December 3, 2010 | 3:59 PM | By Anna
Ebony Franklin.
That’s the name of the teen-aged girl whose body was found stuffed in a Columbia Heights trash receptacle earlier this week. I just found out that there is going to be a vigil for her later this evening, at 11th and Fairmont Streets, at 6:30 pm.
Franklin had been a student at Cardozo high school before moving to Maryland, with her Mother. Her Father still lives in Northwest:
Ebony Franklin was reported missing Saturday by her mother, with whom she lived in Capitol Heights, police said. They said the girl was fatally stabbed and stuffed in the barrel in a back alley off 11th and Fairmont streets NW in Columbia Heights.
An acquaintance said Ebony, who had lived in Columbia Heights before moving to Maryland, was a student at Cardozo High School, two blocks south of where her body was found. Police said she often visited her father in Northwest Washington.
Homicide detectives investigating the slaying Tuesday night were attempting to piece together the girl’s movements over the weekend, police said.
December 3, 2010 | 1:13 PM | By Anna
Center for American Progress
Georgetown University President Dr. Jack DeGioia
Now reading: Georgetown University President Jack DeGioia’s thoughts on the DREAM Act:
As a university in the heart of the nation’s capital, working to understand the impacts of globalization and the responsibilities we have in a new global context, it is our job, as educators, to support all of our students, including those who were born abroad, and to encourage passage of this legislation…
At Georgetown, students who meet the DREAM Act criteria are campus leaders and role models for their generation. They are pursuing challenging majors, are actively engaged in campus organization, and regularly participate in community service.
As these students work toward completing their degrees, their drive to give back to this country — using the knowledge gained through an American education — is unparalleled. They have done their part to make America, and our increasingly interconnected world, a better place. We must do ours to support a future for them that is free of fear, constraints and limitations on their success.
Passing the DREAM Act is an essential step toward that end. It will not only help these future leaders, it will enrich our campuses and make our country stronger.
December 3, 2010 | 10:49 AM | By Anna
dalesun
Chuck Brown, shooting his "Block Party" video.
Congratulations to Chuck Brown, who was nominated for an Emmy! TBD has some words from the Go-go legend, himself:
“It’s the most wonderful thing ever,” Brown says. “I never dreamed of this, I didn’t even dream of this. This has been a great, great year—the greatest year of my career.
“After some 40 years in the business, running around and singing in different parts of the world, I never thought it would be like this,” he continues. “I give all credit to God, my manager, and my family. My wife and children have been such an inspiration, so encouraging.”
Although the Grammy ceremony isn’t until February, Brown, known for his amazing sartorial choices, already has an idea of what he’ll wear on the big night.
“I’m going to wear a tux,” he says. “I have a bunch of suits, but I know I can’t go wrong with a tux.”
December 3, 2010 | 8:42 AM | By Anna
Hello, DCentric readers! Here are your morning links:
Another death, another reason to remove stigma of mental-health care “She was nearing a nervous breakdown,” one said. It’s a threat frequently ignored in a country where mental health care is stigmatized and too often discounted. That’s especially true in the region’s growing immigrant population. Dela Rosa is from the Philippines, and a family member told The Post that she was recently upset because she couldn’t go there for funeral services after her brother died.” (The Washington Post)
Southwest Waterfront: A Neighborhood Where A Change Is Gonna Come “A hundred years ago, the area was a crowded enclave, the first stop for immigrants from Europe as well as for freed slaves and other African Americans who’d made their way to DC. Though poor, it was a scene of row houses with busy stoops, small bodegas scattered about, and bustling street activity, all centered around what is now 4th Street SW (back then it was called 4 1/2 Street). But the area started to decline in the 1920s, and by the late 1950s, concerns about the existence of a squalid neighborhood in the shadow of the Capitol led to the city’s first big experiment in what’s now referred to as “urban renewal.” (dc.urbanturf.com)
ColorofChange’s James Rucker Explains Why We Need Net Neutrality “With so much at stake for black communities, you would expect black leaders and civic organizations to line up in support of an open Internet. Think again. Many of our nation’s leading civil rights groups — like the NAACP, the National Urban League and LULAC — and influential members of the Congressional Black Caucus have signed on to letters and made statements that have had the effect of supporting AT&T, Verizon and Comcast in their efforts to kill net neutrality. In some cases, the leaders and groups don’t seem to understand the actual issues in play or don’t know how they are being used. In others it seems to be a matter of long-standing relationships or the need to maintain the flow of corporate dollars.” (The Root)
December 2, 2010 | 9:12 PM | By Anna
Rushern Baker, the incoming county executive for neighboring Prince George’s county, thinks that his jurisdiction and the District of Columbia should forge a stronger bond– because it’s mutually beneficial and because both areas have much in common (via The Washington Informer):
“We need to work together for regional cooperation between our county and the city and that can be done whether it is in public safety or economic development.”
Baker said that border municipalities such as Fairmount Heights, Seat Pleasant, Capitol Heights and Forest Heights look just like the city’s Wards 7 and 8.
People often compare D.C. to NYC, but maybe that’s the wrong city to look at…
While Fenty went to New York City to consult with its mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials there, Baker went to the Atlanta area to look for similarities and best practices.
“The cities and regions in the Atlanta area are similar to Prince George’s County,” Baker, a native of Valdosta, Ga., said.
“A lot of the same firms do business in both the D.C. and Atlanta areas and DeKalb County, which is located outside of Atlanta, is the second wealthiest majority Black jurisdiction in the country, next to Prince George’s County.”
December 2, 2010 | 6:19 PM | By Anna
This put a smile on my face (and made me want to take a bus in Southeast):
Riding the bus in SoutheastDC is pure comedy! Lil girls have spelling bee battles.Overworked mamas screaming at their kids & gogo music.
December 2, 2010 | 4:58 PM | By Anna
It turns out the City Paper’s cover story on Courtland Milloy by Rend Smith has inspired an ongoing, online conversation. I pointed all of you to Natalie Hopkinson’s excellent response to the feature at The Root; in it she mentions how Smith asked Milloy if he likes white people. Smith explains why he went there, via this post for the City Desk blog, “Asking a Rude Question of Courtland Milloy“:
Root editor Natalie Hopkinson figures out one reason I asked: “Even though Smith is black, I don’t doubt that he was accurately channeling some urgent wonder among the Twitterati,” she writes.
That’s definitely true, but it also goes a bit deeper. As I point out in the piece, Milloy has often done a fantastic job relaying the kind of D.C. barbershop discourse on gentrification many non-black residents might otherwise miss out on. The assumption that he’s just not fond of whites can end up being the elephant in the room, though, and it’s an easy way for those who prefer to treat his admittedly rabble-rousing analysis as nothing more than a collection of bigoted rants. In light of that, neglecting to ask Milloy how he felt about white people—as uncomfortable a moment as it might have created—would have been a disservice to both the “Twitterati” and Milloy.
It wasn’t exactly the first time he’d heard such an inquiry, anyway. The impression I got hanging out with Milloy was that he gets prodded about his racial outlook fairly frequently. It’s also interesting to note that the question bore fruit. Milloy didn’t just reply with a simple, “Of course I do,” but with a long, expository answer that provided insight into both his amiable, humanistic side, and his angry, fed up side.
December 2, 2010 | 1:03 PM | By Anna
jimmy_best
Bell ringers for The Salvation Army.
Two weeks ago, I wrote about how Giant supermarkets had planned to limit the amount of time The Salvation Army’s bell-ringers could stand outside their stores and bring attention to the iconic red kettle, which many of us associate with giving during the holiday season. The story was widely-reported, because in the past, The Salvation Army would collect half of its total haul from Giant patrons. Limiting “kettle time” to one week in November and one week in December would drastically affect how much money could be raised.
The reactions of local shoppers have been divided; some are angry or saddened at the move, others applaud it, because they don’t care for the “pressure” to give or because of their disagreements with The Salvation Army (specifically with regards to the LGBT community).
I tried to contact someone at Giant because I had several questions about this change in policy. An email sent to Jamie Miller, who manages Public & Community Relations for Giant yielded this prepared statement, which was shared with local media:
Giant is committed to supporting the communities in which we operate, and
we allow non-profit organizations and community groups to solicit outside
our stores. We receive hundreds of requests from groups requesting
permission to use the areas outside of our stores for fundraising,
education purposes, and to collect signatures. Because of the increased
needs in our communities, we felt it essential to create opportunities for
as many community groups as possible.
Continue reading →
December 2, 2010 | 10:13 AM | By Anna
Washington Humane Society
Ivan the puppy.
Great news! The four-month old pit bull puppy who was stolen from the Washington Humane Society’s New York Avenue shelter has been found. Here’s more, from The Washington Times:
Scott Giacoppo, a spokesman for the humane society, confirmed for The Washington Times that they have located the 4-month-old pit bull, named Ivan.
And here’s something I didn’t see reported elsewhere:
Sources told The Times that three youths thought to be involved in the highly publicized theft of the dog were wards of the city’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. The sources, who talked The Times on condition anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the subject, said the three juveniles were at the agency’s headquarters on Wednesday.
I’m so relieved that this puppy is safe.
December 2, 2010 | 8:30 AM | By Anna
Good morning, DCentric readers! While you were watching three locals compete on Top Chef Masters, we were out looking for links!
Marion Barry’s Ex-Girlfriend, Rose Anding, Writes Memoir of ’80s “…it’s full of tidbits Barryolgists will enjoy, like the fact that Anding would always check hotel rooms for recording devices before she and the mayor would do drugs. The book also adds a new perspective on Barry’s drug arrest and trial—arguably the most memorable event in D.C. politics—while confirming what we already knew: Barry was both guilty and framed. Or put another way, Barry was a womanizing crack user, but the bitch really did set him up.” (Washington City Paper)
DC9 Can Reopen in Two Weeks: ABRA “DC9 can serve alcohol if the accused co-owner and four employees cease their day-to-day relationship with the bar and all other license owned by Joe Englert, another DC9 co-owner, until Jan. 19, when another hearing will be held. In addition, club security must undergo background checks and get a training refresher. The club cannot detain people and will record incidents in a log and take part in the police department’s reimbursable detail program.” (NBC Washington)
Mayor-elect’s wallet stolen on Thanksgiving “A drugstore employee has been accused of stealing D.C. Mayor-elect Vince Gray’s credit card on Thanksgiving Day and then using it to buy nearly $40 in cigarettes and liquor in Southeast Washington. Twenty-two-year-old Tamika Garris was the cashier who rang up Gray’s tab at the CVS branch on the 2600 block of Naylor Road, according to court documents. When Gray left his wallet behind on the counter around 2:30 p.m., authorities say video surveillance caught Garris picking it up…” (Washington Examiner )
