The Housing for All Campaign (HAC) is hosting a series of free movies, followed by discussions, to “continue and grow the conversation about gentrification,” says Elizabeth Falcon of HAC. Each documentary will cover gentrification and urban renewal efforts around the United States and showings start at 6:00 p.m., but at different locations in Washington, D.C.  Check Housing for All Campaign for movie time and place updates.

Southwest Remembered
Wednesday, July 23
6:00 PM
Southwest Library
900 Wesley Pl SW
Southwest Remembered follows the effects of the federal plan of urban renewal in Washington, DC during the 1940s. Southwest DC was one of the first areas to undergo this effort, which ended with more than 23,000 displaced residents and a radically altered Southwest.

The Garden
Wednesday, August 6
6:00 PM
Emergency Community Arts Collective
733 Euclid St. NW
A rose that grew out of the 1992 LA Riots, the community garden in South Central Los Angeles was a testament to community resilience. However, when the land is sold to a wealthy developer, the South Central Farmers are forced to show a different sort of resilience in their battle with city hall.

My Brooklyn
Wednesday, August 20
6:00 PM
Location TBA
This film follows the director, a self-described gentrifier, on her journey to peel back the complex layers of a changing city. Focusing on the closing of a popular and profitable African-American and Caribbean mall, the movie explores how migration into cities, city planning, and racial divides come to a head in an all too familiar story about change in American cities.

It seems simple:  The City of Alexandria, Virginia has a Black mayor and city manager - - the city’s first. However, the city wants to allow night sporting events to take place at T.C. Williams High School.  If approved, Frances Colbert-Terrell, a fourth generation homeowner in the adjacent Seminary community, believes the policy will further erode her historic Black neighborhood.

“The lighting for the night events will shine into our homes, the noise from the traffic and loudspeakers, and the excess traffic and litter will decrease the quality of our lives and our property values,” explained Colbert-Terrell, president of the Seminary Civic Association.

Slow destruction of the community is nothing new continued Colbert-Terrell.  The once adjacent Fort community, built after the American Civil War on a deserted Civil War military base, was destroyed in the 1950-1960s when the city used its eminent domain authority for the construction of the Fort Ward Park and Museum.

The city’s policies later destroyed about 32 homes in the community to make way for the construction of T.C. Williams High School. And according to Colbert-Terrell, in 1965, when the city built the original school, “the city agreed that no lights would be placed on any athletic field in consideration of the quality of life of the community.”  She says those points were reaffirmed in 2004 when the city rebuilt and expanded the school. “I have copies of the special use permit,” she continued.

Though Alexandria paid the homeowners for their properties in both situations, the payments did not come close to the going prices of homes in contemporary Alexandria, says Colbert-Terrell.  Many of the displaced homeowners were elderly and living on fixed incomes.

Members of the community have historically supported education initiatives.  In 1927, William Wood, whose family still resides in the community, gave a portion of his land for the construction of the first African American Rosenwald Elementary School.  “My family includes fourth and fifth generation members of this community,” added Colbert-Terrell, whose family settled there after Emancipation.

Colbert-Terrill says her community is not being selfish.  She added, “the students are inconvenienced for four years; our sacrifice would be for a life time.”

When Frank Lautenberg died in office, Gov. Chris Christie called a special election which Newark mayor Cory Booker won. Now Booker will have to start campaigning all over again. No serious Republican ran in the primary, which was won by Jeff Bell, an aide to Ronald Reagan and sometime candidate for public office. He has no chance at all against Booker reports Electoral.vote.com

---

After former senator Jim DeMint's surprise resignation from the Senate to run the Heritage Foundation (and possibly prepare for a 2016 presidential run), Gov. Nikki Haley appointed Rep. Tim Scott (left) to fill out DeMint's seat until a special election in Nov. 2014. Scott won his primary and will face Richland County Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson, who won the Democratic nomination. Both Dickerson and Moore are Black, setting the stage for November to be South Carolina's first-ever U.S. Senate general election between two Black candidates.  Also running is
American Party candidate Jill Bossi.

---

The Labor Department reported that the US economy created 288,000 new jobs for June, along with a drop in the unemployment rate to 6.1 percent.

---

After meeting with Texas Governor Rick Perry, the President said he did not go to the US/Mexican border because he was not interested in theater.  “This is not theater. I’m not interested in photo ops,” Obama said. He called on Congress to act and for Perry to influence the Texas congressional delegation. He continued "If I sponsor a bill declaring apple pie American, it might fall victim partisan politics."

If you are planning to see Holler If You Hear Me, you can save 40 percent when visiting Ticket Master and entering the code MPEN or calling 877-250-2929 says HueMan.  The music of Tupac Shakur inspired the Kenny Leon performance playing at the Palace Theater in New York. One of the stars of the play is award-winning slam poet Saul Williams, whom we interviewed for the February – April 2006 cover story.

Several groups including the National Park Service will celebrate Mary McLeod Bethune’s 139th birthday and the 40th anniversary of her memorial in Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C. The event is Thursday, July 10 from 5p to 7p at 13th and East Capitol Streets, NE.  In addition to speakers, The Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy will perform.

Washington, DC
Workout Wednesdays
Franklin Park
13 & I, NW
Weds through Sep 10, 5:30p, free

Blue Monday Blues + Fish Fry
Westminster Presbyterian Church
400 I Street, SW
Mons, 6p-9p, $5, under 16, free

Jazz Night Fridays + Fish Fry
Westminster Presbyterian Church
400 I Street, SW
Mons, 6p-9p, $5, under 16, free

National Black United Front
Howard University, Blackburn Center
Thu, Jul 10, 2p - Sun, Jul 13, 9:30p, free

Raw Food Festival
chef demonstration and tastings
Emergence Community Arts Collective
733 Euclid St, NW
Sat, Jul 12, 4p-6p, at door $25 adults; $20 kids

Inner Light Ministries
21st Anniversary Dance Party
Anacostia Arts Center
1231 Good Hope Road, SE
Sat, Jul 12, 8p-12a, $20

Keeping Columbia Heights Affordable
Coalition for Smarter Growth
St. Dennis Apartments
1636 Kenyon St NW
Wed, Jul 16, 6:30p-8:30p
RSVP
Mandela Day and
South African Independence Festival
Kennilworth Aquatic Gardens
1550 Anacostia Ave, NE
(btwn Quarles and Douglas Streets)
Sat, Jul 19, 11a-4p, free

Ernesto "El Gato" Gatell
moderated by WPFW’s Jim Byers
Latin Flavor Classic Edition
Anacostia Arts Center
1231 Good Hope Rd
Sat, Jul 19 at 6p-8:30p
RSVP's absolutely required, 202-633-4844, free

Baltimore
Baltimore Caribbean Festival
Sa, Jul 12-Su,, 13
Lake Clifton Park, free

Baobab Youth Development Association (BYDA) volunteer secretary Jabel Ceesay (top right) added to the pride the Port Of Harlem Gambian Education Partnership (POHEP) has with working with the BYDA.  Ceesay was named Central River Region Teacher of the Year.  He teaches English language and English literature to students in grades 10 through 12 at the Kaur Senior Secondary School in Kaur Wharf Town, The Gambia.

The BYDA also has started construction of a 15-meter foot bridge (bottom photo). They got partial funding from Trust Bank and is awaiting to see if they won a grant from the U.S. Embassy-Banjul. Their plan is to seek funding from POHGEP only if the other sources are not available. The POHGEP announced that has found sponsors for two of the four Secca Memorial students and 4 of the 17 BYDA Latrikunda students. POHGEP must find the funding of only $75 per student for the remaining 15 students by Thursday, July 31. 

You may donate, by clicking the button below or sending a check or money order payable to:

POHGEP
3215 W Street, SE
Washington, DC 20020-3364

POHGEP is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Click here to check our tax-exempt status with the IRS. Our EIN number is 83-0481127.

 

Jeralean Kurtz Talley turned 115-years-old May 23, 2014 in Inkster, Michigan, which is near Detroit.

 

 

 

 

• Africa in WWI | 12 Years a Slave For Children | Freda Payne Winner
  
  
• lynching photograph burned body
  

 

• The Artistic Way to Make a Baby