The case also places a spotlight on the District’s use of whistleblower-driven enforcement actions to recover unpaid taxes. Amendments enacted in 2020 expanded the District’s False Claims Act, allowing private individuals to bring lawsuits on behalf of the District against companies or individuals accused of underpaying or evading taxes. If the government intervenes and recovers money, whistleblowers may receive a share of the proceeds. Under D.C.’s False Claims Act, parties found to have knowingly concealed, avoided, or decreased obligations owed to the District can face damages of up to three times the amount owed, in addition to civil penalties. The law has become an increasingly important tool for pursuing tax enforcement cases involving businesses operating in the District. “We won’t allow businesses to freeload, or gain an unfair advantage over their law-abiding competitors, by avoiding taxes,” Schwalb stated. WI

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AROUND THE REGION

Amid the weeks of back and forth between Lewis George and McDuffie, at least one person— former D.C. Councilmember Vincent Orange— questioned the degree to which any of the oft-called frontrunners focused on the actual issues. “What the mainstream media showed us is two candidates arguing against each other back and forth from

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it just seems like a pattern,’” Lewis George said. “When I'm talking to voters, they're just talking to me about affordability and Trump. The people who did come up to me [said], ‘This is suspect. This pissed me off and we don't like it.” On the afternoon of Election Day, Lewis George arrived at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center in Northeast, one of the stops she made throughout the city. She walked through the pathway of campaign posters and tables, and even danced as supporters sang a remix of Young Miami’s “Spend Dat” as their final appeal for voters’ support. Later, in an interview with The Informer, Lewis George expressed her gratitude to all voters, including those

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5 Former D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman is preparing to return as a member of the legislative body after emerging victorious in the race for the Independent at-large seat against liberal D.C. Councilmember Doni Crawford and D.C. State Board of Education President Jacque Patterson. (WI File Photo/ Marckell Williams)

people of D.C. who elect the mayor,” Lewis George, flanked by her husband and an army of supporters, said while behind a podium on the stage at Howard Theatre. “Tonight, D.C. made its demand. What seemed like a distant dream not too long ago is already history unfolding before our eyes. This moment is for those who refuse to surrender their hope in a government that works for all of us.” Lewis George launched her campaign in the very same spot at Howard Theatre back in January. Weeks later, after the submission of nominating petitions, the field of candidates included her, former D.C council members Kenyan McDuffie and Vincent Orange, Gary Goodweather, Rini Simpath, Ernest Johnson, and Hope Solomon, all of whom she defeated by double digit percentages. As the Ward 4 council member’s “purple wave” of campaign operatives and volunteers made their way across the District this year, McDuffie warned, in but so many many words, of blowback from the Trump administration under a Lewis George mayoralty. During the latter part of that last week, that omen, in part, came to fruition when President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he would relinquish the District of Home Rule in the event of Lewis George’s victory. On Tuesday, Lewis George said the president’s comments gave her campaign an extra boost. “That actually got more people to the polls,” she told The Informer. “It made some indecisive voters decisive… We knew the road ahead was going to be tough, but [with] him having his eyes on us, [it] became very clear.” Lewis George recently faced another hurdle when D.C. Office of Campaign Finance (OCF) issued a $16,000 fine and revealed the findings of an investigation confirming collusion between her campaign, unions, and PACs. D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), a Lewis George supporter, has since called on the D.C. Office of the Inspector General to investigate OCF. Lewis George’s campaign has also appealed OCF’s ruling, calling it a tactic similar to what was employed against then-D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman in her 2022 loss to McDuffie. “I think people really saw that and were like, ‘Wait a minute now. Like one time is OK, but another time

who didn’t support her mayoral ambitions. “I'm looking forward to us leveraging our power and coordinating that power to benefit D.C. residents and just really making this city more affordable for everyone,” Lewis George said. “Standing up to Trump right now, I think it's just going to go a long way.” Lewis George also touted rankedchoice voting as the ideal mechanism in fostering alignment among opposing candidates. Months into a contentious mayoral race however, she admitted that she and McDuffie couldn’t find common ground. “There was a lot of negativity, a lot of fear mongering that occurred,” Lewis George said. “I wish that there could have been more of an effort to say, ‘Hey, all of us are good people. We love this city. Rank whoever you think would be the best to serve right now.’ Missed opportunity for sure.”

ELECTION from Page 1

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ELECTION Page 11

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Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes moderated “Afternoon of Books, Conversation and Inspiration” at Busboys and Poets on Sunday, June 14, featuring community leaders like Kamal and Virginia Ali of Ben’s Chili Bowl, as well as Jeanette Mobley, wife of the late Pierpont Mobley, a veteran activist, author and barrier-breaking White House employee. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

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“If we desire a society of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence. If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society. If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end.”

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ELECTION from Page 9 day one all the way to the end,” Orange told The Informer. “That's not a good look for us. It's not a good look for us locally, and it’s not a good look for us nationally.” Orange entered the race touting a bevy of past accomplishments, including helping the District escape the clutches of the Control Board, and securing investments into Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, McKinley Technology High School, and a shopping center near Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station. While Lewis George and McDuffie have pledged to fight Trump, Orange often evoked the words of the late President John F. Kennedy, telling voters across the District, “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” “The man [President Trump] said he's going to spend $10 billion in D.C. I would like to have a seat at that table,” Orange said. “Let's get some of those dollars for paid apprenticeships for our teens. Let's get some of those dollars to help us get our police force back up to 4,500. As mayor, I'm aggressively fighting to get the National Guard under my control. I'm not going to be bashful in what I desire.” Hours before Lewis George’s appearance at Turkey Thicket, McDuffie joined his wife Princess and their two daughters at the voting center. Even with recent polling showing Lewis George in the lead, McDuffie told The Informer that he had something to offer District residents. “My appeal has been a vision that people can get behind that really prioritizes their safety and…making this city the most affordable city in America, but also ensuring that they understand on day one, I'll be prepared to lead,” McDuffie told The Informer. “I'll be prepared to manage a $21 billion government in a way that delivers core services much more efficiently. I'm not going to default to raising people's taxes. This isn't just about making promises and empty rhetoric.” Throughout the race, McDuffie drew contrasts between himself and Lewis George, who he called the less experienced candidate. He also relied on his more than 13 years on the council and the backing of former Ward 3 D.C. council member Mary Cheh, former D.C. mayors Anthony Williams and Sharon Pratt, among several other elder politicians. “We let them know that we're going

5 After clinching more than 63% of the voter bloc in the D.C. Democratic primary, CouncilmemberRobert White is preparing to succeed longtime Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, his former boss, in the House of Representatives. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

to put policies in place that creates and builds the housing that we need in the District of Columbia across incomes.” McDuffie said about his voter outreach. “All the way down to the lowest income residents who need quality, safe, affordable housing, as well as middle income residents like our teachers, our firefighters, our police officers, our 9-1-1 operators, our child care workers.”

Robert White Clinches Victory in D.C. Delegate Race

The interim results of other pJune 16 primary races allude to what many have called a generational and ideological shift in local politics during a period of flagrant federal intrusion and increasing economic insecurity. In the delegate race for instance, D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) conceded to D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At large) after White clinched 63.16% of the vote, compared to her 21%. White, a former Norton staffer, credited the ‘Warrior on the Hill’ in his victory against Pinto, longtime Democratic operative Kinney Zalesne, Norton staffer Trent Holbrook, and physicist Greg Jaczko. “Because of the work that Congresswoman Norton has done, the right person following her can build on that legacy,” White told The Informer earlier in the day. “I can do things that she couldn't do because of the things she did, but you need somebody who knows this city and who knows this seat very well.” WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY 5 Councilmember Wanika Fisher (D-District 2) braves the heat to introduce herself to voters at Bowie City Gym.

500 Square Miles, 500 Smiles: Tour of Prince George’s County

3 Coach Reginald Martin stands under a canopy tent at Boch Road to earn votes for his District 26 Delegate campaign.

5 Former County Executive Rushern Baker braves the 90 degree heat to shake hands with voters at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center. 5 Del. Malcolm Ruff (D-District 41) prepares to embark in an early vote caravan to bring voters out in West Baltimore.

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5 Camaraderie among competing candidates at a polling site in Beltsville. 3 Anti-gun violence advocate Keenon James, running for Delegate in District 23, stands at the Beltsville site on the first day of Early Voting. 4 State’s Attorney Tara Jackson (D) stands shoulder to shoulder with volunteers as she met voters at Bowie City Gym on the second day of early voting. 3 Educator Ryan Turner, running for Delegate in District 41, and Judge Jill P. Carter read The Washington Informer.

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3 Kevin Ford Jr., running for State Senate in District 24, greets voters at Bowie City Gym in 5 Sen. Anthony Muse (D-District 26) the early hours of the first day of early voting. is supporting his ticket at Bock Road.

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Prince George’s Political Updates

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Prince George’s County Council Passes Revised Budget, Park and Planning Commission Sues Council By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Prince George’s County Council Passes Revised Budget

In an unprecedented move, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy (D) returned the budget for a revision vote before the County Council while citing numerical and clerical errors within the budget that passed in late May. These errors, which have since been corrected, mean that the Council did not officially pass a balanced budget before the June 1 deadline. County Council Chair Krystal Oridaha (D-District 7) noted staff turnover as one of the factors leading to delays and errors in the budget process. “Anytime you have people doing the budget for the first time, there might be things that they are learning and mistakes that they can make,” Council Chair Krystal Oriadha said following a vote to address prior errors in the budget on June 9. “We have two major spreadsheets that we use, one for the major budget and one for park and planning, and then we give it to staff and it’s a big document. They take the spreadsheets and embed it in every document.” Councilmember Sydney Harrison (D-At Large) decried the lack of transparency and called for creating an inspector general, as most of Maryland’s other large counties have. He did not vote on the original budget, which passed 8-0. “I am calling on my colleagues or maybe for the state to step in and put an inspector general into the Prince George's County government that will oversee the fiduciary responsibilities of how these tax dollars are being used,” he said in an interview with NBC 4 Washington. “Anytime that you're taking money from one agency, they're going to suffer, right? I'm worried that this commission will be left in shambles. I’m worried about people’s jobs. They have priorities. They serve our community

each and every day. What about their voice[s]?” Dr. Jennifer Rios, who is running for an at-large seat on the council, criticized the legislative body’s inability to pass a budget on time. “Prince George’s County residents deserve transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility,” she told The Informer. “The County Council was required to pass a balanced budget by March, yet we continue to hear shifting narratives about deficits being closed while budget gaps remain unresolved.”

Park and Planning Commission Sues Prince George’s County Council

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) is suing the Prince George’s County Council, alleging more than $39 million in transfers that the bi-county agency states are intended for recreational programs. The agency is seeking a judge to freeze the budget changes until further notice. “While we made good-faith efforts to resolve this collaboratively, we need the court’s intervention to protect the public trust and ensure these resources are used as intended,” the commission said in a statement. Prince George’s Councilmember Edward Burroughs III (D-District 8) has said that the project charges used by the council have served county youth effectively. “There is no money that Park and Planning has, generally speaking, that does not come from Prince George’s County taxpayers,” Burroughs said. “It’s all the county’s money. It’s all the county’s resources.” Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy has said that her legal resources will be made available to defend the county council. “Our attorneys are vigorously defending the position of the county council,” said the Braveboy. “They have determined that the lawsuit is not valid.”

Rios noted that the transfer of MNCPPC-designated funds has been specifically prohibited in the recent state budget, signed by Gov. Wes Moore (D). “It is unacceptable for dedicated Parks and Planning funds to be diverted to cover unrelated spending or nonprofit programs that should be funded through the county’s general budget process,” Rios continued. “These funds are legally designated for specific community purposes and should remain protected. Our residents deserve honest budgeting, public involvement, and leadership that gets it right the first time.” WI

5 County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha (D-District 7) cites staff turnover as one of the factors leading to budget delays and errors. (Robert R. Roberts/WI File Photo)

Beyond Revenue: Why Capital Access Matters Economic development is often measured by jobs created, businesses attracted, and investment secured. While those metrics matter, sustainable growth also depends on ensuring that entrepreneurs and small business owners have access to the capital needed to grow and succeed. Across Prince George’s County and the Washington region, business owners are launching companies, creating jobs, and investing in their communities. Yet many continue to face challenges securing the funding necessary to expand operations, purchase equipment, hire talent, or pursue acquisition opportunities. Progress is being made through community lenders, financial institutions, CDFIs, and public-private partnerships that are working to increase access to capital. However, more work remains. Capital access should be viewed as more than financing. It is a pathway to business ownership, wealth creation, job preservation, and long-term economic resilience. When entrepreneurs have the resources to grow, they strengthen local businesses, support families, and contribute to a more prosperous regional economy. Strong businesses build strong communities. Visit https://pgcoc.org/ for more information Sincerely, Alexander K. Austin President & CEO Prince George's Chamber of Commerce

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 13

BUSINESS

3 The settlements with Avenue5 Residential, LLC and Bell Partners, Inc. is the latest victory in the District’s ongoing antitrust lawsuit against RealPage, a property management software company, according to Attorney General Brian Schwalb. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

Change: D.C. Wins $1.4 Million Settlement in RealPage RentFixing Case, Landlords Agree to Change Practices By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Two landlords accused of participating in a scheme that artificially drove up apartment rents across the District have agreed to pay $1.4 million and permanently change how they set rental prices, Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced. The settlements with Avenue5 Residential, LLC and Bell Partners, Inc. is the latest victory in the District’s ongoing antitrust lawsuit against RealPage,

a property management software company that D.C. alleges helped coordinate rent increases by collecting confidential information from competing landlords and using that data to generate pricing recommendations. “Rent in the District is already unaffordable for too many D.C. residents, and with help from RealPage, these landlords illegally pushed rents even higher,” Schwalb said. “Avenue5 and Bell Partners deserve credit for being among the first to come to the table and reform their anticompetitive

Invitation For Bids Announcement Solicitation No.: DCHFA-26-0001 Title: Pest Control Services IFB The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (the “Agency” or “DCHFA”) requests bids from qualified and experienced pest management contractors to provide the necessary labor, materials, supervision to render quality Pest Control Services. A site visit will be held on June 24, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at 815 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. Interested parties are invited to review the full IFB details and submission requirements at: www.dchfa.org/about/business-opportunities Proposal Due Date: July 1, 2026, by 2:00 p.m. EST For questions or additional information, please refer to the instructions provided in the IFB.

14 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

rent-setting practices.” Under separate settlement agreements filed in D.C. Superior Court, Avenue5 and Bell Partners will each pay $700,000. The money will be divided among civil penalties, payments to impacted residents, and the District’s legal costs. The District alleged that Avenue5 used RealPage’s revenue management software at three properties in Washington comprising 667 apartment

units. Bell Partners used the software at two District properties and, when the lawsuit was filed, owned more than 1,300 units in the city. According to the Office of the Attorney General, Avenue5, Bell Partners, and 12 other landlords participating in the lawsuit shared sensitive, non-public business information through RealPage’s pricing platform rather than competing independently for tenants. The District contends that

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RealPage aggregated confidential data from landlords, analyzed local supply and demand conditions, and generated rent recommendations designed to maximize revenue. The lawsuit alleges the arrangement affected a substantial portion of the city’s rental market. The Attorney General’s Office has said that more than 30% of apartments in District multifamily buildings and about 60% of units in larger apartment buildings with at least 50 units were priced using RealPage software. As part of the settlements, both companies agreed to stop using revenue-management software that relies on non-public or confidential information obtained from other companies. They also agreed not to encourage other landlords to use such software or promote systems that recommend rents based on competitors’ confidential data. The agreements further prohibit the companies from sharing non-public information with other landlords or property managers in ways that could facilitate coordinated pricing. The consent judgments include enforcement provisions designed to ensure compliance. If the Office of the Attorney General obtains evidence that either company may be violating the agreements, an independent monitor can be appointed at the companies’ expense to review their practices and determine whether additional penalties are warranted. The settlements follow an earlier agreement reached in June 2025 with W.C. Smith, the first defendant to settle with the District in the RealPage litigation. “[I] was just talking about this,” one person wrote on social media in response to Schwalb’s announcement of the settlement on X, formerly known as Twitter, “glad someone’s taking action.” Schwalb’s office said it continues to pursue claims against RealPage and the remaining landlord defendants. “We will continue working to hold RealPage and all the remaining defendant landlords accountable to ensure that D.C.’s housing market is fair, competitive, and free of illegal collusion,” Schwalb said. WI

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Former Amtrak Chief Joins $20 Billion Push to Transform Northeast Rail By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer A former president of Amtrak has joined forces with Wall Street financiers, aerospace executives, freight rail leaders, and private investors behind an effort to steer more than $20 billion into America’s busiest passenger rail corridor. This proposal, supporters say, could finally push U.S. passenger trains past 200 mph while replacing railcars that have carried Northeast Corridor passengers since the 1970s. AmeriStarRail this week announced that former Amtrak President Paul Reistrup will chair the company’s newly formed advisory board as it advances a sweeping plan to modernize Northeast Corridor service between Washington, New York, and Boston through a public-private partnership structure backed by private capital instead of

new congressional appropriations. “With a single-digit market share Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor has not come close to realizing its potential — not for lack of infrastructure, and not for lack of public investment, but for lack of the private-sector innovation and operational discipline that transforms good assets into great ones,” Reistrup said. “I have seen this railroad from the inside. I know what it is capable of and I know what has held it back.” Reistrup, who led Amtrak from 1975 to 1978, joins a board that includes former NASA Chief Astronaut Charlie Precourt, former Carlyle Group Managing Director Robert Dove, former Norfolk Southern Triple Crown Intermodal President James Newton, retired IndyCar driver Marco Andretti, former Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, disabled Navy veteran George “Mack” McIntyre, Tower K Group CEO Phil Bell, and

CBIZ Rail Insurance risk adviser Tripp Salisbury. The company’s proposal centers on replacing Amtrak’s aging Amfleet railcars with what AmeriStarRail calls the “Libertyliner 250,” a rebranded version of Amtrak’s NextGen Acela trainsets designed to expand highspeed rail access beyond premium Acela passengers. AmeriStarRail previously outlined plans that would increase Northeast Corridor service by 35%, expand seating capacity by more than 21%, and provide coach, business, and first-class seating on every train. The company has argued that current Acela service remains financially and physically out of reach for many travelers while millions continue riding in railcars first introduced during the Nixon administration. The proposal also calls for private investors to finance, own, and maintain the train fleet while Amtrak employees would continue operating and maintaining the service. AmeriStarRail said the federal government would retain ownership of existing tracks, stations, and infrastructure. The company has increasingly tied the proposal to larger national

BUSINESS 3 Former Amtrak President Paul Reistrup will chair AmeriStarRail’s newly formed advisory board as it advances a sweeping plan to modernize Northeast Corridor service between Washington, New York, and Boston. (WI File Photo/ Anthony Tilghman)

infrastructure conversations, including preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations. Earlier company presentations promoted nonstop New York-to-Washington travel in under two hours and hourly service throughout the corridor. AmeriStarRail said the investment would represent the largest proposed private-sector commitment in Amtrak history and could place the United States alongside countries

such as Japan, China, France, and Spain in passenger rail speeds exceeding 200 mph. Current Acela service reaches speeds of up to 150 mph on portions of the corridor, while Amtrak’s speed record of 170.8 mph was set in 1967. AmeriStarRail said it is seeking direct technical and financial review from Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Amtrak has not publicly endorsed the proposal. “It is 2026 and the United States — the most innovative nation in the history of the world — has never achieved 200 mph by passenger train,” AmeriStarRail Chief Operating Officer S.R. Spencer said. “The next chapter in that story of restoring American excellence will be written on the ground, at a record speed above 200 mph.” WI

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NATIONAL OBAMA from Page 4 Presidential museum,” noting the athletic center, auditorium, public library, walking trails, vegetable garden, playground, women’s park, and 28 commissioned works of art, 26 of which will be available to the public at no charge. For many observers, the Juneteenth opening adds another cel-

ebratory layer. “There’s something profoundly fitting about opening the Obama Presidential Center on Juneteenth,” said Dr. Angela Freeman.“One date reminds us that freedom delayed is freedom denied. The other tells the story of what can happen when people who were once denied opportunity, refuse to surrender possibility.” A District-based historian and re-

tired professor, Freeman said the center is more than “simply a monument to a presidency.” “It’s a marker on a very long road that runs from emancipation to representation, from surviving history to helping shape it,” she told The Informer. Marcus Whitfield, a technology consulting executive from Prince George’s County, Maryland, said the center’s importance reaches beyond politics. “When I look at the Obama Presidential Center, I don’t just see President Obama. I see investment in a Black community, investment in ideas, and investment in the next generation,” Whitfield said. “The fact that it opens on Juneteenth sends a powerful message. Freedom isn’t only about looking back at what was overcome.

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5 The long-awaited Obama Presidential Center will open its doors on Chicago's South Side on Juneteenth, connecting two defining chapters of the Black American experience. (Courtesy Photo/Angie McMonigal, Obama Center)

It’s about creating spaces where young people can imagine what comes next. That’s what makes this different from a traditional museum. It’s a place built around possibility.”

An Educational Moment and Legacy

The center’s library branch is scheduled to open with special programming and resources tied to the Obamas’ lives and public service. Visitors also will have access to exhibitions, educational programming, and public spaces intended to encourage dialogue and civic participation. For educators, the symbolism of opening the center on Juneteenth is especially powerful. “Every year on Juneteenth, we teach our students about a people who kept faith in freedom even when freedom was withheld from them,” said Danielle Brooks-Reed, a Baltimore-based schoolteacher. “Now, on that same day, children will be able to walk through a campus dedicated to the first Black president and see themselves reflected

in history in a way previous generations never could. For educators, that’s priceless. Representation matters, but inspiration matters even more.” Jarrett said she believes young people will see themselves in the center and in the stories it tells. “So, the pride I have, with anticipating the looks on the faces, particularly of our young people as they walk through the doors and feel a sense of ownership with pride and enthusiasm, but hopefully motivation to feel the sense of empowerment for what each and every person can do differently in their own lives,” Jarrett said. She added that the center’s purpose is focused on what comes next. “We use the stories about their paths; we speak upon whose shoulders the Obamas stand as a teaching instrument to motivate for the future,” Jarrett shared. “His fundamental belief is that ordinary people who work together— the common set of values, with differences, can do extraordinary things. It is a living, breathing campus. It is not about the past; it is about the future.” WI

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SPJ from Page 4 Esha Bhandari, director of the Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, called the proposal an effort to restrict press freedom. “The First Amendment applies most strongly to government employees’ speech when the speech in question is in their private capacity and about matters of public concern,” Bhandari said in a statement. The proposal has also drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, including Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) one of the Senate’s most prominent advocates for whistleblower protections. In a letter to OPM and in remarks on the Senate floor, Grassley warned that the proposed agreement does not clearly incorporate federal anti-gag provisions designed to protect employees who report waste, fraud, abuse, or violations of law. Federal law requires agencies that use nondisclosure agreements to notify employees that those

agreements do not override whistleblower rights, including the right to communicate with Congress, inspectors general, and the Office of Special Counsel. “Legally protected whistleblower disclosures aren’t leaks,” Grassley said. “Legally protected whistleblower disclosures aren’t unauthorized disclosures.” Questions about the proposal have also surfaced in Congress, where lawmakers have sought clarification about how the NDA would interact with existing whistleblower statutes and whether federal workers could interpret the agreement as limiting rights that are protected by law. Kevin Owen, a lawyer with Gilbert Employment Law who represents federal employees, said the proposal appears aimed at restricting communication beyond the handling of classified information. “It appeared to be devised to stop them from speaking with the media and to prevent the spread of politically inconvenient speech that bothers the administration, or significant whistle-blower disclo-

sures, which also are a problem for the administration,” Owen said. Federal employees already operate under multiple restrictions governing sensitive information. Unauthorized disclosure of classified material is a crime. The Privacy Act prohibits the release of personal information maintained by the government, including Social Security numbers and medical records. Federal law also bars the disclosure of trade secrets and other confidential business information submitted to agencies. In addition, some federal agencies already maintain policies restricting employees from speaking publicly without authorization. Supporters of the proposal contend that stronger protections are needed to prevent damaging leaks and protect sensitive government operations. Opponents argue that existing laws already address those concerns and that new confidentiality requirements could discourage employees from exposing wrongdoing or informing the public about government actions.

NATIONAL

5 A coalition led by the Society of Professional Journalists is urging the Trump administration to abandon a proposal that would allow federal agencies to require employees to sign nondisclosure agreements. (WI File Photo)

“Such broad gag orders would leave the public in the dark about how the government works, Bhandari said in her statement, “pre-

venting the kind of informed debate that is critical to democratic accountability.” WI

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Anti-Immigrant Demonstrations Burden Communities From Africa to Europe

Communities Across the Globe Burdened by Xenophobic Violence, Rhetoric, Sparking International Concern By Mya Trujillo WI Multimedia Reporter

South Africa Faces Scrutiny Over Attacks on Migrants

Tensions are high in South Africa as anti-migrant groups have been carrying out attacks and organizing demonstrations against those they suspect of being undocumented. With claims stating the deaths of foreign nationals at the hands of xenophobic violence, the country is receiving international backlash. Since the end of Apartheid in 1994, immigration to South Africa has increased due to its middle-income status and relatively stable democratic government. This has triggered anti-immigrant sentiment and vigilante organizations and movements, and an uptick of demonstrations against foreigners since May. In response, the South African government is urging its nationals to steer clear of such vigilantism, but is also calling for undocumented immigrants to turn themselves in and voluntarily repatriate to their home countries. “As part of a unified national effort, we will manage this process in a way that safeguards our sovereignty, strengthens our public institutions and builds a safe, inclusive and prosperous South Africa for all,” said Mmaoloko Kubayi, South Africa’s Minister of Justice. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration (IMC) in South Africa has reported that 40,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested since the beginning of 2026, and more than 7,400 arrests have been made in the last month. As the government works to send thousands of Malawian, Ghanaian and Nigerian nationals back to their respective countries, they must also ensure violence is kept out of the equation. The Mozambican government claimed five of its nationals had been killed as a result of xenophobic mob attacks against 800 Mozambicans in Mossel Bay. Word of these deaths pushed World Health Organization

5 Thousands of migrants from Malawi are sheltering at Sherwood Hall in Durban, waiting to go back home. (Courtesy Photo/Hopewell Chin’ono via X)

(WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to express his concern and disappointment on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling xenophobia in South Africa a betrayal of the independence the country once fought for. “Disagreements and grievances must be addressed by the justice system and the rule of law, never through vigilante violence and collective violence,” Ghebreyesus wrote. “South Africa deserves better. Africa deserves better. Stop the hate. Protect the vulnerable. Uphold our shared humanity.”

Race-Based Riots Take Northern Ireland by Storm

Fire, destruction, and hate have plagued Northern Ireland for about a week now as immigrants and people of color have been subjected to racebased progoms– violent demonstrations that were a xenophobic response to the released video footage of a June 8 knife attack in Belfast. Masked men took to the streets of Northern Ireland’s capital city to “get foreigners out” by setting homes and vehicles ablaze, pelting police with bricks and going doorto-door to intimidate anyone they deemed unworthy of residence. Small businesses and schools had to close down out of fear for their pa-

trons, students and faculty. “People are, of course, entitled to their views on immigration and, of course, government policy isn’t perfect, but this hasn’t been a debate or a conversation,” the leader of Ireland’s Social Democratic and Labor Party, Claire Hanna, said. “There has been mob justice and some of the same old same old proposals for a hardened border on the island of Ireland. Political leaders have a duty to lead, not to lean into people’s worst fears and anxieties.” Following the stabbing, many notable figures, including Elon Musk, took to social media to share messages and images that further fueled and justified anti-migrant sentiment. One of Musk’s posts included the caption, “millions must go,” next to the photo of the stabbing suspect. As violence ramped up and dozens of people were displaced from their homes, thousands of protesters gathered in Belfast on June 12 for an anti-racist rally, led by United Against Racism (UAR), condemning the riots and xenophobic rhetoric. The demonstration was deemed one of the city’s largest of its kind and featured acts of community solidarity as demonstrators provided meals and helped evacuate frightened residents. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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Navigating the Future: Why Autonomous Vehicles Are a Game-Changer for the D.C. Region Sponsored by Waymo Anyone who has tried to catch a rideshare east of the Anacostia River or gotten stuck in rushhour traffic on New York Avenue knows that Washington’s transportation network has room for improvement. Enter autonomous vehicles (AVs). While self-driving technology might once have seemed like a futuristic science fiction fantasy, it is now very much part of the present – providing a safe, reliable transportation option to communities across the country. Here in the nation’s capital, Waymo has successfully mapped all eight wards in Washington, D.C., logging hundreds of thousands of autonomous miles in preparation for serving the District—but full commercial operations of autonomous ride-hailing are awaiting final regulatory approval from the D.C. Council. Councilmember Charles Allen introduced the "Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026" on May 1, 2026. The bill is currently in the D.C. Council, set to receive a hearing before the Committee on Transportation and the Environment this summer which Allen chairs. With the D.C. Council actively reviewing the proposed legislation, the region is on the cusp of a mobility breakthrough. When properly regulated and designed with community needs in mind, autonomous vehicles can improve how we live, work, and move.

Safer Streets, Smarter Transit

One of the most profound

benefits of autonomous vehicles is the potential to drastically reduce traffic fatalities and accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 94 percent of crashes involve human error— whether from distraction, fatigue, or impaired driving. Autonomous technology—such as the system developed by pioneers like Waymo—bypasses these human limitations. Equipped with LIDAR, cameras, and radar, Waymo can see football fields in any direction and visualize the world around it in milliseconds no matter the time of day. In fact, the latest safety data indicates that the Waymo Driver had 92% fewer crashes involving serious injuries or worse, compared to an average human driver. Because AVs are designed to always follow traffic rules, human drivers, pedestrians and cyclists can expect a far more predictable and secure environment on the road.

Equity and Accessibility

In cities like Washington, D.C., and surrounding suburbs, traditional public transportation and rideshare services have historically suffered from distribution gaps. Commuters in neighborhoods further out—such as those east of the Anacostia River in Wards 7 and 8—often face longer wait times and less reliable service. The proposed AV legislation in the District places equity at its core. It mandates that any autonomous rideshare operator provide equal coverage across all eight wards, ensuring that a resident in Congress Heights experiences the same wait times as someone living in upper Northwest. Additionally, because the technology doesn’t get tired or have biases, these fleets can operate 24 hours a day, providing dependable, on-demand transportation to historically underserved communities. Anthony Williams, CEO of Fed-

“We’re excited to bring the comfort, consistency, and safety of Waymo to Washingtonians, those who work and play in the city every day, and the millions of people from around the world who travel to the District every year.” – Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo Co-CEO

eral City Council and former D.C. Mayor, reflected upon challenges with other transportation options like taxis and traditional rideshare, saying: “People would blatantly, openly refuse to give me a ride… And Waymo – it can’t do that. And that’s good, that’s a social good.” Reverend Thomas L. Bowen, General Secretary of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, expressed a similar sentiment: “I can’t help but think of years ago, when D.C. had the zoned taxis… and even when I would go to New York, I’d be passed up by taxis. Why should I have to put on a suit to get a taxi? That is something that cannot be overlooked. It’s about the dignity that people are afforded, and the fact that people should be viewed as the same.” Furthermore, AVs promise a new standard of independence for neurodiverse adults, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. For those who cannot drive due to medical conditions or age, an on-demand driverless car acts as a lifeline, enabling social mobility and opening doors to employment and community life on their own terms.

Reclaiming Your Time

According to studies, the average

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

5 Waymo is ready to bring safer and more accessible transportation to Washington, D.C. with its autonomous ridehailing service.

commuter can save up to 17 percent of their commuting time using AVs. And instead of enduring the stress of stop-and-go traffic on M Street or Florida Avenue, passengers can catch up on emails, read the news, or simply relax. AVs will give Washingtonians their time back, transforming a tedious daily commute into a productive, comfortable mobile workspace or lounge.

Environmental Sustainability

Sustainability is a critical priority for the Washington region. The new generation of autonomous vehicles poised to hit the market features all-electric fleets powered by renewable energy whenever possible. Waymo, for instance, operates hundreds of thousands of electric vehicle trips weekly, preventing more than 530 tons of weekly carbon emissions globally. Combined with proposed policies that incentivize passengers to use Waymo to connect seamlessly with WMATA Metro stations, AVs will support the D.C. area's overarching clean air and climate goals.

Driving Opportunity

The opportunity autonomous ridehailing offers to D.C. won’t be confined to the streets—it has the potential to benefit the entire community. To support its D.C. service, Waymo will invest tens of millions of dollars in local jobs and infrastructure, including developing multiple AV service centers and charging sites throughout the District. Said Tiffany Moore, Head of Federal Policy & Government Affairs at Waymo, “There’s an entire human infrastructure around our driverless vehicles — and those are local jobs for our workforce.” The future of driving isn't just about the car itself; it is about how the technology integrates into our daily lives. By prioritizing safety, sustainability, and equitable access across every neighborhood, autonomous vehicles are set to become a vital pillar of our region’s transportation network. The road ahead is bright, and it is self-driven.

Join The Washington Informer and Waymo for a community conversation, Waymo in the District: A Safe & Accessible Future, to discuss the future of safe, equitable transportation in Washington, D.C. Contact rburke@washingtoninformer.com for details

JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 19

HEALTH ‘Health is Wealth’: How Whitman-Walker Health System Closes Health Gaps in D.C. By Demarco Rush WI Contributing Writer As health care organizations across the country grapple with rising costs and persistent disparities in access to treatment, leaders at Whitman-Walker Health System (WWHS) are utilizing community engagement, research, and advocacy to help improve wellness outcomes throughout Washington, D.C. Starting in 1973 and named in 1978 after former District resident and poet Walt Whitman and

D.C. Civil-War era physician and women’s rights activist Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Whitman-Walker Health's clinic has historicallyoffered access to comprehensive health care. Established in 2017, WWHS was designed to support research, policy initiatives, and philanthropy, while allowing Whitman-Walker Health (also known as the Clinic) to focus on direct patient care. Dr. Heather Aaron, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health System, emphasized the structure was created with long-term sustainability in mind.

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5 D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at the Whitman-Walker Walk to End HIV in October 2022 in Southeast, D.C. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

“The health system was created with [the] foresight of looking at how expensive it is to run health care in this country,” Aaron told The Informer. Today, the organization continues to expand its reach through research initiatives, community partnerships, and efforts to address health inequities affecting underserved populations. “Our commitment is to build on the trust that we have earned with the communities,” said Dr. Joachim Roski, chair of the Whitman-Walker Health System Board. “We’ve historically served the LGBTQ+ communities and extended and earned the trust of communities that are similarly disadvantaged in receiving the right care.” In the District, some residents struggle with access to quality health care. According to D.C. Health, the city has nine federally designated health professional shortage areas and eight medically underserved areas or populations, reflecting ongoing gaps in access to primary, dental and mental health services. These designations help identify communities where shortages of health care providers can create barriers to receiving timely and quality care. Roski emphasized that quality health care should be accessible to everyone, regardless of personal circumstances. “We believe that care should be

excellent regardless of your race, your income levels, where you live, your sexual orientation and so forth,” he told The Informer.

Addressing Disparities, Furthering Research, Promoting Health

One of Whitman-Walker’s most visible investments in addressing health disparities is the Max Robinson Center, located east of the Anacostia River. The facility was developed through partnerships involving the District government, private investors, and community stakeholders. Tonya Vidal-Kinlow, a Whitman-Walker Health System board member, highlighted that the center represents a commitment to addressing longstanding differences in health outcomes across the city. “This investment reflects our commitment to closing the stark disparity in life expectancy between District residents living east of the river and their peers in other parts of the city,” Vidal-Kinlow told The Informer. The organization also works to ensure residents play an active role in developing solutions for their communities. “WWHS also builds the relationships and infrastructure that make it possible for the clinic at Max Robinson to deliver high-quality care, and to create real opportu-

nities for community members to participate in developing the health solutions that matter most to them,” Vidal-Kinlow added. Whitman-Walker’s Institute for Health Research and Policy has become a major contributor to public health research. Over the last four years, the institute has enrolled more than 6,000 participants in medical and public health studies and has contributed to policy changes affecting LGBTQ+ healthcare access nationwide. Research conducted through the institute has helped inform HIV-related public health initiatives, supported efforts to eliminate restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, and expanded access to affordable mental health services for young people in the District. Aaron emphasized that improving community health also will require addressing factors beyond the walls of a doctor’s office. She also noted that the increasing number of grocery stores could positively influence both physical and mental health outcomes. “When communities have access to healthy foods, it benefits people physically and mentally,” she said. For Aaron, the overall message for WWHS is simple: “Health is wealth.” “All the money in the world doesn’t matter,” she added, “if you don’t have your health.” WI

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LAWSUIT from Page 4 announcing the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges the children’s parents never consented to the testing and were never informed that their infants had allegedly been enrolled as test subjects in an NIH-sponsored experiment. Attorneys for the families contend that tissue samples taken during autopsies decades ago later contributed to the development of RSV vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023. The complaint states that the families were never compensated or formally acknowledged for what attorneys describe as the role the infants’ deaths played in the eventual vaccine development. Crump and the legal team are demanding financial damages, full disclosure of the government’s alleged actions, and accountability from federal officials connected to the program. Attorneys representing the families said the lawsuit is also aimed at un-

HEALTH

covering exactly how the children were selected, what their parents were told, and why the families say they remained unaware of the alleged testing for decades. “The families of Ross Otto Hambrick and Victor Marcellus King deserve the truth, they deserve accountability, and they deserve justice for what was taken from them,” Crump said. WI

The complaint states that the families were never compensated or formally acknowledged for what attorneys describe as the role the infants’ deaths played in the eventual vaccine development.

5 Attorneys Ben Crump (pictured), William H. Murphy Jr., Carol Lexing Powell, Malcolm P. Ruff and Nabeha Shaer are representing families who have filed a federal lawsuit accusing the U.S. government of secretly using their children in dangerous RSV vaccine experiments without parents’ knowledge or consent. (WI File Photo)

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 21

OUR

EARTH

3The Puerto Rican government is working to distribute drinking water to residents experiencing service interruptions, committed to supporting vulnerable communities. (Courtesy Photo/ Departamento de la Familia via Instagram)

Puerto Rican Leaders Confront Water Access Emergency

Members of the Puerto Rican Independence Party Attribute the Island’s Water Crisis to Government Negligence, Call for Plan to Protect the Natural Resource By Mya Trujillo WI Multimedia Reporter In the midst of an energy crisis, residents in Puerto Rico are also burdened with drinking water inaccessibility, having experienced widespread service interruptions, low water pressure and failures to the potable supply for months now. While the problem could be attributed to environmental strain,

as 46.93% of the United States and Puerto Rico are experiencing drought conditions, some of the island’s leaders are saying it isn’t the only factor. “The country’s water problem right now is not limited to drought; it is a problem of administrative incompetence, irresponsibility of the Popular Party and [New Progressive Party] governments and the absence of awareness of the climate crisis that

Puerto Rico has faced,” said member of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Juan Dalamau, in a June 11 press conference. According to San Juan’s Municipal Office for Emergency Management (OMME), the capital city responded to 3,074 water-emergency-related cases between June 1 and 13, and has 2,152 that remain pending. In addition, OMME reported 804 of the initial cases were handled with the distribution of 499,511 gallons of water to affected communities. The municipality has access to 55 tanker trucks available to deliv-

er drinking water, with 35 currently addressing immediate distribution efforts. Of those 35, 11 are owned by San Juan, 14 are contracted, 6 are from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) and 4 have been assigned by the National Guard after being deployed by Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon. Seventeen additional tanker trucks have been made available due to support from the municipalities of Cidra, Las Piedras, Humacao, Ponce, Trujillo Alto, Mayaguez, Villalba, Arecibo, Penuelas, Juana Diaz and Manati. “We are working and collaborating to support our communities during this drinking water emergency,” said San Juan Mayor Miguel A. Romero Lugo, via Instagram. “And once we overcome this situation, the [Water Service Stabilization and Restoration Committee] will continue to work to address the particular challenges facing San Juan and strengthen the reliability of the system.”

Urbanization Developments Pose Risk to Water Access

Beyond San Juan, Dalamau and other members of the PIP are urging the island’s government to establish an extensive plan that will safeguard its entire water supply and ensure equal access to the resource. As an intense El Nino has begun, partly causing 2026 to be on track to becoming the warmest year on record, a plan that holds agencies accountable and builds resilience against environmental and non-environmental factors is crucial. According to Dalamau, more than 50% of Puerto Rico’s drinking water supply has been lost in the last 19 years due to leaks, breaks and spills.

22 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

“Imagine that you have a business and 50% of the inventory you lose or it is stolen or damaged,” the politician said. “That business would be on the way to bankruptcy, and in Puerto Rico for decades, it's not new.” With such loss, and more to come, the chances of maintaining a reliable water system are slim, which is why the PIP is proposing a number of short-to-medium term measures: the depoliticization of the AAA, the creation of water reserves that will help conserve northern and southern aquifers, the development of a reforestation plan and others. One of the threats to the system’s longevity is the proposal of House Bill (HB) 1079, by Johnny Mendez, Puerto Rico’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, which would weaken protections on the island’s karst region “Of the many initiatives detrimental to planning and natural resources, this is probably one of the most dangerous,” said PIP Vice President Maria de Lourdes Santiago. “If Johnny Mendez gets his way and opens the door to the disorderly commercialization of the karst, the water supply of 400,000 people in Puerto Rico is endangered.” The necessary work to protect Puerto Rico’s water system and overall environmental health is extensive, but many leaders across the island understand the hard work that must be done requires collaboration. “Instead of making excuses, we must join forces and find solutions,” Lugo said in a statement. “For our part, we will continue to participate in good faith, vigilant in ensuring compliance with the agreements reached and focused on a single priority: that families receive the water service they deserve.” WI

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EDUCATION

3 As fears surrounding increased ICE presence in the DMV area continues, people at Meadow Hall Elementary School participate in a “walking school bus,” a program where students are escorted to and from school by a teacher or trusted community member. (Courtesy Photo/Ruby Espinoza)

How ICE Affects Students By Ruby Espinoza Urban Journalism Workshop This article was originally published as part of the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) 2026 Urban Journalism Workshop and lightly edited for style and clarity. On a recent Tuesday afternoon in Rockville, Maryland, before school, groups of small children formed lines behind their trusted adult and walked confidently through the busy suburb. What seemed like a daily dropoff schedule for students at Meadow Hall Elementary School was actually a community effort to keep students safe amid fears of immigration-related deportations in the area. At Meadow Hall, students are scared to walk to school out of fear that they could be deported from their neighborhoods, without their families knowing. The fear has resulted in a decrease in attendance, according to school leadership. Meadow Hall, which has a Hispanic population of nearly 60%, according to Montgomery County schools, needed a new way to protect students. They created a “walking school bus” program where students are escorted to and from school by a teacher or trusted community member. For schools in Montgomery County, where nearly 1 in 5 people are Hispanic, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations have been a part of life that both staff and students have had to adapt to. One of the students whose parents have been deported now only lives with his grandma, while others are facing eviction because the family member who was taken was the main provider, Mackall said. With an increase in ICE presence around Rockville and a new detention center planned to be opened in Hagerstown, staff and students have begun to worry about how to protect their families and community from deportation. “The biggest thing is the mental

task or impact that it has had on students first and also our staff. During the meeting, our staff was very emotional because a student’s father was just taken,” said Desmond Mackall, principal of Meadow Hall.“We want to continue to keep this a happy place for kids because this might be the only happy place.” Mackall explained that the ICE deportations have greatly affected his students, both physically and emotionally. At Meadow Hall, five students have had families deported by ICE, Mackall said. The elementary school has also seen a decrease in students walking to school and attendance at their free community English classes, both out of fear that ICE might deport members of the community at the institution. This eventually led to the invention of the “walking school bus.” “Some of our partners have started to reach out to do what our staff is doing with the walks,” said Mackall. “We are trying to get an official outfit so that the community knows, ‘these guys are with Meadow Hall. So my kids are ok to walk to school with them.’ I am grateful to how the outside community has responded.” The community has also created GoFundMe accounts for students’ families who have been deported, which have raised thousands for students, said elementary school teacher Jennifer Campbell. There are also school drives that provide high-quality groceries for families and clothing drives. Outside of official sources, some teachers even donate clothing, medicine and food to families. “These kids become my children,” said Campbell. “You truly learn to love them and care for them. I’m a mother at heart.”

students with deported relatives being offered at a variety of schools. There have also been group sessions that students have requested as a space to talk with peers who have been through a similar experience. “We have great therapeutic services, counseling where students can get one-on-one counseling at least once a week,” said Mackall. Teachers are also feeling the impact of deportations because it’s such a close-knit community.

“I was just heartbroken to see this little, at the time, 8-year-old, who didn’t have a mom,” said Campbell. “I feel it because I have three boys myself and one of my sons is 9 years old. You should not be without your mother.” At Meadow Hall, there have also been many legal battles that they have had to overcome. The school community has encouraged families to create “duty of care plans” in the event they are taken by ICE and to give these plans to the school along with emer-

gency contacts. In the event that a student doesn’t have any other family to take care of them, the school has also arranged for some teachers to “foster a kid” temporarily, Mackall said. Schools have also provided resources such as the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center, Lutheran Social Services in Silver Spring and the Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees (MORA), which have all been officially offered by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Schools also provide information about immigrant rights in their community letters and through school-provided pamphlets. In the event that ICE agents do come into the school, they have to go through a lot of hurdles in order to enter the building and take a student. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

‘I Know it’s Tough, and it Takes a Toll on Us’

Schools have also been combating the emotional impact of ICE deportations, with counseling resources for

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EDITORIAL The Kennedy Center was Never About Trump

Removing Trump’s Name Restores Focus to President Kennedy’s Enduring Legacy The decision to remove President Donald J. Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is more than a symbolic correction. It is a reminder that some national institutions exist to honor history, not political figures. The Kennedy Center, which officially opened on Sept. 8, 1971, was established as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, a president whose life was tragically cut short at 46 in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 21, 1963. Its purpose was never to celebrate contemporary political figures or to serve as a monument to personal ambition. It was created to honor a fallen president whose vision, optimism, and commitment to public service inspired a generation of Americans. That is why Trump’s name never belonged there in the first place. President Kennedy’s legacy extends far beyond the arts. At a pivotal moment in American history, he embraced the civil rights cause, calling it a moral issue “as old as the Scriptures and as clear as the Constitution.” His administration laid the groundwork for landmark civil

rights legislation enacted after his death, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Kennedy understood that democracy is strongest when every citizen has equal access to opportunity and equal protection under the law. Today, those principles are under growing strain. Voting rights protections have been weakened, barriers to the ballot box continue to emerge in many states, and longstanding civil rights safeguards face renewed challenges. At a time when the nation should be recommitting itself to the ideals Kennedy championed, elevating Trump’s name in a memorial dedicated to Kennedy sent the wrong message. Credit is due to Rep. Joyce Beatty, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and a board member of the Kennedy Center, for leading the effort to restore the institution's integrity. Her actions recognize that the Kennedy Center should remain focused on the man for whom it was named and on the values he represented. Thank you, Beatty, for leading this effort on behalf of the nation. Truly, the Kennedy Center be-

longs to the American people. More importantly, it belongs to history. Removing Trump’s name does not erase anyone’s political legacy. It simply reaffirms that a national memorial dedicated to the former president should do just that: honor Kennedy— and only Kennedy. WI

Kennedy understood that democracy is strongest when every citizen has equal access to opportunity and equal protection under the law.

D.C. Voters Undaunted by President’s Threats The primary elections are over and now District residents and while votes are still being tallied, D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is expected to be the next mayor of Washington, D.C. But just days before the elections, President Donald Trump seemingly attempted to throw a monkey wrench into the race, when a reporter asked him about New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (NY) and he compared him to Lewis George. The president indicated that if Lewis George, who like Mamdani, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), won the D.C. mayoral race, he would have to take over the city. The only thing to say to such a threat, is to repeat the iconic question posed by child actor Gary Coleman on the sitcom

“Diff’rent Strokes” (1978-1986): “What’choo talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” Like Coleman who portrayed Arnold Jackson, many are wondering why the president would make such an outlandish comment. But more troubling, is America’s president proclaiming that if one candidate, whose political ideology differs from his, is chosen in a fair and open election, he would be forced to send in federal officials to oversee the city. The president said he “wouldn’t like it,” and said if Lewis George won, his administration, “maybe would take back Washington, run it on the federal basis.” “We won’t put up with it,” Trump said. “We’re not going to lose our businesses.” To be clear, the president does have the authority to take tempo-

rary control of the city’s police department and to deploy the D.C. National Guard, which he did last year. But it would require an act of Congress for him to unilaterally revoke the District’s right to self-government. Some politicians have openly criticized D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for maintaining a cooperative relationship with the president, including Lewis George. Maybe that’s what got under the president’s skin. Whatever the case, District voters, in the first election with ranked-choice voting, made the decision to select Lewis George, despite Trump’s words. While the president offered idle threats, it is clear D.C. residents are still independent, competent thinkers. WI

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The president indicated that if Lewis George, who like Mamdani, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), won the D.C. mayoral race, he would have to take over the city. JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 25

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Julianne Malveaux

Brown's Unfinished Promise

Seventy-one years ago, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, declaring that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. For generations of Black families, Brown represented more than a legal decision. It represented aspiration, validation and possibility. It affirmed a simple but transfor-

mative principle: Black children deserved access to the full promise of American education. That promise remains unfinished. This year, Brown Day arrived during a season of commencements and reflection. On May 16, 2026, Bennett College celebrated its centennial commencement, honoring 100 years of Black women pursuing excellence against extraordinary odds. As Bennett's 15th president from 2007 to 2012, I was especially honored to return

Guest Columnist

for the centennial celebration and witness another generation of Black women stepping boldly into their futures. To stand on Bennett's campus was to witness the power of educational persistence — generations of women who insisted on learning, leadership and achievement even when the nation offered them unequal schools, unequal resources and unequal expectations. That history matters because we are once again debating the meaning and purpose of education in America.

We hear constant alarm about declining test scores, learning loss, teacher shortages and struggling schools. But too often these conversations avoid the deeper question: Who actually receives a quality education in America, and who does not? Brown rested on a radical premise for its time — that Black children deserved the same educational investment as white children. Not leftover resources. Not overcrowded classrooms. Not crumbling facilities. Not diminished

expectations. Equal opportunity. Yet decades later, educational inequality remains deeply embedded in American life. School districts are still shaped by segregated housing patterns and unequal tax bases. Schools serving Black students are more likely to experience staffing shortages, aging facilities, fewer advanced courses and harsher disciplinary systems. And here lies the contradiction. Many of the same political voices

tween February 2025 and January 2026. Combined with the cost incurred from this war, we've spent more than $350 billion, and the only thing we've seen in return is a struggling job market, political division and increased energy uncertainty. Universal Pre-K $351 billion over a 10-year period, according to research from the University of Pennsylvania. Today, parents pay upward of $15,000 a year for childcare while they work. That's $35 billion per

year. In four months, we've spent $25 billion on a war with no end in sight. Free College $58 billion per year That is the cost if the government were to pay the full cost of tuition before grant aid is applied. We've spent nearly half of that in Iran and nearly four times that on tariffs in the last year. Student Loan Forgiveness $355.2 billion ($10,000 per

MALVEAUX Page 45

Marc H. Morial

The Trump Administration's Misaligned Priorities

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." — Dwight D. Eisenhower $100 billion. That is the cost to date of the war in Iran on American house-

holds since it began Feb. 28 of this year, according to Moody's. $25 billion. The U.S. tax dollars spent to fund the conflict that has grown to now include Lebanon and a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway responsible for 20% of the world's oil supply. $125 billion. In four months. Let that figure sink in. Next, let's compare that to federal policies that would improve the lives of people in this country. Healthcare for All

Guest Columnist

$450 billion per year Sounds like a lot? Compare it to the $25 billion spent on this war in four months, the $70 billion in additional funding being pushed on us for immigration enforcement, and the $1.6 billion slush fund for January 6 rioters currently on the table. If that doesn't upset you, do you remember the tariffs? Congress found that consumers and American households bore roughly 86%-96% of the tariff costs, totaling more than $231 billion be-

MORIAL Page 45

Rev. Peter Johnson

Our Voices — When Armed Power Appears at the Ballot Box

There are sounds you never forget once you have heard them. The slow crunch of gravel beneath a sheriff's boots outside a voting station. The sound of a shotgun being cocked. The silence of Black citizens standing in line, afraid to make eye contact. The sound of a church mother whispering, "Baby, if I don't come home to-

26 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

night, tell your daddy I tried." I remember grown men trembling before voter registration tables, not because they were weak, but because they understood exactly what power could do to a Black body in America. I remember pastors watching police cars circle churches where voter meetings were being held. I remember people disappearing from movements overnight. I remember fear sitting beside democracy like an armed guard. That is why my spirit turned

cold when I heard the discussion of ICE agents and Border Patrol officers being present at polling stations. Some of us have seen this movie before, and we know how it ends. America keeps pretending voter intimidation belongs only to history books. It does not. It evolves. It changes uniforms. It changes language. But it always carries the same message: "Some of you should think twice before showing up here." Today, the target may be im-

migrants, Latino communities, Muslims, asylum seekers or mixed-status families. Tomorrow it will expand. It always expands. History teaches that once fear is allowed near the ballot box, democracy itself begins gasping for air. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly defended the idea of immigration enforcement officers near polling locations, asking why people would object. The answer is painfully simple: because law enforcement presence

has long been used in America to discourage unwanted people from voting. Not to protect elections. Control them. During Jim Crow, intimidation was often psychological before it became physical. Officers stood near entrances. White citizens took photographs. Names were written down. Questions were asked loudly enough for everybody else in line to hear. The goal

JOHNSON Page 45

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Wade Henderson

Juneteenth, America at 250, and the Hole in the Soul of Our Democracy

As Americans prepare to celebrate Juneteenth and the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding, we should take pride in the extraordinary progress our country has made toward becoming a more perfect union. But these milestones also demand honesty. They require us to confront the Supreme Court's recent gutting of the Voting Rights Act, one of the most consequen-

tial civil rights laws ever enacted, as well as another glaring contradiction that remains a hole in the soul of America: more than 700,000 citizens living in the nation's capital are still denied full voting representation in Congress. Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Black Americans in Texas finally learned they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a reminder that freedom delayed is freedom denied, and that America has too often failed to extend its promises equally to all its people.

Guest Columnist

The residents of Washington, D.C., know that reality all too well. The citizens of the District pay federal taxes, serve on juries, own businesses, volunteer in their communities, and fight in America's wars. More than 200,000 veterans call the District home. D.C. residents contribute billions of dollars annually to the federal treasury. Yet they have no voting representation in either chamber of Congress. They are governed by lawmakers they cannot elect and whose decisions they cannot ultimately influence through the ballot box.

That reality violates the fundamental democratic principle that has defined our nation since its birth: no taxation without representation. As America marks its semiquincentennial in 2026, we should ask a simple question: How can the world's leading democracy justify denying full democratic rights to more than 700,000 of its own citizens? The population of the District exceeds that of Wyoming and Vermont and is comparable to several other states. Yet residents of those states enjoy two U.S. senators and voting represen-

tation in the House of Representatives. The citizens of Washington, D.C., do not. This is not merely a local issue. It is a national civil rights issue. The denial of congressional representation falls particularly hard on communities of color. Nearly half of the District's population is African American, and generations of Black Washingtonians have lived under a system that deprives them of the same democratic rights enjoyed by citizens

HENDERSON Page 46

Shewanda Riley

Preserved By Purpose — Withdrawals from the Bank of Frank

"I am not the Bank of Frank" was one of the sayings my late daddy would half-jokingly say to my sisters and me when we asked him for money when we were younger. The funny thing is that while he would be fussing about us asking him for money and him not being a money tree, he would be reaching for his wallet, complaining all while counting

out the money. However, he was more than an ATM giving us money when we asked. He also made deposits into the lives of me, my sisters and others. Since the sixth anniversary of the death of George Floyd just passed, I've thought quite a bit lately about the impact his death continues to have on our culture. I remember how heartbreaking it was when Floyd's then-6-yearold daughter, Gianna, said, "Daddy changed the world." Regardless of the circumstances of her daddy's death, Gianna recognized even at that young age her father's impact on the world.

Guest Columnist Juneteenth Reflection

This Juneteenth feels different, and it calls for a deeper kind of reflection. I find myself thinking not only about history, but about the moment we are in now and what it is asking of us. At a time when we are witnessing the steady erasure of centuries of Black history and the dismantling of voting rights, I am reminded that freedom has

never been guaranteed. Freedom, like climate justice, depends on sustained vigilance, care, and collective action. I have found myself paying closer attention to how the changing climate is shaping our daily lives, and asking who gets to live safely, who has access to resources, and whose communities are allowed to thrive. I have come to the quick conclusion that climate justice is not separate from the fight for Black freedom; it is part of it. As I sit with that reality, I have

There are deposits that fathers make into their children's lives, even when they may not realize it. For those of us who were blessed to have fathers who were an active part of our lives, we can also say that our dads changed the world, but maybe not on the global level of Floyd's raising awareness about police violence. For example, when we were going through insurance papers of my late father shortly after his death in April 2020, we found a treasure trove including military records, resumes and performance evaluations that he kept from his jobs for

over 40 years in a baby blue Samsonite briefcase. What struck me most was a simple thank-you note written to him in the early 1970s for the kindness he showed when a co-worker experienced a death in the family. The fact that my father still had it was a big surprise. But what was even more amazing was that the co-worker's description of kindness matched the same kindness I'd seen my father show to others over the years. Even more importantly, it makes me realize that my desire to show kindness to others is one of the deposits

that my father made in my life. Seeing this nearly 50-year-old thank-you note made me realize that he's the reason I also love keeping thank-you notes! But what about those who didn't grow up with a father or didn't like the one you grew up with? You may have still learned lessons from them on what kind of person you choose not to be. Proverbs 4:1 says, "Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding." In this case, the lesson is taught by watching peo-

vision for sustaining Black leadership, institutions, and community across generations. I keep coming back to that vision, and the more I sit with it, the more I understand that Black Permanency is not only about survival — it is about ensuring that Black communities endure and thrive, even as the ground beneath us continues to shift. So how do we respond to constant shifts? First, we must be consistent and intentional in how we invest in

young people. They are inheriting a world shaped by extreme heat, poor air quality, flooding, and displacement, but they are not accepting those conditions as fixed. The young people I meet are clear about what they are up against — and what they are not willing to accept. They are organizing, naming environmental harm, and pushing for a world where clean air, clean water, and safe communities are rights.

RILEY Page 46

Margot Brown

returned to the words of Dr. Angela Davis, who spoke last month at the Black Equity Collective's Equity & Justice Symposium: "We must always be prepared for unexpected changes." Hearing her say that — in a room with more than 500 Black leaders and activists — made the moment feel even more real. Our freedom to vote, and our ability to breathe clean air and drink safe water, depend on how we respond to today's changes. The symposium centered on "The Arc of Black Permanency," a

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BROWN Page 46 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 27

LIFESTYLE Washington Informer Weekend Checklist WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

Things To Do, DMV! By Jordan Armstead WI Intern From comedy shows and Father Day’s specials, to a blend of food, Black history and puppies, June con-

tinues with fun-filled activities for the whole family. Check out a handful of the many events happening this weekend— and dive into the Washington Informer Calendar for more.

Thursday, June 18

Drunk Black History 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. | $25.00 to $35.00 DC Comedy Loft, 1523 22nd Street NW Washington, D.C., Zip Code The critically acclaimed Drunk Black History show returns to Washington, D.C. to celebrate Juneteenth. Expect laughs, unexpected twists, and fascinating facts about how Black culture has shaped the world. Enjoy host Brandon Collins (HBOMax) and hilarious on stage, including LP O'Brien (Netflix's "Drink Masters"), Lamont King (SiriusXM), Marcia Chatelain (Pulitzer Prize Winner for History), and DeRay Mckesson (Pod Save the People)!

Friday, June 19 Food Truck Fridays

4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Anne Arundel County Farmers Market, 275 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD,21401 Check out Food Truck Fridays in Annapolis! With 12+ food trucks serving up an amazing variety of cuisine, free admission, and fun for all ages, this is a can't-miss weekly event for all. Bourbon Steak DC – Father’s Day Specials Worth Skipping the Grill All Father’s Day weekend (Friday– Sunday) Bourbon Steak DC, 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20007 Bourbon Steak is serving up a limited-time a la carte menu designed for dads who prefer their celebrations with a little luxe flair. Highlights include their Spicy Tuna "Cigars" & Caviar to kick things off, Kurobuta Pork Duo, featuring a double-cut chop and braised pork belly with roasted peaches and Lambic beer peach purée, and the Elijah Craig "Father of Bourbon" Butterscotch Pudding, served with warm donuts, toffee sauce, and 24k gold flake for dessert.

Saturday, June 20

Sunday, June 21

Waldorf Astoria Washington DC – Shinola Pop-Up & Bourbon Tasting Noon – 5 p.m. | $60 Waldorf Astoria Washington DC Luxury Hotel, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20004 For dads who appreciate a wellmade bourbon as much as curated leather goods, enjoy a Shinola popup and bourbon tasting and complimentary on-site monogramming on select items for personalized gifts and keepsakes. It's a chance to browse, sip, and pick up a gift that feels a little more thoughtful than the usual Father's Day standby.

Wags at the Wharf 10 a.m.-11 a.m. | Free Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 610 Water Street SW Washington, D.C

Black Panther at Miracle Theatre 2p.m. - 4:14pm | $6.00 to $8.00 Miracle Theatre, 535 8th St SE Washington, DC

Join Lucky Dog Animal Rescue for Wags at The Wharf. Find out about the Lucky Dog Animal Rescue mission, their adoptable animals, and how you can help the organization save more animals. Plus take some time to cuddle with some cute dogs!

Catch the Academy Award-winning film “Black Panther” (2018), starring the late Chadwick Boseman. After the death of his father, T’Challa (Boseman) returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king — and as Black Panther — gets tested when he’s drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people. WI

GLAMfest Drag Show and Pop Party: Pride 2026 7 pm-11 pm | $9.58 to $86.15 Metrobar, 640 Rhode Island Ave NE Washington, DC

Safer Driver Safer Streets

mances, DJs, dancing, and the kind of energy that people talk about for the rest of the summer. Starring: Brooke N Hymen Hennessey Venus Valhalla Ruth Allen Ginsburg Live pop sets from Shelby Morgan and Bryce Bowyn will keep the night loud, emotional, and impossible not to dance to, while DJ JUGS and Ruth Allen Ginsburg keep the party moving all night..

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3 Pictured is Bourbon Steak DC’s Spicy Tuna "Cigars" & Caviar, Kurobuta Pork Duo, Elijah Craig "Father of Bourbon" Butterscotch Pudding. (Courtesy Photo)

SALLY & TOM BY SUZAN-LORI PARKS

‘Sally & Tom’ Dares Audiences to Consider how American History Blurs the Line Between Fact and Fantasy UP NEXT AT By D. Kevin McNeir WI Contributing Writer As America nears celebrations for its 250th anniversary, Round House Theatre in Bethesda is presenting the regional premiere of “Sally & Tom,” a provocative dramedy that alternates between 1790s Monticello and a present-day rehearsal room, where a theater company is staging a play about Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. For some, the play, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, may cause confusion, anxiety, and even anger, as it’s a story about how history gets told, sometimes, if not often, incorrectly, to assuage fears about America’s darkest secrets and truths. Director Timothy Douglas describes the production, which runs until June 28, as more than just an “historical look-back,” adding that “it’s a necessary confrontation.” “It’s a story told with incredible humor and a raw, biting ferocity that forces us to sit with the contradictions of our own history, interrogates the ‘pursuit of happiness,’ and asks us to look closely at for whom that promise was really written,”

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Round House Theatre... Douglas told The Informer. For the director and cast, the play addresses narratives Americans have inherited, the ones that storytellers have chosen to retell, and whose stories remain untold. In preparing for his role as Thomas Jefferson, actor Josiah Bania said the former president lived amidst a host of contradictory beliefs that traditional narratives often omit. “Jefferson is a mystery to me – he was sophisticated enough to avoid looking at himself in the mirror and to admit inconvenient truths about his behavior,” Bania said. “While he wrote passionately against slavery early in his life, he also owned upwards of 600 slaves in his later years. I’ve learned a few things about myself by learning more about who Jefferson really was.” Several weeks ago, Douglas, Bania and the rest of the cast traveled to Jefferson’s home in Monticello, in order to prepare for the role. Bania believes audiences will leave the theater with more questions than answers, some of which are posed by the actors during the performance. He hopes people will have the courage to seek those answers.

DIRECTED BY TIMOTHY DOUGLAS

SALLY & TOM Page 30

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240.644.1100 | RoundHouseTheatre.org Bethesda Metro: 1 Block | Convenient Parking

5 Timothy Douglas is the director of the regional premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Sally & Tom” at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland, running now until June 28. (Courtesy Photo/Round House Theatre)

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Donate online today at wicharities.org Purchase an ad to support our education programs. Email rburke@washingtoninformer.com JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 29

LIFESTYLE

SALLY & TOM from Page 29

THEIR SISTERHOOD. THEIR STORY. THEIR LEGACY.

“As an artist, I don’t have an agenda,” he said. “But as one of my teachers at whose feet I once sat said to me, our job is to disturb the air. How each person responds is up to them.” Douglas said he learns something new each day as he and the cast prepare to bring the production to the stage. And he’s invigorated by the process. “This play gives a voice to the

voiceless,” he said. “Ultimately, we’re forced to answer the question, is this fiction or history? Yes, the actors wrestle with that but so will the audience. I believe that’s what makes this work so fascinating. And because this is a minority-majority cast, people of color will be able to see themselves, to recognize themselves on stage, and not just as slaves.” For more information visit RoundHouseTheatre.org. WI 3 Josiah Bania plays Thomas Jefferson in Round House Theatre’s production of “Sally & Tom,” by Suzan-Lori Parks, running now until June 28. (Courtesy Photo/ Round House Theatre)

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 26-2026 EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME VERIFICATION SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) requires qualified contractors to provide employment and income verification services for DCHA. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available beginning Friday, June 5, 2026, full solicitation documents will be posted to our e-procurement system Housing Agency Marketplace at: https://ha.internationaleprocurement.com/requests.html?company_id=506

JUNE 12 – AUGUST 9 GET YOUR TICKETS! ARENASTAGE.ORG/TLC | 202–488–3300 Jade Milan, Holli’ Gabrielle Conway, and Stoney B. Woods for CrazySexyCool. Photo by Ambe J. Williams.

30 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

Respondents will then need to log in and locate this RFP for all related documents. It is the respondent’s responsibility to check the Housing Agency Market Place site regularly to stay current on the documents that are available as this is the primary communication site for this RFP. PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Thursday, July 2, 2026, by 12:00 p.m. Email Lolita Washington, Contract Specialist lwashing@dchousing.org for additional information.

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Evaluating capital options for your business: a quick guide By EagleBank Mike Jaquith knows running a business is complex. As a banking Relationship Manager for many of the DMV’s small businesses, he talks to dozens of small business leaders each week. “Business owners juggle many priorities: from hiring talent, to managing product/service offerings, to steering strategy. Having the cash flow to operate their business ties into all the priorities,” he notes. The most recent Fed Small Business Credit survey reveals over half of small businesses are challenged by uneven cash flow. At the same time, businesses are being squeezed – with 75% challenged by rising costs. 1 As VP, Business Banking Relationship Manager at EagleBank, Mike’s day-to-day is helping business owners access financial tools: “When businesses need capital sources, we have conversations with them on financing options like loans and lines of credit, as well as treasury management tools.” He shares that by building a full relationship with a banking partner, businesses can learn about premier deposit rates, access potential discounts, and work through day-to-day needs. He adds, “I like to think of it as getting the maximum partnership value to accompany your hard work.” From investors to grants, loans and more, businesses have many capital options. What Mike wants his clients to know is that how they source and structure capital infusions brings many considerations. “There is often more than one direct impact,” he notes.

Consider ownership structure

“Knowing your numbers is key,” Mike adds. For example, bringing on investors can be an attractive option for business owners, but may come with stock/ownership tradeoffs that

have downstream impacts. “If you’re a fan of ABC’s Shark Tank, you’ll notice the sharks are always trying to get to 20% ownership,” he offers. “That number is a key threshold, as bank loans typically require guarantees from anyone with over a 20% stake. SBA (Small Business Administration) loans are often even stricter and can require guarantees from anyone with 1% or more ownership in practice.” His advice? Be knowledgeable about the impacts, no matter what category of funding you are considering: Private Equity or Angel Investors Positives: Can be a good source of capital, investors can offer key advisory governance and networking access.

option for small businesses and startups. Consider: The SBA loan process can require a lot of documentation, as well as equity injections on behalf of the business. Banker’s tip: Working with your banker, you can often get creative with your capital stack equity injection, reducing the amount of equity that comes out of your working capital – and the complexity of the process. Conventional Bank Loans Positives: Offer flexibility to modify credits over time including increasing

capital access. Can have the best rates while maintaining full business ownership/control. Consider: Owner FICO credit scores are a main factor in determining eligibility. Also, cash flow analysis is a typical component during the application process, and accounting strategies often influence cash flow calculations.

Think ahead

It’s natural to think about capital needs during a time of sales uncertainty or market pressures, notes Mike. But advance planning can be even more important – and securing a loan during

times of growth or strong cash flow can be just as transformative. No matter how your business evaluates its operating needs, the structure you use to acquire needed capital can matter just as much as what capital is available. With transparency, teamwork, and foresight, you can have the power to find financing on your terms. 1. “2025 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2024 Small Business Credit Survey.” 2025. Small Business Credit Survey. Federal Reserve Banks. https://doi.org/10.55350/sbcs20250327

Consider: Ownership stake/stock sacrifice can have potential impacts to traditional financing eligibility.

INVESTED HERE. JUST LIKE YOU.

Hard Money Lenders Positives: Can often provide cash quickly, with fewer requirements than traditional bank financing. Consider: High interest rates create a risk if unable to pay loans back quickly.

YOUR CAPITAL DECISIONS DESERVE AN ADVISOR WHO KNOWS THIS MARKET.

Grants or Fundraising Positives: Can be an excellent option for funding for nonprofits, institutions, educational organizations and more. Consider: Can be competitive, and funds can be limited to certain uses depending on the terms.

Whether you’re weighing bank financing, exploring SBA options, or evaluating outside investors — the choices you make today can shape your ownership, your credit, and your future. EagleBank’s business banking experts can help you understand your options before you commit to any of them.

Tenant Improvements Positives: Landlord-funded buildout costs can offer powerful upgrades such as for retail, medical, restaurant or office-based buildings. Consider: Doesn’t address the need for cash for other types of projects or working capital.

Small Business

SBA Loans Positives: Competitive capital and a longer repayment term can be a great

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Law Firms

Nonprofits

GovCon

Education

PROUDLY LOCAL

JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 31

LIFESTYLE

Floyd Norman, Disney’s First Black Animator, to Receive Honorary Oscar

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

When Floyd Norman walked through the doors of Walt Disney Studios in 1956, he entered a world few Black artists had been allowed to enter and even fewer had been permitted to shape. Seventy years later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is recognizing Norman’s contributions to film with an Honorary Oscar, placing him among the most influential figures in cinema history. The Academy announced Wednesday that Norman will receive the award at the 17th Governors Awards on Nov. 15, alongside actress Glenn Close and filmmaker Ridley Scott. Producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler will receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. “The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to present this year’s Governors Awards to five remarkable individuals whose groundbreaking work has forev-

Support The Washington Informer as we Celebrate 61 Years. 32 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

er shaped the art of filmmaking,” Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a statement. Taylor called Norman “the legendary animator who has broken barriers and inspired generations of artists over his remarkable career.” For many Americans, Norman’s name may not be as familiar as the films he helped create. He was a young artist from Santa Barbara, California, when Disney hired him as the studio’s first Black animator. At the time, Walt Disney himself was still walking the halls. Norman would eventually work on classics including “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Jungle Book,” becoming part of the creative teams responsible for some of the most enduring images in animation. His career did not stop at Disney. Over the decades, Norman worked as an animator, storyboard

NORMAN Page 33

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5The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is recognizing Floyd Norman’s contributions to film with an Honorary Oscar, placing him among the most influential figures in cinema history. (Courtesy Photo/Instagram, Floyd Norman)

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LIFESTYLE

Art, Ownership and Legacy: Building Generational Wealth Through Art Collecting

By DC Black MBA

5Floyd Norman will receive an Honorary Oscar at the 17th Governors Awards on Nov. 15, alongside actress Glenn Close and filmmaker Ridley Scott. (Courtesy Photo/Instagram, Floyd Norman)

NORMAN from Page 32 artist, writer and consultant. He spent time at Warner Bros.’ Hanna-Barbera, helped develop educational and socially conscious animated projects, and later returned to Disney, where he continued contributing to films and mentoring younger artists. His credits stretch across generations of animation, from hand-drawn classics to the modern era. The Academy’s recognition is not simply about longevity. It is about influence. Long before Hollywood began publicly grappling with questions of representation, Norman was doing the work. He succeeded in an industry where Black artists were rarely seen, built a career on talent and persistence, and became a visible example that animation could look different from the people traditionally occupying studio offices and drawing boards.

His story reached a wider audience through the documentary “Floyd Norman: An Animated Life,” which chronicled a career that crossed nearly every major chapter of modern animation. The film showed Norman still sketching, still telling stories and still approaching his craft with the enthusiasm of someone just getting started. At 90, Norman remains a revered figure among animators and historians, not because he was the first Black animator at Disney, but because he never allowed that distinction to define the limits of his work. The title opened the door. The career that followed is what earned him an Oscar. “[Norman] continues to do what he loves with the passion of a man in his 20s,” the Society of Illustrators said in a statement, “proof that age is just a number.” WI

When people think about building wealth, they often think about real estate, stocks, or retirement accounts. While these are all valuable pathways to financial growth, art collecting is another avenue that is often overlooked. As one of the pillars of the National Black MBA Association, wealth building extends beyond simply accumulating assets. The journey to building wealth rarely follows a single path. It is a long-term commitment that requires intentionality, patience, and a willingness to explore opportunities outside of traditional financial conversations. It is about creating opportunities, preserving history, and developing resources that can benefit future generations. Art collecting represents a powerful intersection of all three. For many Black families, art collecting offers a unique opportunity to combine financial growth with cultural preservation and legacy building. "Art collecting is one of the few forms of wealth-building that can be financial, cultural, relational, and intergenerational at the same time," said Charlotte Newman, founder of the Scott-Newman Collection. "Yes, works can appreciate value, and that matters. But collecting also allows Black people to preserve culture, support artists, build relationships with institutions, and create a legacy that tells a story about what we valued and protected." Historically, Black artists and collectors have often been underrepresented in mainstream institutions and markets. As interest in artists of African descent continues to grow globally, collectors have an opportunity not only to participate in the art market but also to help shape it. Newman believes collecting gives Black communities a chance to ensure important stories are preserved and

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celebrated on their own terms. "Collecting gives us a way to participate directly in shaping the market, ensuring that important work is not overlooked and that our history is preserved on our own terms," she said. For those interested in exploring art collecting, experts emphasize that the process begins with education and relationship building rather than large financial investments. Dr. Myrtis Bedolla, founder and proprietor of Galerie Myrtis, one of the nation's leading galleries specializing in artists of the African Diaspora, encourages aspiring collectors to immerse themselves in the art ecosystem. "You should develop connections with gallerists, advisors, and fellow collectors," Bedolla advised. "While attending gallery openings, art fairs, and studio visits consistently, you can sharpen your eye, share your interests clearly, and engage authentically." Building relationships with galleries can be particularly valuable. Galleries often provide early access to important works and help shape an artist's market trajectory. Bedolla notes that reliability, genuine engagement, and support for gallery programming can lead to meaningful opportunities and access that casual buyers might miss. One of the biggest misconceptions about art collecting is that it is reserved for wealthy individuals. In reality, many collectors begin modestly by purchasing prints, works on paper, or pieces from emerging artists. "Collect within your means and with intention," Newman explained. "A meaningful collection is not defined only by price point. It is defined by point of view. If you are thoughtful, curious, and willing to learn, you can begin." Like many investments, art requires a long-term perspective. Bedolla recommends, “You have to approach collecting with a five-to-tenyear horizon, noting that art is not a liquid asset and that successful sales often depend on timing and finding the right buyer.”

5Dr. Myrtis Bedolla, founder and proprietor of Galerie Myrtis / Photographer Credits Grace Roselli 4Charlotte Newman, founder of the Scott-Newman Collection

"I would encourage people to think about art collecting as a practice of stewardship," Newman said. "When you collect, you are not just buying an object. You are supporting an artist, participating in an ecosystem, and making a statement about what deserves to be seen and remembered." In addition to making intentional purchases, art collecting can become a powerful legacy tool. “A thoughtfully curated collection can reflect a family's values, interests, and cultural heritage while creating assets that may benefit future generations,” Bedolla shares. As families continue seeking new strategies to build generational wealth, art collecting offers a compelling reminder that some investments can appreciate in both value and meaning while creating financial assets that preserve culture, history, and legacy for generations to come.

JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 33

Million Man Vote understands liberation as the disciplined, collective, and continuing work of removing every barrier that prevents Black men, Black families, and Black communities from living with dignity, security, health, knowledge, economic stability, and political power. Inspired by the Ethiopian biblical tradition, the Black church freedom struggle, and the principles of liberation theology, MMV connects faith with action, service with systems change, and moral conviction with measurable accountability. We reject the idea that freedom can be reduced to individual success while entire communities remain burdened by poverty, preventable illness, underfunded schools, housing insecurity, discrimination, unjust incarceration, political exclusion, and the continuing effects of historic harm. We affirm that every Black man possesses inherent human dignity, regardless of his income, education, employment status, health condition, housing status, voting history, or involvement

with the justice system. We register voters, educate communities, develop leaders, promote health and literacy, mentor boys and young men, meet urgent community needs, hold institutions accountable, and advance the Black Man Agenda as a public covenant for justice, repair, and human freedom. This covenant requires action throughout the year—not only during elections. It requires research, service, political education, coalition building, leadership development, advocacy, and transparent measurement of results. Million Man Vote is nonpartisan, but it is not neutral about injustice. We will not be silent when laws, budgets, institutions, or public practices deny Black people the opportunity to live fully and freely. We will work with any person or institution prepared to advance justice, and we will hold every person and institution accountable to measurable outcomes.

The Black Man Agendatm: What We Want, What We Believe 1. WE WANT FINANCIAL FREEDOM AND ECONOMIC SECURITY THROUGH GUARANTEED JOBS, BASIC INCOME, and SUPPORTS FOR BLACK MEN AND FAMILIES. We BELIEVE every Black man deserves a job to support themselves and their families with family sustaining wages or a basic income. We also want programs to help fathers, cash assistance for black teens, and low-interest capital loans for Black-owned businesses. 2. WE WANT JUSTICE AND FREEDOM FOR INCARCERATED BLACK FATHERS. We BELIEVE no man should be jailed for failing to pay child support if he cannot afford it. The 2011 Supreme Court ruling in Turner v. Rogers made it clear that no one can be jailed without proof they can pay. We call for the release of all Black fathers imprisoned for nonpayment since 2012. WE also demand laws that allow fathers to remain part of their children’s lives, even if they cannot provide financial support, through mediation and shared custody options tied directly to financial support. We demand an end to states and counties using protective orders as a substitute for custody. The justice and family court system must stop breaking Black families apart. 3. WE WANT FULL HEALTHCARE FOR BLACK MEN AND FAMILIES. We BELIEVE every Black man deserves free and quality healthcare (e.g. Medicare For All) that prioritizes and focuses on mental health, substance use disorder, suicide, chronic illnesses, and preventive care grounded in the social drivers of health framework. We also want community-based health interventions, such as lead removal, and comprehensive education about issues impacting health and opportunities for more Black men in healthcare professions. Research should target health and environmental issues affecting Black men. We demand an end to environmental racism and exploitation that harms the health of Black communities. 4. WE WANT AN END TO POLICE BRUTALITY AND RACIAL PROFILING. We BELIEVE in holding the police accountable for ongoing brutality and racial targeting. We demand Congress and States pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would stop police from abuses of power. In recognition of this Act, we honor Black Americans killed unjustly by law enforcement, and stand in solidarity against police, political and community violence of all kinds. We want to eliminate qualified immunity, chokeholds, no-knock warrants, racial profiling and pre-textual traffic stops. NonArmed community policing, universal de-escalation officer training, mandatory body cams and residency requirements must become a normal part of policing. 5. WE WANT THE RIGHT TO VOTE GUARANTEED AND PROTECTED. We BELIEVE every Black man should have equal access to voting. That includes the automatic right to vote for justice involved Black men that have completed their sentences. We believe that Congress must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to protect voting rights and stop states from blocking or limiting our votes. We also believe that States should pass versions of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act when the Congress fails to or is unable to pass this legislation. 6. WE WANT STEM-H3 EDUCATION FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN.

We BELIEVE in schools and community institutions that teach Pre K-12 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATH, HISTORY, HUMANITIES (Art, Culture), and HEALTH that reveals the truth about Black history and prepares our children for success. We also support alternative learning models, vocational education and training. We believe in multiple resourced pathways for access to higher education and low-interest student loan and forgiveness programs. We believe that all public education must be equitably funded, reflect ALL cultures, and teach about the challenges we’ve endured and the challenges we still face. 7. WE WANT GUARANTEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SUPPORT FOR HOME OWNERSHIP. We BELIEVE housing is a right and that every family deserves safe, healthy and affordable housing. We demand programs for building low-cost housing, cooperative housing, support for first-time homebuyers, and resources to make homeownership possible for all. We demand an end of homelessness among black people. 8. WE WANT A MARSHALL PLAN FOR REBUILDING BLACK COMMUNITIES. We BELIEVE that through racism, Jim Crow laws and redlining, federal, state and local governments have neglected or disinvested in Black communities resulting in poverty, food deserts and crumbling housing, businesses, schools and infrastructure. We demand that there must now be an investment in our neighborhoods with clean environments, job training, education and programs that will stop violence and poverty. Justice 40 funding should go only to states that follow fair rules for supporting our communities. 9. WE WANT LAWS THAT CONTINUE THE COMMITMENT TO END DISCRIMINATION. We BELIEVE in DEI, and an end to discrimination because of hair, race, religion, sex, culture or background. We want an end to corporate exploitation, white privilege, and racial and social preferences. We demand national and state laws, like the CROWN Act, to protect us in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. 10. WE WANT GLOBAL SOLIDARITY AND RESPECT FOR BLACK MEN WORLDWIDE. We BELIEVE the fight for Black men’s dignity doesn’t stop at the border. U.S. foreign policy must reflect a commitment to the well-being of African and Afro-diasporic men globally. That includes peacebuilding, fair immigration policies, and partnerships that empower—not exploit—Black nations. 11. WE WANT REPARATIONS FOR CENTURIES OF RACIAL INJUSTICE. We BELIEVE Black men are owed reparative justice for slavery, segregation, and systemic harm. Reparations must include direct payments, land, debt relief, and investments in housing, education, and health. We believe that our labor should be valued and celebrated. We demand action on and passage of H.R. 40 and programs that build generational wealth. 12. WE WANT FULL HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUALITY. We BELIEVE Black men deserve equal protection, dignity, and freedom from discrimination in race, religion, sex, culture and ethnicity, political identity, economic status. We believe Black men deserve the same rights, opportunities, and dignity as anyone else. We demand strong civil rights enforcement and policies that uphold our humanity and spiritual enlightenment in every system. We demand laws and policies to fix the systems that have harmed our families and communities for far too long.

Web: MillionManVote.org / Email: Info@Millionmanvote.org / Phone: (202) 886-8668 34 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

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wi book review "Transcendent: A Memoir" by Laverne Cox c.2026, Gallery Books $30 238 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer OK, let's just say it: you're tired of lies. They come from above, behind, from either shoulder. They're repeated, laid out in a line, told as if they're true but they're not. You wish people would stop lying to you. As in the new memoir "Transcendent" by Laverne Cox, you wish you could tell the truth about yourself. Sissy. If the bullies in the neighborhood weren't constantly calling Laverne Cox that name, then Cox's mother was. "Sissy" was just one word, though; the others were worse. The boys would say those things while they beat Cox, when they could catch her. Her mother screamed them at her gentle child who didn't like "boy" activities. Even at 8 years old, says Cox, "I was a prim and proper lady." Despite the verbal abuse about her perceived feminine behavior and a furtive, failed attempt at conversion therapy, Cox's mother sent her and her brother to the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where Cox learned to dance. It was a lifeline for her, and the talent gained there helped Cox get into college in Indiana. From there, Cox expected to find fame and fortune in New York City. And yet, the abuse she suffered as a child held Cox back, and the words "There is something wrong with me" became a daily mantra. "I didn't know how to say it," Cox says. "I'm a girl." There were therapy sessions to get to that point, as Cox learned the language and skills needed to speak the truth. Landing a sense of style helped, as did her brother's support, a handful of friends, and happy, scent-infused memories of her mother's makeup table. At each step, Cox says, "I was expressing myself, I was also allowing myself to edge closer to my girlhood." Let's start here: "Transcendent" is a difficult read — not for style, but for substance. From her earliest memory of being sexually abused as a toddler; to verbal and physical abuse from many sources; to what, judging by photo captions, seems perhaps like forgiveness, author Laverne Cox glosses over nothing. Be ready, in other words, for pages and pages of memories that, like a roller-coaster, will make you cringe and want to hide your eyes, although doing so would be a mistake. The best part of this memoir is in its overall. As this book progresses, Cox's story does, too. We see a child who knows a truth but has no words for it. The child becomes a teen with a bursting sense of self, then a young adult who craves love as she's stretching her wings. By the time Cox advances to writing about her career and the abuse is (mostly) over, readers will breathe a well-deserved sigh of relief. Whew, you've winced through a harrowing tale to reach a satisfying but not complete update. Fans of Cox's work will want "Transcendent," as will anyone who's transitioned, is thinking about it, or loves someone who has. It's a rough read, but a necessary one, then, and that's no lie. WI

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

ARIES The answer you've been holding back is the one that actually moves things — stop treating silence as strategy. A financial decision you've been approaching cautiously has more room for boldness than your instincts have been allowing. Something you set in motion two weeks ago is starting to show its shape; resist the urge to redirect it now. Lucky Numbers: 5, 29, 58 TAURUS The slowdown you've been fighting is not a setback — it's the pace at which this particular thing actually grows. A conversation you had recently landed differently on the other person than you assumed; follow up. Something you've been calling practical is just fear wearing practical's clothes. The effort you've been putting in behind the scenes is about to require you to take a more visible position, and you're ready. Lucky Numbers: 11, 37, 66 GEMINI The two things you've been treating as opposites are actually the same argument from different angles — that reframe opens something. A commitment you made lightly has become something you actually care about; let it show. Someone who went quiet on a shared project is ready to re-engage if you give them the opening. Lucky Numbers: 8, 43, 72 CANCER The thing you keep circling isn't unresolved — you've already decided and you're waiting for permission you don't need. A relationship you've been managing carefully deserves more honesty than careful management is allowing. Something you accomplished last week set a standard that others noticed before you did. Lucky Numbers: 2, 36, 79 LEO The resistance you keep running into from one particular direction is worth reading as information rather than opposition. A creative idea you mentioned offhandedly to someone has stuck with them — expect it to come back around with momentum. Something you've been undervaluing about your own approach is the thing other people are quietly borrowing. Lucky Numbers: 17, 49, 85 VIRGO The plan that feels too ambitious is too ambitious by about fifteen percent — scale it there, not all the way down. A professional relationship that's been purely transactional has personal potential worth exploring carefully. Something you let fall off your list months ago has quietly become urgent; triage before it becomes a crisis. Lucky Numbers: 4, 31, 68 LIBRA The balance you've been chasing is not a fixed point — it moves, and this week it moves in your direction. A yes you've been withholding from someone who's earned it would cost you almost nothing and mean more than you're estimating. Something you've been filing under "later" has an actual deadline attached that you haven't been treating as real. Lucky Numbers: 13, 48, 82 SCORPIO The thing you thought ended badly actually ended clean — that's available to you now if you're willing to see it that way. A pattern you identified in someone else this week is also operating in you at a quieter frequency; don't dismiss it. Something that required all your focus in April only takes half as much now; redistribute the rest. Lucky Numbers: 20, 53, 74 SAGITTARIUS The version of the future you've been narrating to yourself has been more accurate than you've been crediting it for. A disagreement that seemed to close without resolution actually planted something — give it more time before you write it off. Someone who has been observing from the outside of your current effort has a perspective worth formally inviting in. What you're calling patience is sometimes avoidance; you'll know which one this is by how it feels in the body. Lucky Numbers: 15, 42, 71 CAPRICORN The ceiling you've accepted as permanent is structural to the situation, not to you — take that distinction seriously. A project that stalled in the planning stage is ready for a messier, more productive phase; done is doing its work. Something you've been explaining as a long-term goal is actually achievable on a shorter timeline and you know it. The loyalty you extend without reciprocation is a resource with limits; audit the accounts. Lucky Numbers: 19, 55, 86 AQUARIUS The idea you've been developing in private is developed enough — the next stage requires other people and you're aware of that. A situation that felt like it was moving against you last week was actually clearing the path; you'll see it within days. Something that registered as a small win deserves to be logged as a significant one; your record-keeping on your own progress is too conservative. Lucky Numbers: 24, 47, 75 PISCES The emotional clarity you've been waiting for has been here for a while — it arrived quietly and you talked yourself out of it. A creative decision you've been second-guessing is the right one; the doubt is aesthetic, not structural. Something you gave away generously this month is going to come back having grown. The boundary you've been drafting in your head is ready to exist in an actual conversation; say it plainly and watch it hold. Lucky Numbers: 6, 32, 62

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 35

SPORTS Nationals Honor Negro Leagues Through Giveaways and a Panel Discussion

By William Deffaa WI Intern

The Washington Nationals honored the Negro Leagues, particularly the Homestead Grays, in a game featuring giveaways, a panel discussion, and a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, June 16. The pre-game panel discussion, moderated by Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, highlighted three key voices in the Black baseball community: Sean Gibson, the great-grandson of Negro Leagues legend Josh Gibson; Doug Foster, the great-nephew of Negro National Baseball League founder Andrew “Rube” Foster, and the grandson of Bill Hendrick Foster, a Hall of Fame Negro Leagues pitcher; and Jamall McKay, the coach of Howard University’s Club Baseball team and director of Banneker City Little League. Held at Nationals Stadium in Southeast D.C., the conversation covered a wide range of topics and overall examined how players in the Negro Leagues shaped modern baseball. “I feel like their story isn’t told enough,” said Foster. “Anytime I get the opportunity to come and just talk about not only who they are, not only what they did for baseball, but American culture in general –– I just jump at the opportunity.” Beyond the panel, the Nationals honored the Homestead Grays by gifting replica jerseys to the first 20,000 fans in attendance. Amid a highly contentious 4 An attendee asks the panel a question. (Will Deffaa/The Washington Informer)

36 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

voting season for the District— which ended on game day— and federal efforts to eradicate Black history and diversity, equity and inclusion, attendee Marc Harrison Sr. said the night allowed for a beautiful moment to come together. “To see people standing for the Black National Anthem and honoring that, taking their hats off and standing…that was huge,” said Harrison, assistant director of Athletics for D.C. Public Schools. “It’s a really beautiful thing to see so many people unified to recognize the true history of the game, not just the partial history. WI

5 Panelists from left to right: Sean Gibson, Doug Foster, Jamall McKay and moderator Denise Rolark Barnes. (Will Deffaa/The Washington Informer)

5 An event attendee dons a Josh Gibson jersey in celebration of Negro Leagues Night at Nationals Stadium. (Will Deffaa/The Washington Informer)

5 Audiences take in the Negro Leagues panel. (Will Deffaa/The Washington Informer)

5 Fans celebrating the Nationals' 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals. (Will Deffaa/The Washington Informer)

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CAPTURE the moment

Kicking off Juneteenth celebrations, Soul Shine Theater Garden and Wild Seed Productions hosted a celebration of arts and freedom on June 13 at Temperance Alley Garden in Northwest, D.C. With interactive presentations, arts and crafts, the day served as the opening of the second season of Soul Shine Theater Garden, while also bringing the community together for a fun-filled evening commemorating the meaning behind true liberation. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 37

RELIGION

3 (Far left) The Rev. Tony Lee and other Black church leaders across the region are organizing mayoral debates, voter registration drives, poll chaplain programs and protests to counter federal challenges to voting rights. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

‘Churches Are Inherently Political’: Black Faith Leaders Plan to Expand Voter Outreach By Lilia Choice Urban Journalism Workshop This article was originally published as part of the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) 2026 Urban Journalism Workshop and lightly edited for style and clarity. Black faith leaders in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area are mobilizing congregations ahead of upcoming local and congressional elections in an effort to turn faith into action and boost civic engagement. “The role of faith is to hold the state accountable,” said the Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould. “When policies

38 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

do more harm than good, we have a responsibility to help people build the power to change those conditions.” More than six decades after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and days after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened key protections in the landmark law, Black faith leaders said it’s important to step up. As battles over voting rights and election access unfold across the country and in Congress, they said they are adapting their efforts to meet the challenges posed by the political climate. “The Black church is extremely active, even while it’s in a season of transition,” said Tony Lee, pastor of Community of Hope Church and so-

3 The Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan AME Church, emphasizes the importance of churches being politically active in order to empower community members, particularly during challenging social times. (WI File Photo/ Robert R. Roberts)

cial justice chair of the AME Second Episcopal District. He added that for “every generation, the role evolves because the struggle evolves.” “We are sitting in a time period in which we’re fighting against Trump and white supremacy as it has reemerged,” Lee said. The pastor pointed to what he described as a surge in attacks on marginalized communities following the election of Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, arguing that progress has been met with backlash. To counter that backlash, Lee and other Black church leaders across the region are organizing mayoral debates, voter registration drives, poll chaplain programs and protests. Community of Hope in Temple Hills, Maryland, is partnering with faith organizations to deploy poll chaplains who help ensure voters feel safe. It is one of the church’s efforts to support civic engagement. “We have a very robust mobilizing and organizing strategy centered around voter registration, voter empowerment and voter education,” said Lee, who has also gone to nontraditional spaces like go-go clubs to urge crowds to vote. At Metropolitan AME Church, an intergenerational Faith Action Committee was created to help the congregation become a “100% voting congregation.” The effort focuses on voter education, registration and turnout through workshops, candidate forums and community listening sessions. “Our goal essentially was … ensuring every eligible voter within our congregation is registered and ready to vote,” said Joy Masha, co-lead of the Faith Action Committee. The Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan AME Church, a historically Black church in down-

town D.C., said, “churches are inherently political.” “What one says about God and believes about the Creator shapes what one does in the world,” Lamar said.

Faith Leaders Face Challenges Mobilizing Communities

Faith leaders said they face many obstacles in trying to get people to be politically active. By mobilizing underprivileged communities, leaders are challenging “institutions that are shaped to tear down our folks and tear down their hope,” said Lee. “We want people to live faithfully,” he explained, “but they’re living in hopeless situations.” There are two types of organizing, according to Lamar: “Organized people vs. Organized Money.” “When people have more money, you must outorganize them,’’ he said. “That’s what was done in abolition movements, civil rights, the women’s rights and gay rights movements.” Lamar said it’s crucial to build relationships of power within communities. “The demonstration of people’s power is a sacrifice we must make together,” he said, while also remaining gentle “with the realities of human existence.”

The Historical Political Role of the Black Church

Throughout history, Black churches have always been a site for “Black-centered political action and imagination,” said Jason Williams, associate professor of Social Justice Studies at Montclair University. “The Black church has long been a center of both spiritual life and civic

education,” according to Williams. For example, early denominations like the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church), founded by Richard Allen, were created in response to racism and quickly became spaces for organizing. During slavery and legalized segregation, it was one of the few spaces where Black people could gather freely, share ideas and support one another, said Williams. He said it was a haven for enslaved Africans. That role became more prominent during the Civil Rights Movement when leaders like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. turned to churches to help organize protests and push for equal rights. But while some Black churches have been centers for advocacy, liberation, and progress, it is important not to hold a “romantic view” that every Black church was active, said Lamar. “Either your church or religious institution has a politics of sustaining and strengthening the status quo or it has a politics of overturning the status quo in the interest of human beings,” he said. Lee said Black churches continue to be a trusted space “where hope is embodied through community engagements and social justice.” Williams agreed. “Religion and politics inevitably overlap because faith often shapes people’s values and values tend to shape public life,” he said. Black religious leaders believe the church’s role is to unite people and guide them toward collective action. “Politics is a way to figure out how resources are disseminated,” said Lee, adding that faith and policy are deeply connected. “The church has to be the moral compass of the nation, working to steer society toward policies that care for the marginalized and the downtrodden.” WI

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the religion corner

RELIGION

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Walking in Truth: My Deep Admiration for Gwen Ifill

This week, I share a reminder of an award-winning journalist, Gwen Ifill. She was a rare, shining light, a pioneering journalist, a daughter of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and a woman of profound faith. Her life beautifully illustrated how to walk by faith, breaking barriers in the highest echelons of national media. We must preserve and share our Black History among our families, churches, clubs, and newspapers. "As a fellow darker-skinned African American journalist, my own experiences make me deeply proud to highlight her historic success." It has not always been easy for women of color with darker skin to reach these heights. Gwen proved it is possible, and I deeply admired her fierce professional integrity, deep intellect, and compassionate heart. In a media landscape that rewards noise over substance, Gwen was a steady anchor who sought truth with grace. She proved you can reach the pinnacle of your profession without losing your soul. Grounded in the Word, Gwen's worldview and sharp work ethic were shaped by growing up in an East Coast AME church, with the most affluent Black parishioners — and she was a minister's daughter. She understood that her career was a calling to serve the public good, echoing Proverbs 31:26: "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." Gwen spoke with a distinct clarity that commanded respect from all sides of the political spectrum, refusing to compromise her values for sensationalism. Gwen mastered both print and television journalism before be-

coming a household name. She sharpened her reporting skills at local newspapers before earning a coveted role as a White House correspondent for The New York Times. Her exceptional print career paved the way for her transition to television, finding her true broadcasting home at PBS. At PBS, she made history as the moderator and managing editor of "Washington Week." Later, she made history again alongside Judy Woodruff on "PBS NewsHour," forming the first all-female co-anchor team on a national nightly news program. Through it all, Gwen proved that excellence is a profound testimony, living out Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord..." The national stage was a gift Gwen mastered with brilliance. She was chosen to solo-moderate the high-stakes vice presidential debates in both 2004 and 2008. While these events are notorious for fierce political sparring, Gwen commanded the stage with total authority, keeping the focus entirely on policy and truth. One of her most memorable attributes was her ability to ask tough, unexpected questions. In 2004, she famously asked candidates about the skyrocketing HIV infection rates among African American women — a critical issue completely ignored by

mainstream political circles. By bringing the margins to the center, she demonstrated the biblical mandate of Proverbs 31:8: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves..." Gwen let her excellent work speak for itself, earning a prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. The journalism world and the faith community suffered an unimaginable loss when Gwen passed away at age 61 on Nov. 14, 2016, following a private, courageous battle with cancer. Even during medical treatments, her dedication never wavered. She spent her final days in a Washington, D.C., hospice facility, surrounded by her loving family and close friends. Her funeral was held at the historic Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C., drawing thousands of mourners, including first lady Michelle Obama. It was a fitting, sacred farewell for a woman who spent her entire life walking in truth. Though she left us far too soon, Gwen Ifill's impact remains secure. Her legacy perfectly reflects 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Gwen's life challenges us in our daily spiritual walks to stand tall, seek truth without fear, and treat every human being with dignity. We thank God for the enduring light she left behind across our nation. WI

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 39

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor 9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724 Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

Blessed Word

Pilgrim Baptist Church

Church of Living Waters

Third Street Church of God

Rev. Joel R. Limerick Pastor

Rev. Dr. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor

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

700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849

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

Service and Times In Person Worship: Sunday @ 9:30 A.M. Streaming: Sunday @ 9:30 A.M. www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org Prayer & Study: Wednesday @ 12 Noon and 7:00 P.M.

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday

www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

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

Reverend William Young IV 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)

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org

Mount Carmel Baptist Church

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

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

“We are One in the Spirit” www.ssbcmd.org | secretary@ssbcmd.org

Campbell AME Church

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

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

Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness - Senior Pastor Rev. Ali Gail Holness-Roland Assistant & Youth Pastor

40 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship 8:00 AM Sunday School 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM Tuesday: 7:00 PM – Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday: 12:30 PM – Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: 7:00 PM – Evening Bible Study Baptism - 3rd Sunday – Communion 4th Sunday Free Food Giveaway – Every Tuesday, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. / Senior Pastor 5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301.899.8885 – Fax 301.899.2555

Rev. Terrance M. McKinley Senior Pastor

Adams Inspirational A.M.E. Church

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

St. Stephen Baptist Church

John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.

All Nations Baptist Church

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

www.livingwatersmd.org

12801 Old Fort Road • Ft. Washington, MD 20744 Office (301) 292.6323 • FAX (301) 292.2164 Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:15 am Sunday Church School 11:00 am Youth Sunday every 4th Sunday Prayer Call @ Noon every Tuesday & Thursday 978.990.5166 code: 6166047# Virtual Bible Study Wednesday Facebook & Zoom 7:00 pm “A Growing Church for a Coming Christ” www.adamsinspirationalamec.org

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: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

Emmanuel Baptist Church

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

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

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

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Reverend John W. Davis Pastor 5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089 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” www.mtzbcdc.org

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 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

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

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

www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor

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

Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:00am & 12noon Noon Day Worship – Wednesdays at Noon Prayer Call – Tuesdays 6pm & Thursdays 6am Dial: 1-872-240-3212 Passcode: 164695965

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr. Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM 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

Shiloh Church of God 7th Day Elder Jonathan M. Carson Senior Pastor

5701 Eastern Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20782 Phone: 301 559-5262 Service and Times Sabbath Worship @ 1:00 pm in-person/FB/Zoom Tuesday - Prayer@ 7:30 pm on Zoom Wednesday - Bible Study@ 7:30 pm on Zoom Friday - Sabbath School@ 7:30 pm on Zoom Web: shiloh7thday.org Email: shiloh7thdaycomm@gmail.com "A culturally diverse church of edification, deliverance and transformation"

Place your church ad here! Contact Ron Burke rburke@washingtoninformer.com

A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

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RELIGION Zion Baptist Church

Israel Baptist Church Rev. Lance Aubert Senior Pastor

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 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion 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

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM

Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor

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

Rehoboth Baptist Church

1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"

Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor 5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

“Where God is Praised, Christ is Obeyed, and People are Loved”

New Commandment Baptist Church Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

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

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

The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest

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

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.

Promised Land Baptist Church

Dr. Joseph D. Turner Senior Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM

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

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

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church

2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 9:30 AM Sunday School: 8:15 AM Bible Study: Wednesdays at Noon Baptism: 4th Sunday 9:30 AM

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

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

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

Rev. Richard B. Black Interim Pastor

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

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

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church

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

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Website address: www.mmbcdc.org

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

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

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

401 Van Buren St., NW, Washington D.C. 20012 Office (202)-882-8331

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:30 am Zoom: zoom.us/;/2028828331 Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00pm Communion Every First Sunday

Service and Times Adult Sunday School: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Youth/Young Adult Sunday School 12:00 PM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM

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

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant Pastor

"Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ." Website: Theplbc.org Email: churchclerk@theplbc.org

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

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 41

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2026 ADM 000558

2026 ADM 000523

2026 ADM 000530

2026 ADM 000563

2026 ADM 000515

Avena R. Tavlarides aka Avena Tavlarides Decedent

Geraldine W. Drake aka Geraldine Drake Decedent

Gwendolyn E. Bonnick aka Gwendolyn Elizabeth Bonnick aka Gwendolyn Elizabeth Allen Bonnick Decedent

Jacqueline D. Thompson Decedent

Lillie Mae Wright aka Lillie M. Wright Decedent

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

Adriane Lattimore, whose address is 16012 Wallingford Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20906, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Avena R. Tavlarides aka Avena Tavlarides who died on 8/17/2024 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 12/4/2026. 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 12/4/2026, 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.

Donna Drake-Clark, whose address is 8113 Ellen Way, Savage MD 20763, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Geraldine W. Drake aka Geraldine Drake who died on December 9, 2024 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 12/4/2026. 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 12/4/2026, 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: 6/4/2026 Adriane Lattimore Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

Date of first publication: 6/4/2026 Donna Drake-Clark Personal Representative

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

Washington Informer

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

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

Deborah Bethel-Patterson, whose address is 1418 Allison Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jacqueline D. Thompson who died on March 4, 2021 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 12/4/2026. 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 12/4/2026, 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.

Ethel Dean, whose address is 3108 Lyndale Place, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lillie Mae Wright aka Lillie M. Wright who died on May 30, 2018 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 12/4/2026. 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 12/4/2026, 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: 6/4/2026

Deborah Bethel-Patterson Personal Representative

Ethel Dean Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Cecil H. Allen, whose address is 14631 Deerhurst Terrace, #215-B, Silver Spring, MD 20906, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gwendolyn E. Bonnick aka Gwendolyn Elizabeth Bonnick aka Gwendolyn Elizabeth Allen Bonnick who died on 8/26/2024 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 12/4/2026. 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 12/4/2026, 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: 6/4/2026 Cecil H. Allen Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Murray D. Scheel DC Bar Pro Bono Center 901 4th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

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

2026 ADM 000492

2026 ADM 000575

2026 ADM 000560

2026 ADM 000610

2026 ADM 000597

Nejdeh Aslanian aka Nejdeh Aslanian Avanesians aka Nejdeh H. Aslanian aka Nejdeh A. Aslanian Decedent

Paul James Lomax Decedent

Connie Lawrence Relacion Decedent

Lillian M. Brockington Decedent

Sharon Legall, Esq. 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20004 Attorney

David A. Lucas, Esq. Landsman Law Group 200-A Monroe Street, Suite 110 Rockville, MD 20850 Attorney

Estate of Louise Elizabeth Stewart aka Louise E. Stewart

Adam S. Abramowitz, Esq. 9711 Washingtonian Blvd., Ste 550 Gaithersburg, MD 20878 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Fred I. Sahakian, whose address is 121 Aspen Drive, State College, PA 16827, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Nejdeh Aslanian aka Nejdeh Aslanian Avanesians aka Nejdeh H. Aslanian aka Nejdeh A. Aslanian who died on 3/1/2023 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 12/4/2026. 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 12/4/2026, 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: 6/4/2026 Fred I. Sahakian Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

42 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gladys Lomax Thompson, whose address is 803 Maggie Walker Ave., Richmond VA 23222, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Paul James Lomax who died on July 2, 2019 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 12/4/2026. 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 12/4/2026, 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: 6/4/2026 Gladys Lomax Thompson Personal Representative

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

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Jeffrey Louis Stewart Sr. for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of 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.

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

TRUE TEST COPY

Randy A. Brockington and Patricia Brockington Brown, whose addresses are 1800 Metzerott Road, #405, Adelphi, MD 20783 & 7408 Wilhelm Drive, Lanham, MD 20706, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Lillian M. Brockington who died on 11/4/2025 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 12/18/2026. 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 12/18/2026, 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: 6/11/2026

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Date of first publication: 6/18/2026

Iluminada Relacion Williams Personal Representative

Washington Informer

Randy A. Brockington Patricia Brockington Brown Personal Representative

Iluminada Relacion Williams, whose address is 3542 Hertford Place, NW, Washington DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Connie Lawrence Relacion who died on 1/14/2026 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 12/11/2026. 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 12/11/2026, 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

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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: 6/11/2026 Jeffrey Louis Stewart Sr. 1812 Billings Ave. Capital Heights, MD 20743 Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2026 43

RESISTANCE from Page 1 rainbow apparel and flags and wares inspired by Black power, African American LGBTQ+ individuals are honoring the collective resistance that paved the way for generations –– from the roots of the Pride movement in D.C., to Texas’ stomping grounds that marked the end of legalized slavery. “All of it has shaped me because I know my history. I'm rooted in revolution, I'm born out of resistance,” said Rayceen Pendarvis, D.C.’s “Empress of Pride.” “I [come] from people who come from greatness. As I walk into spaces, I don't walk in just one way; I'm far greater than just my queerness. I am my Blackness. I embrace all of the essence of who I am, [and what] makes me rooted in all that I stand for.” With Capital Pride festivities underway, joyful resistance is taking on another form for those celebrating 161 years of Juneteenth this Friday. While set to dawn the annual parade on June 20, the day before is all about reflection and spiritual reconnection, Pendarvis said, driven by an internal charge to “be the revolution” the ancestors started. “If you don't know where you've been, you don't know where you're going. This country was built on the backs of the people that endured the pain, the sweat, the blood, the tears, [and] the sacrifice,” Pendarvis said,

FATHER'S DAY from Page 1 poured into and invested everything in them,” Dina Briscoe, former DC Wave Swim Team meet manager and team parent, told The Informer. “Even though he had his own son on the team, he still treated the other children as if they were his own. He left no child behind.” Having spent decades helping young people find confidence, discipline and opportunity through swimming, McCoy, who retired from the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) in 2020 after more than 35 years of service, died on April 20 at the age 76. “Coach Rodger’s passion for coaching and devotion to the swimming community created an impact that will be felt for years to come,” the National Black Heritage Championship Swim Meet said in a statement following his death. “Many of us, and many families across our city, benefited from his generosity, patience and love for the sport of swimming.” For Roy Fagin, who helped establish the D.C. DPR competitive aquatics program alongside McCoy in

44 JUNE 18 - 24, 2026

“if we really want to be this so-called America the Great, we must fully embrace all that named us who we are today and and never stray away from our history, no matter how dark it may seem to others.” Capital Pride Month ambassador Dr. Ashley Elliott sees the back-toback commemorations as a testament to the power of solidarity. More than a time for celebrations, she considers June an annual reminder of what it looks like when identity finds purpose –– and the outcome is a path to liberation. “I'm a mother to two Black girls. They will never forget where we've come from, and they understand that where we have to go, that potential is limitless,” Elliott told The Informer, “whether that be in their Black body, whether that be in the queer body of their mama, or whether that just be in the body of a little girl in D.C. who realizes…people see me, and if I remember that people see me, there's nothing that I can't do.”

‘Unapologetically Black and Queer,’ from the Nation’s Capital to Down South

Marked by the theme: “Exist. Resist. Have the Audacity!,” Capital Pride 2026 aims to set the tone for a 1984, the coach’s strong influence was evident from the beginning. “When I met Rodger and got a chance to know him, I could tell by his demeanor that he was a serious person who had serious talents to offer,” Fagin told The Informer. Those qualities became more evident to Fagin as McCoy began shaping the foundation of the program. “Once I gave him that assignment [of being a coach],” Fagin continued, “he took it and ran with it and did some amazing work.” The program was founded to provide opportunities for local young people who were interested in swimming, developing their skills and potentially earning educational opportunities through the sport. It also sought to challenge long-held misconceptions about Black participation in swimming. “There was always the perception that Black people could not swim,” Fagin said. “Our main objective was to dispel that myth.” Over the next several decades, McCoy became one of the most recognizable figures in the District’s swimming community, mentoring generations of

year-round charge, according to its ambassadors. While celebrations began for many with D.C. Black Pride (DCBP) Memorial Day weekend, recent activations included a celebration of LGBTQ seniors at Silver Pride on Friday, June 12, as well as a panel discussion on the Black LGBTQ History Preservation Report, featuring Pendarvis and District Councilmember Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5). Among several ambassadors selected by the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, Elliott is using the moment to reignite the spirit at the heart of the movement, embodying Pride as an act of rebellion. “We will not be silenced, we will not be closeted, and we will be seen,” she declared. “I’m unapologetically Black and unapologetically queer. This is a time to reflect on that freedom.” Having grown up in what she still knows to be “Chocolate City,” Elliott said she was deeply immersed into the culture and history of Black and queer pioneers. After nodding to the breadth of local trailblazers, including some of whom were part of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion in New York, the local organizer emphasized what she considers the strength of ancestral wisdom: recognizing liberation surpasses “physical freedom.” WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com. athletes. “He had a remarkable ability to teach, guide, and encourage others— whether it was a new staff member learning the ropes, or a young swimmer stepping onto the pool deck for the first time,” said Robert Green, head coach of the DC Wave Swim Team. “He embodied what it [meant] to serve.”

‘He Didn’t Let You Give Up on Yourself’

Among the athletes inspired by McCoy, is Liana Castro, who met McCoy when she was about 6 years old after learning to swim at what is now the Wilson Aquatic Center. “He was the best,” Castro, an award-winning counselor with District of Columbia Public Schools, told The Informer. “He didn’t let you give up on yourself, he pushed me to be the best swimmer I could be. There was never any judgment, there was always passion.” Castro recalled how McCoy often challenged swimmers to exceed their own expectations. WI

JUNETEENTH from Page 1 10-city celebration of the woman who, just years prior, marched for Juneteenth’s designation as a federal holiday. “She really wanted to do this back when President Obama first became president in 2008,” said Pastor Kip Banks about his maternal cousin Dr. Opal Lee, the retired teacher and activist known to many as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” On June 17, 2021, Banks stood alongside Lee as they watched then-President Joe Biden sign into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. Banks said that moment culminated years of organizing on Lee’s part, including a monthslong walk from Fort Worth, Texas to the nation’s capital and her promotion of a Change.org petition. “In 2016, [President Obama] was leaving,” Banks told The Informer. “She was 89 years old and she says, ‘Well, you know, I'm not through yet. I'm going to start walking to D.C.’ and she began to walk to D.C. in 2.5 mile increments.’ When she did come to D.C., she would stay with me and my family, and we also walked with her.” On June 19, 1865, 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and told more than 250,000 enslaved Africans that they had been freed. Nearly three years earlier, President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation secured freedom for enslaved Africans in states under Union control. As a Confederate stronghold in a remote area, Texas maintained chattel slavery for at least two more years. However, General Order No. 3, delivered by Gen. Gordon Granger, abolished the institution. On June 19, 1866, Galveston, Texas hosted the first Juneteenth celebration, initially called Jubilee Day. In the decades to follow, Black people throughout Texas and other parts of the United States continued to commemorate Juneteenth with church services, parades and other celebratory gatherings. Banks, the great-great grandson of an enslaved African-American, one of several who learned of their freedom in Galveston Bay, will give the opening prayer that will kick off the walk at East Washing-

ton Heights Baptist Church. He said Juneteenth, and Lee’s fight for Juneteenth’s recognition, has even more relevance during the second Trump presidency. “Indeed, statehood for D.C. is a part of her platform. Affordable housing has always been a part of her platform,” Banks said about Lee. “It hurts my heart what is happening in D.C., and we as a people have got to fight. Historically, Juneteenth’s not just a celebration. They have a sermon. They celebrate with strawberry, soda and pies and cakes and barbecue, but then they would also rally and talk about what needed to be done so that our people could be made whole.”

Earl Williams Reflects on a Vision Turned into Reality

For six months, a committee of nearly two dozen people gelled together plans for the second annual Ward 7 Juneteenth Parade, all while working on the walk with Unity Unlimited Inc., a Fort Worth, Texas nonprofit founded by Lee and her granddaughter Dione Sims. Parade founder and chair Earl Williams called the event more organized than Juneteenth functions held in the past. “You have to sign a big questionnaire for the city. Then you make a presentation to the Mayor's Special Events Task Group,” Williams told The Informer. “Every department in the city is in that room. You make your presentation, and each one of them goes around and says, ‘I have no questions,’ or they have questions about how things are going to go. Then they all have to vote on that, and we have to get approval.” When revelers descend upon East Washington Heights Baptist Church on June 19, they will take part in a 2.5 mile walk that, in coordination with “Opal’s Walk for Freedom,” starts at the church and ends at Fort DuPont Park. An hour later, the parade will follow, starting from the church and continuing along Branch Avenue, before entering Randle Circle and ending near Fort DuPont Drive SE. Along the way, they will watch Mama Ayo Handy-Kendi pour libations in honor of the ancestors. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

MALVEAUX from Page 26 lamenting declining educational outcomes are simultaneously attacking the institutions that help students learn. They denounce falling test scores while censoring history, restricting honest conversations about race, undermining teachers, weakening diversity initiatives and reducing educational resources for students who need them most. The ongoing weakening of the Department of Education sends a chilling message about national priorities. We cannot claim to value excellence while starving the conditions that make excellence possible.

MORIAL from Page 26 borrower) As a reminder, households spent a collective $231 billion on tariffs in the last year alone. Ending Homelessness $20 billion to $30 billion in

Declining scores do not emerge in isolation. Hunger affects learning. Housing instability affects learning. Underfunded schools affect learning. Poverty and inequality affect learning. Educational outcomes reflect the conditions under which children live. This is why HBCUs remain so important. Institutions like Bennett continue to nurture Black intellect, cultivate leadership and affirm Black humanity, often while operating with fewer resources than predominantly white institutions. They remain places where students are encouraged not simply to survive, but to excel. Many HBCU graduations

also occur near Mother's Day, and that connection should not be overlooked. Behind countless graduates stands a mother or grandmother who stretched limited resources, worked exhausting hours, deferred her own dreams and insisted that education mattered. Black educational achievement has always been sustained not only by institutions, but also by sacrifice. Brown opened doors. America has yet to decide whether it is truly committed to what lies beyond them: equal opportunity, equal investment and equal possibility. WI

initial upfront investment, followed by an estimated $10 billion to $15 billion annually to sustain housing, services and prevention programs. We've spent that on the war in Iran in four months. These are real figures from real analysis based on real costs. And

the spending is real. The next time you hear the government say it cannot afford to improve the lives of everyday people, remember: It's not that the funds aren't being spent — our priorities are misaligned. WI

JOHNSON from Page 26 was not merely arrest. The goal was humiliation. The goal was fear. The goal was to make people decide that voting simply cost too much. And let me say this plainly: Federal immigration agents do not symbolize safety to immigrant communities. They symbolize raids, deportation, detention centers, separated children, midnight knocks and disappeared neighbors. People in Washington know this. That is exactly why the idea is dangerous. You do not place armed immigration authority near polling stations unless you understand the chilling effect it creates. A grandmother who is a legal citizen may stay home simply because her undocumented grandson lives with her. A young Latino voter may avoid the polls because he fears being questioned. A Muslim family may decide silence is safer than participation. Fear spreads faster than policy. That is what America keeps forgetting. Some readers will accuse me of exaggeration. But I lived through and experienced enough to watch this country repeat sins it swore it had already repented. Every generation believes democracy is stur-

Fear spreads faster than policy. That is what America keeps forgetting. dier than it really is. It's not. Democracy survives only as long as ordinary citizens believe they can approach the ballot box without fear of government intimidation. The moment fear enters that space, something sacred begins dying. What terrifies me most is how casually these conversations are now happening. We are discussing armed federal presence near elections as though this were a normal political debate. Fifty years ago, Americans would have recognized immediately how dangerous this sounded. Now people shrug. That is how nations drift toward authoritarianism. Not all at once. Slowly. Quietly. One normalized

outrage after another. First comes the rhetoric. Then comes the fear. Then comes the silence. Then comes the surrender. I buried too many of my freedom fighter friends to stay quiet while America plays games with voting rights again. I have stood in churches where old men still carried scars from police beatings tied directly to voter registration efforts. I have spoken with women who were fired from jobs for attempting to vote. I have listened to stories of bodies found hanging from trees because somebody dared believe democracy included them, too. So no, I will not calmly dismiss this moment, because history whispers before it screams, and what I hear whispering right now sounds disturbingly familiar. The presence of ICE or Border Patrol near polling stations may begin as "security." But history warns us that government power, once normalized around elections, rarely retreats peacefully. It expands. It tests limits. It searches for new targets. That is why every American, regardless of party, should reject this path now. Not later. Now. Once citizens associate voting with fear, democracy is no longer functioning freely. It is surviving on borrowed time. WI

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elsewhere in the country. In a nation that has spent decades working to expand voting rights and dismantle barriers to political participation, the continued disenfranchisement of D.C. residents stands as a troubling exception. The case for D.C. statehood is not only constitutional and moral; it is also practical. Congress routinely intervenes in local District affairs despite the existence of an elected mayor and city council. Federal lawmakers from states thousands of miles away often seek to overturn local decisions on matters ranging from public safety to education and budgeting. No other American community faces such extensive congressional interference in its day-to-day governance. Statehood would establish a clearer, more accountable framework for self-government while preserving a constitutionally required federal district that includes the Capitol, the White House, the Supreme Court and other federal buildings. The proposal is straightforward and consistent with constitutional principles. Statehood also makes economic sense. The District possesses a larger economy than many states, generates substantial tax revenue, and has demonstrated the capacity to govern itself responsibly. Residents contribute to the nation's prosperity while being denied an equal voice in the legislative decisions that affect their lives. Opponents sometimes suggest that

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Uplifting youth leadership requires those of us who are established in this work to make room for the people coming behind us. Our role is not to hold on to power, but to support their ideas and trust in their ability to lead in ways that meet this moment. If we are serious about Black Permanency, investing in young people is how this work continues. Just as critical as clearing the way for future leaders is showing up for each other in the present. Juneteenth is rooted in collective survival, in the ways that newly freed Black communities built sys-

the answer is retrocession — returning most of the District to Maryland — as part of the city was once returned to Virginia in the 19th century. But this argument ignores political reality and public sentiment. Neither Maryland nor Virginia has expressed any serious interest in absorbing the District's population and governmental responsibilities. Nor have D.C. residents demonstrated any desire to surrender their unique civic identity and become residents of another state. Retrocession is not a realistic solution to the democratic deficit facing the District. More importantly, retrocession avoids the central question. The issue is not geography. The issue is citizenship. The residents of Washington, D.C., are Americans. They deserve the same rights as other Americans. Throughout our history, the nation has repeatedly expanded the circle of democracy. We abolished slavery. We adopted constitutional amendments guaranteeing equal protection and voting rights. Women gained the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act helped dismantle Jim Crow barriers that had excluded millions from political participation. Each step represented an acknowledgment that democracy is strongest when it includes everyone. As we celebrate Juneteenth and reflect on 250 years of American history, we should recognize the setbacks that threaten that progress. The Supreme Court's recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which further weakened key protections of the Voting Rights Act, underscores how fragile democrat-

ic gains can be. At a moment when voting rights remain under attack, Congress should respond by restoring and strengthening those protections through passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Ensuring equal access to the ballot and guaranteeing full representation for the residents of Washington, D.C., are complementary parts of the same democratic mission. The unfinished work of freedom is not confined to history books. It lives in an ongoing effort to ensure that every citizen's voice matters and every community is represented. The continued disenfranchisement of more than 700,000 Americans in the nation's capital is inconsistent with our highest ideals and our constitutional commitment to representative government. It weakens the credibility of our democratic example at home and abroad. America's 250th birthday should be more than a celebration of past achievements. It should be a call to complete the unfinished work. On this Juneteenth, let us honor the generations who fought to expand freedom by addressing two of the most visible remaining democratic shortcomings. Let us pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, grant statehood to Washington, D.C., and close the hole in the soul of America by finally extending full representation and equal citizenship to the residents of our nation's capital. After 250 years, democracy should leave no American behind. WI

courage you to take the time to honor your fathers — natural, spiritual, godfathers, etc. — and the deposits they've made in your life. Keep this in mind: Our Heavenly Father loves us and

wants the best for us, which is the best deposit that we can make in the lives of others. Happy Father's Day! WI

tems of care when none existed for them. That same truth is playing out now. When the current administration stripped billions of dollars in congressionally appropriated funds, frontline leaders doubled down on sharing resources — ensuring the survival of community-based organizations losing critical federal funding. These acts are a continuation of a long tradition of collective care in the Black community. A care that is essential as "once-in-a-generation" climate events happen again and again. Communities, especially Black communities, are navigating environmental harms — from extreme heat and flooding

to long-standing neglect of energy and water infrastructure. Far too often, the people facing the greatest harm receive the least support from the systems they should be able to rely on. Staying rooted and in community with one another is what allows us to endure. This is what Black Permanency looks like in practice. Lastly, we need to constantly ask ourselves a simple question: What do I have the capacity to do? Every day we must be honest with ourselves about what we can commit to. And we must maintain the discipline to follow through. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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