Former D.C. Councilman Jim Graham has died, the D.C. Council says.
The Council was informed that he died earlier Thursday, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said Thursday afternoon.
He was 71, The Washington Post reported.
Graham represented Washington’s Ward 1 for four terms, starting in 1998. He was committed to city residents, Mendelson said.
“Jim had a strong commitment to the District that pre-dated his election to the Council. His work at Whitman Walker Clinic in the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic was widely and highly regarded,” Mendelson said in a statement.
“On the Council, Jim worked especially hard on issues like homelessness, juvenile justice, diversity and public transportation. The District thanks him for his long public service and many accomplishments. He left our city a better place,” he continued.
Big shout out to Tony Lewis, Jr., Big G, Trayon White and all of the other leaders of our urban community for taking part in this episode. If you aren’t aware, Eddie Huang is a homegrown talent as well.
Eddie heads to our nation’s capital to explore the food, culture, and politics of Washington D.C. during the Inauguration of Donald Trump.
Education: Gonzaga College High School, The University of D.C.
Occupation: Vocational development coordinator, Chairman of the Mayors Commission on Reentry and Returning Citizen Affairs, author, community activist, mentor and advocate for children with incarcerated parents.
His Story: D.C. native Tony Lewis Jr., known to some as “Slugg,” lived a comfortable life until his father, Tony Lewis Sr., was arrested in 1989. Tony Lewis Sr. is serving a life sentence in a federal penitentiary for his role in a crack cocaine distribution network led by his partner, Rayful Edmond III. Crack ravaged D.C. in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, when the murder rate skyrocketed.
Making History: Tony Lewis Jr. was just nine years old when his father was taken away; his life became traumatic. His family moved back to Hanover Place in northwest Washington. Prison visits became the new normal. There was violence in his community, and his mother began suffering from mental illness. But Tony beat the odds, and now mentors young people who are trying to reclaim their own lives.
So! As we all know (and many of us chose to ignore), Donald Trump was sworn into office as the 45th President of the United States. Pence became VP too, if you care. Anyways, while the few hickory-smoked supporters celebrated on the Mall (a small fraction of both of Obama’s inaugurations, by the way)…Washington, D.C. — a staunchly liberal area — took to the streets to protest all over the city. Unfortunately, some fake protesters who probably got paid to be here decided to riot as well.
Thanks to social media, we can get a glimpse of what went down outside the event nobody wanted to be at…check out some clips below. More to come tomorrow…
BREAKING: A protester threw something at D.C. police, seen deflecting it with their shields. Then police deploy a flash bombs. #inaugurationpic.twitter.com/xhVec1nWPz
Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder was among the guests at an exclusive reception in the nation’s capital Tuesday night to celebrate President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration.
The controversial owner was spotted by reporters at the black-tie event, billed as the “Chairman’s Global Dinner,” at the historic Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in downtown Washington.
The event, which 500 guests were expected to attend, is intended to introduce foreign dignitaries to Trump’s Cabinet picks and lawmakers.
Here’s one “spoiler”: Trump plans to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
The President-elect shares an update on the Presidential Transition, an outline of some of his policy plans for the first 100 days, and his day one executive actions.
A great interview of D.C. “Representative” Eleanor Holmes Norton courtesy of DCist, of which you can read in full here. Excerpts below:
DCist: You faced a significant challenge in terms of the precedent you’d be setting for women’s rights in this country. People were hoping Hillary Clinton could shatter the final glass ceiling earlier this week. How do you feel about the fact that that goal wasn’t accomplished?
Norton: Women have every reason to be depressed. I’ve never even seen demonstrations at home, much less across the country, upon the election of a president. That just doesn’t happen. This is happenstance, but I think the film comes out at just the right time.
Young women who will identify with all these stories that came out about how Donald Trump used his celebrity as a sexual weapon, these are the women whose guts most turned. These women, hearing such stories—Donald Trump may not be the kind of president they hoped for. In the film, these young women had everything to lose. To see these young women demanding to be treated as professionals, seems to me to come at a particularly good time, and [will] cheer women to know that this too will pass.
DCist: How are you feeling about the results of the presidential election at this point?
Norton: I couldn’t be more disappointed, especially since I knew Hillary Clinton from the time she was the First Lady. She was destined to be the most pro-statehood president we’ve ever had. I really lost someone who could have helped us.
I have been first in the minority most of my time in Congress. I have had Republican presidents at least as often as Democratic presidents. I have never looked at a Republican president as the end of the world. I’m certainly depending on Donald Trump not to harm the District of Columbia.
He took no position on statehood when he was running. I don’t see animus to the District of Columbia. I will not presume it. If I find it, I will fight it.
DCist: How do you plan to proceed on the statehood issue now that both chambers of Congress and the executive will be controlled by Republicans?
Norton: I don’t think anyone was under the illusion that statehood would roll down the Hill. The mayor has spoken frankly that the election results certainly put a crimp in our statehood style. If there’d been a Democratic Senate, we still would have had a Republican house. We would still have had an uphill climb. This gives us time to put a number of strategies in place. We do not have a good social media strategy in place. I’m working on that now. I think we can use this period to the greatest benefits.
When it comes to the kind of House and Senate we have, that’s what I’m used to. The other reason I look more to the Congress than the president is that most of the work that’s done isn’t done at the presidential level. One of the best experiences I’ve had was when Newt Gingrich was speaker of the house. We got a huge amount done as speaker. Who would have thought that? I didn’t think that. By not presuming an enemy before he shows himself to be one, we were able to get a lot done.
She’ll also apparently be attending what’s sure to be a hilarious inauguration next January. From DCist:
Listening to President Barack Obama’s remarks earlier today, Bowser said was “heartened to hear” him say, “keep your heads up” because that’s the same thing she told her team, she said. While she’s an “unabashed supporter” of Hillary Clinton and the values that her campaign represented, including “the promise that it would help break a final glass ceiling in our country,” Bowser said, “the people have spoken.”
Let’s just get this out of the way right now: Donald Trump, the guy who promised to block out Muslims and Mexicans, the guy who doesn’t give a shit about you women, the guy who has emboldened the dark side of this country….has won the Presidential election (?!). No other words to really say there.
D.C.’s power in this election proves why giving us a representative probably won’t make a difference…we voted 93% in favor of Clinton and only earned her 3 measly electoral votes;
All that funding that we had rights to as a federal city — including funds in regards to education — will officially be gone. My ability to pay in-state tuition for college is how I was able to study at the school I attended (which was in what-the-f*** North Carolina, but that’s another matter at hand);
Whether or not you think that becoming a state will give us power and take away from the federal government, don’t forget: aside from universities (add that to the previous bullet point) and hospitals, the feds have much of the city’s workforce.
Hopefully, Congress shoots that referendum down. As far as Trump…it’s time to continue moving forward. This country was always the way it’s revealed itself to the world last night.
DC faces a huge dilemma while approaching the precipice of statehood. There is a 13 foot donkey & a congressional woolly mammoth in the room. The New Columbia Statehood Commission (which includes Mayor Muriel Bowser & Council Chairman Phil Mendelson) and DC Council have a historic, once in a lifetime opportunity. However, this opportunity also presents them with the chance to shape their legacies, along with shaping the paradigm of our nations 51st star. With potentially 440,000 voters headed to the polls on November 8, 2016, Council is trying to carpe the damn diem. Meanwhile, activists & lifelong statehood advocates are crying foul as accessibility to the process seems to have become more consolidated. Its kinda like Michael Jordan, palm gripping the basketball while the clock runs out.
The first public hearing (video) being held just this week (September 17, 2016).
Folks have been working on this legislation & it’s process for a long time. This process, referred to is the “Tennessee Plan”, takes advantage of powers given to Congress in Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution of United States of America. As North Carolina was granted statehood they gave up territories west of the Appalachian mountains. The citizens of this now “left over” territory, having fought in the Revolutionary War, felt entitled to full citizenship. They gathered their proposal then petitioned congress for admission to the United States.
“The goal here is that, in January when we have a new president that we will petition the congress to adopt an admissions act, present to them a constitution, it will have been adopted by the council as well as propose boundaries.” Said Mendelson, City Council Chairman. Even the boundaries are still up in the air as a revision were being made just last week.
Congressional overseers can be found perpetually nit-picking in District matters big & small. The latest and greatest technique has been through “rider” legislation that shapes and blocks was DC can spend its own money. Washington, DC, with almost 700,000 residents operates at a $200,000,000 surplus, has a more robust economy that many other states. However, because of congressional budget riders we’ve been unavailable to make decision for ourselves on:
Gun Control
Marijuana Legalization
Reproductive Health & Descrimination
Budget Autonomy
(The area outlined in the center of the “diamond” will remain the District of Columbia.)
Right now, if there is no change, council will have the last, lone word on how our constitution reads. The Advisory Referendum on the State of New Columbia Admission Act Resolution of 2016 will read:
To ask the voters on November 8, 2016, through an advisory referendum, whether the Council should petition Congress to enact a statehood admission act to admit the State of New Columbia to the Union. Advising the Council to approve this proposal would establish that the citizens of the District of Columbia (“District”)
(1) agree that the District should be admitted to the Union as the State of New Columbia; [Some suggested Potomac, Anacostia or (Frederick) Douglass Commonwealth (DC)]
(2) approve of a Constitution of the State of New Columbia to be adopted by the Council; (Draft, Report)
(3) approve the State of New Columbia’s boundaries (here), as adopted by the New Columbia Statehood Commission on June 28, 2016; and [ACouncil amendment recently reached out and touched two properties near the federal seat tapped for inclusion in the State of New Columbia; Joe’s seafood & the newly finished Trump Hotel]
(4) agree that the State of New Columbia shall guarantee an elected representative form of government.
Some who testified, threatened a vote of “No” on November 8, 2016 unless the commission and DC Council makes this process more transparent. They are pleading for the opportunity to have a Constitutional Convention, an inclusive process that will pull in more perspectives to address a greater spectrum of concerns from District residents.
The Mayor and DC Council sit at a peculiar point in our history. As they stand to create their next position as well as the powers around it. Currently, the constitutional draft would expand & transform the 13 member Council to a 21 member House of Delegates (though some are asking for as many as 41.) They can choose to dilute or retain powers as they shape what would become the New Columbia House of Delegates. The constitutional draft would adds one additional seat from all eight wards of DC. New Columbia would have full representation in U.S. House and Senate. Most importantly, statehood will “#FreeDC” from congressional oversight. As if explaining DC’s status to your relatives isn’t tough enough already. “No, auntie. DC is not a part of Maryland or Virginia. Yes. We are awarded second class citizenship for our tax dollars.”
The next hearing will be held on Thursday, October 6, 2016 at 6:30 pm in The John Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC). Will you answer [X] “Yes” or [ ] “Nah”?
If you’ve been watching the headlines lately, you’ve surely been getting your daily dose of Presidential campaign coverage. We sit three days out from a presidential debate poised to reach fever pitch. Over the last year clashing views seem to have tipped the scale to and fro. Debates over immigration, national security, economics, the environment, economics as it relates to the environment and much more. Today, tribes are protesting to protect what’s left of their lands from imminent domain for energy production. Veterans, minorities & disabled communities fear for their safety as police interactions approach a breaking point.
Mr. Sterling was leaving a bachelor party on his motorcycle when police received a call about a motorcyclist leaving Adams Morgan, driving erratically. Officers spotted Mr. Sterling near 3rd & M streets in NW, DC and were ordered not to engage. Motorcycle culture or ‘#BikeLife’ is a constant point of contention in and around DC between enthusiasts, law enforcement and members of the community. In densely populated areas, a police chase of a motorcycle can put more citizens at risk than a lone rider driving erratically. As a public safety concern, DC has a strict “No-Chase” policy. Yet Mr. Sterling’s path was still cut off by police using their cruiser as a barricade.
An eyewitness who was stopped at the intersection said the collision appeared to be unavoidable. Mr. Sterling struck the passenger side of the police cruiser. The witness stated there were no words exchanged or commands given. The officer was unable to open the passenger door, made inoperable in the collision, as Mr. Sterling attempted to flee. The officer then rolled down his window, fired two shots, striking Mr. Sterling in the neck. As officers did not have their body cameras activated, only the aftermath was captured on video. Days later, as the Metropolitan Police Chief left Washington for her new position with the NFL, MPD updated their body camera policy, a bit. MPD has yet to release the names of the officers involved in the shooting.
Terrence Sterling was the latest casualty of a growing trend in the nations cap. James E. McBride was left lifeless after an interaction with Washington Hospital Center Special Police. Alonzo Smith was found by MPD in a hallway, handcuffed and not breathing. After 10 months, Mr. Smith’s mother is still waiting for the names of the two private security guards involved.
Armed with a BB gun, at a height of 5 ft even, weighing in under 100 lbs, Mr. King was being questioned in connection to a robbery. A man nearby was robbed of $10. Police had Mr. King and his friends detained for questioning. One of these friends stated after being ordered to the ground, Mr. King got up and began to run away. He was shot in his temple, collar bone and left side.
September 16, 2016 – Tulsa, OK
Terence Crutcher, 40/M
While the family admits Mr. Crutcher was not the model citizen, who is? Last Friday, before being criminalized by Tulsa police, Mr. Crutcher was acting as a criminal. He was scheduled to begin a music course. Unfortunately, he also appeared to have some car trouble. So what prompted police to shoot and taser Mr. Crutcher? It’s not clear whether Mr. Crutcher attempted to reach into the window of his vehicle while appearing to submit to police commands. The husband of the officer who shot Mr. Crutcher was in the helicopter above. A voice can be heard describing Mr. Crutcher’s appearance as looking like ‘a bad dude.’ The family is demanding justice, bias training and calling on the Tulsa Police Department to immediately deploy body cameras.
September 20, 2016 – Charlotte, NC
Keith Lamont Scott – 43/M
(Video: New York Times)
Conflicting reports claim Mr. Scott was in his car, either reading a book or holding a gun, while waiting for his grandson to be dismissed from school. A plain clothed officer, serving a warrant for another neighbor, spotted Mr. Scott in his vehicle. Police accounts state that Mr. Scott was observed exiting the vehicle with a firearm (or a book) in hand and getting back into the vehicle. When ordered to drop the gun (or book) and exit the vehicle, Mr. Scott would not drop the firearm (or book). Posing an imminent threat to officers, Mr. Scott was fatally shot.
These are four snapshots into a week of strong policing in America. As Black and blue tensions rise, local communities and governments scramble to find techniques to defuse the situations. North Carolina remains under a state of emergency. Wednesday night, during protests, there was yet another police involved shooting that left a victim in critical condition.
Every city has their own climate. What triggers an uproar in Charlotte may draw a different reaction in Washington (DC). North Carolina declared a state of emergency after the second night of protests, some peaceful, some destructive. Protesters drew a line in the sands of I-85, stopping traffic and destroying cargo from 18-wheelers caught on the interstate corridor. In Columbus, OH over 100 protesters gathered for a peaceful demonstration. They chanted “No Justice, No Peace” & “Safety for whom?” while taking a knee for Mr. King. In Tulsa prayer vigils and peaceful protests have taken place. Tulsa Police Department deactivated their Twitter account as trolls and tweeter venting became a bit overwhelming (more like intellectual underwhelming). Officer Shelby was charged on Wednesday with Felony Assault in the First Degree.
UPDATE(S): Keith Lamont Scott’s (Charlotte, NC) family was allowed to view the footage of the shooting. The family lawyer says he can be seen walking backwards under police orders when he was shot to death.
Charlotte, NC protester Justin Carr, who sustained gun shot wounds at the Omni Hotel succumb to his injuries yesterday. This morning a civilian was arrested in Mecklenburg county in connection to his murder.
Image source: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Image source: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
