Author Archives: Valencia Mohammed

Former Washington, D.C. mayoral aide Sulaimon Brown said April 8 he is eager to tell Congress and Justice Department investigators how D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray runs the city. But on April 8 he told the AFRO he won’t talk about his allegations of corruption by the mayor to the D.C. Council, even if subpoenaed by […]

While much attention has been focused on alleged scandals involving the District’s mayor, taxicab drivers complain he has ignored campaign promises to correct unfavorable industry conditions. Taxicab industry activists said Mayor Vincent Gray reneged on his promise to address many of the regulations established by his predecessor that, they say, have almost crippled the industry. […]

Charges of cronyism, nepotism, campaign malfeasance and other scandals involving Washington, D.C. lawmakers and the mayor highlights the need for revised ethical standards and keener supervision, a local political analyst said. “I think the recent scandals in D.C. suggest there might be a need for more oversight,” said G. Derek Musgrove, assistant professor of history […]

One day after students waged a protest calling for his resignation, University of the District of Columbia President Allen Sessoms faced the D.C. Council to answer questions about controversial expenditures from the university’s budget on March 8. Sessoms repeatedly answered many of the same questions about his travel expenses to foreign countries. Council members inquired […]

Hundreds of nurses dressed in red jackets picketed outside the grounds of the Washington Hospital Center on March 5 demanding a safe staffing plan to care for patients. For many of the nurses this second day of picketing was a hard pill to swallow. The original one-day walkout was held on March 4, when over […]

The cold weather is about to come to an end, which usually heralds spring, a time of new life. But for some Washington, D.C. residents, it can signal the end of an old as rising temperatures usually mean an increase in the number of evictions in the District. According to the US Marshals Service, there […]

Another controversy befell Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray recently when one of his top aides was abruptly terminated just one day after he was publicly praised for his performance. The latest turmoil follows numerous stories of alleged fiscal mismanagement, unjustified high salaries for top aides, and cronyism by the mayor and council chair. Sulaimon […]

When Gaithersburg resident Angela Martin, 57, inherited her mother’s genealogy project she had no idea just how unique the branches of her family tree would be. Her mother, Dr. Ruby Martin, started researching their genealogy by interviewing her parents while they were living. And before her passing, Dr. Martin left her notes, books, interesting stories […]

The news of D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown’s leasing of a luxury SUV for over $1,900 a month—after a first model was rejected—is reverberating around a city bound in financial straits. On Feb. 22, the chairman apologized and said he had returned the vehicle to the Department of Public Works. He said he also plans […]

Controversy over a budget deficit announced by the District’s only government-run university is steadily brewing, causing anxiety among students. City officials say they were surprised by the University of the District of Columbia’s recent request for an additional $8 million to $10 million to offset the expense of operating the fast-growing Community College for the […]

The political wheels in the District of Columbia are churning up once again as House Republicans take jabs at Home Rule. Having stripped the congressional representative of voting power on the floor, and barring her from testifying on a bill that affects the District, Republicans have also introduced legislation to re-impose the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship […]