BROWN JOINS DC EMANCIPATION DAY PANEL TO DISCUSS CIVIL RIGHTS VS. HIP-HOP MOVEMENT
On Monday, April 14 from 12:00-2:00pm, the Humanities Council celebrated Emancipation Day with performances and discussion about the disconnect between the Civil Rights and Hip-Hop generations. The catalyst for this discussion began with a conversation about the pivotal 1968 riots, which occurred during the Civil Rights Movement and how its affects still resonate today. Do young people have a lack of understanding for the struggles of “the civil rights movement” and is their disrespect by the “civil rights generation” towards the struggles of the “hip-hop generation?
Council Member At-Large Kwame Brown was awarded the distinguished “Champion for the Humanities” from the Humanities Council of Washington, DC for his continuing support of the Council’s work in the District. Brown then quickly switched gears to serve as a panelist. Actress Betty Entzminger channeled Civil Rights activist Angela Davis, while artist Bomani Armah (Activist/Cartoonist/Hip-Hop Artist) performed his rap-style poetry; Professor Griff (Member of rap group Public Enemy), Sheryl Denbo (Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium), and Hari Jones (African-American Civil War Memorial) rounded out the panel. The event was moderated by Don Murray, Chair of the Humanities Council. HISTORY: On April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill ending slavery in the District of Columbia. Passage of this act came 9 months before President Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation. The act brought to conclusion decades of agitation aimed at ending what antislavery advocates called "the national shame" of slavery in the nation's capital. The African American community of Washington, D.C. celebrated Emancipation Day form 1862 until 1900. It was considered more important to the African American community than the 4th of July. To view the original document and text for the District of Columbia Emancipation Act, visit the National Archives website, www.archives.gov DC EMANCIPATION DAY EVENTS APRIL 1 - 30
Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm
Exhibition: Riots are the Language of the Unheard
Historical Society of Washington, 801 K Street, NW
www.historydc.org APRIL 1 - 30
Monday-Thursday, 9:30am-9pm
Friday-Saturday, 9:30am-5:30pm
Sunday, 1pm-5pm
Exhibition: From Freedom's Shadows: African-Americans and the United States Capitol
The Martin Luther King Memorial Library
901 G Street, NW
www.dclibrary.org WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16 DC EMANCIPATION PARADE/MARCH Hosted by the African American Holiday Association, The American Friends Service Committee, DC Black History Celebration Committee, Friends of DC Emancipation Day and Stand Up! for Democracy in DC Coalition (Free DC)
Parade starts at historic Franklin Square, between 13th and 14th and I (Eye) Streets, NW
for more information, visit www.freedc.org Musical Performance: Freedom Blues
12:30PM
Historical Society of Washington, 801 K Street, NW
www.historydc.org Performance: Reenactment of Frederick Douglass' 1883 D.C. Emancipation Speech
Historical Society of Washington, 801 K Street, NW
www.historydc.org
DPW Observes Emancipation Day
The DC Department of Public Works (DPW) announced today how services will be affected in observance of Emancipation Day on Wednesday, April 16, 2008. Parking Enforcement: The agency will suspend enforcement of parking meters, residential parking, and rush hour lane restrictions. It also will suspend towing of abandoned vehicles.
Trash Collection: There will be no trash and recycling collections. Trash and recycling collections will “slide” to the next day for the remainder of the week. Ft. Totten: Ft. Totten Trash Transfer Station will be closed Wednesday. It will reopen Thursday for residents to bring their trash. All services will resume Thursday, April 17, 2008.
To view DPW’s trash and recycling holiday schedule for the remainder of the year, visit http://www.dpw.dc.gov and select Holiday Schedule under the “Information” header. This information will be made available in Amharic, Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese upon request by calling the Mayor’s Citywide Call Center at 311 or (202) 727-1000, where callers may ask about these and other DPW services as well as services provided by other DC government agencies.
BROWN TOURS NORWOOD APARTMENTS DURING FIRE SAFETY FAIR
On Saturday, April 12, the tenants at the Norwood Apartments held a community safety event and education fair to increase fire safety awareness in the Logan Circle neighborhood. In the shadow of a recent five-alarm apartment fire in Mount Pleasant at a building with over 7,000 housing code violations, tenants remain concerned about fire safety. At-Large Councilmember Kwame R. Brown, led by a group of community leaders and District agencies, toured the poor living conditions that some tenants are forced to endure at the Norwood. The DC Fire Prevention Bureau and other DC government agencies will conduct an education fair on N Street NW. The Norwood Tenant Association is collaborating on the issue of fire safety in rent-controlled buildings with the DC Fire Marshall, the Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs (OLA), the DC Metropolitan Police,
TENAC, the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) and tenants associations across the city. This partnership is a positive step towards improving fire safety and will raise awareness about deteriorating and unsafe conditions in the neighborhood. Tenants demonstrated their solidarity by wearing white T-shirts on the day of the event. Three fire insurance providers provided information on low cost fire and renters insurance for tenants. Landlords' insurance only covers the walls of the apartment building, and in the event of a tragic fire, tenants face losing everything they own unless they are insured.
CELEBRATING KING'S LEGACY
Left: Brown celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the 26th Annual MLK Parade with the District's high school marching bands and poses with the Calvin Coolidge High School Marching Band which gave a show-stopping performance. This year marked the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination.
NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS' RIGHTS WEEK:Justice for Victims. Justice for All
April 13–19, 2008
The DC Superior Court has a Crime Victims Compensation Program (CVCP) that assists innocent victims of violent crime and their families with crime-related expenses such as funeral and burial costs, medical and mental health costs, lost wages, loss of support and services, clean up of a crime scene and the cost of temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence or arson. Through the services of a victim advocate, crime victims receive assistance in filing applications; locating victim service programs, support groups, or mental health counselors; and handling quality of life issues that arise after victimization. To find out more information or to download an application for assistance, view the DC Superior Court website, call (202) 879-4216, or go to the CVCP office at: 515 5th Street, NW
Suite 109
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 879-4216
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