By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com One of the District of Columbia’s most active political and cultural wards has a Black population over one-third and yet there are no Black candidates for that council seat this year. Ward 6 encompasses the U.S. Capitol, the popular Eastern Market, gentrifying Shaw and the booming Southwest Waterfront that includes the […]
Category: District of Columbia Government
Washington DC — The Nation’s Capital
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
Need a Job in Ward 5? Find the WOW Truck.
By Lauren E. Williams, Special to the AFRO MidCity Financial Community Affairs Director Dr. Robert Johns says he is committed to bringing services to D.C.’s NE Ward 5 neighborhood. By partnering with the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) Workforce on Wheels (WOW) program, he is getting closer to doing just that. The DOES […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
Marvin Gaye Recreation Center Opens May 5 in D.C.
By Lenore T. Adkins, Special to the AFRO The District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation will launch its first-ever Marvin Gaye Day on May 5 by opening the new recreation center that bears the late singer’s name and following that up with a street festival for the community, according to DPR. Members of Marvin […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
DC Council Limits School Suspensions
By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com When last year’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released data revealing Black students are eight times more likely to be suspended than their White counterparts, Council member David Grosso (I-At Large), Chairman of the Education Committee, immediately began working to reverse those statistics. Grosso’s advocacy […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
Racine is Running Hard, Even with No Opponent
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com Karl Racine is running for re-election as the District of Columbia’s attorney general but faces no opponent in the Democratic Party primary or even in the Republican, DC Statehood Green and Libertarian parties. Nevertheless, Racine is making appearances at Democratic club meetings and participating in organization’s endorsement processes. “I […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
Despite Calls for Unity, Trayon White Anti-Semitic Controversy Continues
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com Last week the AFRO reported about harsh emails from D.C. Council member Elissa Silverman to Joshua Lopez, a former advisory neighborhood commissioner and commissioner on the D.C. Housing Authority, because of his support for Council member Trayon White, who was accused of being anti-Semitic. This week, on May 1, Lopez […]
Posted inNEWS
Reid Scores Big Endorsement in Ward 1 Race
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com Sheika Reid, a candidate for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat, recently got a huge endorsement. Reid received the nod of approval from the American Federation of State, Council and Municipal Employees’ (AFSCME) District 20 Council on April 29. Andrew Washington, the executive director of the union told the […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
Northeast Social Security Office Temporarily Closes
By Lenore T. Adkins, Special to the AFRO Citing unexpected repairs, officials have closed the Postal Plaza Social Security office in Northeast D.C. until further notice, the Social Security Administration announced April 30. People with existing appointments there should expect to hear from the administration with two options: to either receive services over the phone, […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Norton, Bowser and Youth Demand DC’s Right to Gun Control
By Hamzat Sani, Special to the AFRO Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser led a first-of-its-kind panel of District political powerhouses in a conversation about the impact of the Federal Government’s interference in D.C.’s gun control laws. The panel included Attorney General for the District of Columbia Karl A. Racine, D, […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Washington, D.C. Primary Election Correction
District of Columbia Council, Ward 1 Last week we included African American candidates running in Washington, D.C. and neglected to include Lori Parker, a candidate to represent Ward 1 on the District’s Council. We regret the error. Lori Parker is a candidate in the District of Columbia primary election. (Courtesy Photo) Lori Parker is a […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
D.C. Councilmember Trayon White Apologizes for Anti-Semitic Comments
After snow flurries briefly coated the Washington Metropolitan Area on the morning of Friday, March 16, Councilmember Trayon White (D-8), took to Facebook Live to reference the wealthy, Jewish, Rothschild family, as the blame for the unseasonably wintry weather. D.C. Councilmember Trayon White said that the Rothschild family was responsible for controlling the weather. (Courtesy […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Who Knew What, When About D.C.’s Schools Ex-Chancellor?
Antwan Wilson, former chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser knew about his daughter’s covert transfer to another high school, months before it became public knowledge and resulted in his forced February resignation. Antwan Wilson, former chancellor of D.C.’s school system, is raising questions about who else knew about […]