By Charlee Douglas, Special to the AFRO Eboni-Rose Thompson has announced her candidacy for the Ward 7 Council seat currently occupied by Vincent Gray (D) who has been in office since 2004. From attending Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) meetings with her grandparents to becoming a community advocate, Thompson has watched Ward 7 evolve in its […]
Category: District of Columbia Government
Washington DC — The Nation’s Capital
Posted inPrince George's County News
Council member Ric Gordon dies suddenly at age 41
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com The City of Greenbelt, Md., announced that Councilmember Ric Gordon (D-At-Large) suddenly died on Nov. 26 at 41 years old. “The sudden passing of Ric Gordon is a great loss to the Greenbelt community, Prince George’s County, and the State of Maryland,” said Greenbelt Mayor Emmett V. Jordan […]
Posted inMayor Muriel Bowser
Community responds to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s newest anti-crime legislation
By Helen BezunehSpecial to the AFRO D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently unveiled a new legislative initiative to address crime trends in the nation’s capital. The proposed legislation, known as the Addressing Crime Trends Now Act (ACT Now), aims to promote public safety by empowering law enforcement to effectively hold criminals accountable for their actions. “The […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Mayor Bowser declares public emergency to address youth violence and opioid deaths
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered a public emergency on Nov. 13, effective immediately, which will provide D.C. with more ways to address the youth violence issue and the opioid crisis. “The public emergency will allow us to streamline and expedite our responses,” said Bowser at a live-streamed press conference. […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
DC Council confirms Police Chief Pamela A. Smith
By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor, afields@afro.com The AFRO sends congratulations to Pamela A. Smith for being selected as the permanent Police Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. Smith is the first Black female police chief in the organization’s 162 year history. She was unanimously confirmed by the DC Council on Nov. 7. “Our community […]
Posted inD.C. Community
DaVon Fuller, D.C. native and former council aide, shot and killed in a parking lot near home
By Chrisleen Herard, Special to the AFRO DaVon Fuller was a promising defensive back when he played football for Dunbar High School and then the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. In other words, Fuller was able to think fast, adjust and defend a position–he was good at it. Fuller made plays on and off of the […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks with D.C. Kingman Park neighborhood about the future of the RFK Stadium
By Gene Lambey, Special to the AFRO Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke at a public community meeting hosted by St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church and the Friends of Kingman Park community group on Oct. 18 to discuss the future of the old RFK Stadium and its surrounding areas. The community meeting took place at St. […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. awaits city council’s confirmation of acting police chief Pamela Smith
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com Pamela A. Smith was nominated as the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) police chief in July by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and recently began the official confirmation process through the D.C. Council. Smith would become the first African-American woman to be D.C. police chief– if she is fully confirmed […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Mayor Bowser’s National Maternal Infant Health Summit connects mothers to community resources
By April Quevedo, Special to the AFRO D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser hosted the sixth Annual National Maternal and Infant Health Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. on Sept. 19. The event featured panel discussions, community spaces, breakout sessions and a virtual resource expo with a focus on working women. “No […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Resource fair at Randall Recreation Center hosted by National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens
By AFRO Staff On July 29, the National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens (NAARC), held a cookout for people who were previously incarcerated. The event took place at Randall Recreation Center on South Capitol and I Street. Food, vendors and entertainment was available for the guests while Eric Weaver, director of NAARC, welcomed […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Incarcerated Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner transferred out of Washington, D.C.
By Myles Walker, Special to the AFRO Leonard Bishop, an incarcerated citizen serving as an elected official for D.C. residents was transferred from D.C.’s Correctional Treatment Facility to an unknown location on July 20, ending his term as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) prematurely. The transfer removed Bishop from the city, making him ineligible and unable […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Council passes legislation in favor of pre-trial detention for juveniles and adults
By Khira Moore, AFRO Intern Legislators struggle to find a solution as crime rates continue to rise in the District. There have been 134 reported homicides over the past seven months, a 17 percent increase from 2022. “This change responds to serious problem of revolving door in which too many people commit serious crimes are […]
