Washington Informer

Seattle Sounders' Fredy Montero (center) outpaces D.C. United's Dwayne De Rosario (7) and Nick DeLeon (18) during the second half of MLS soccer action between D.C. United and the Seattle Sounders at RFK Stadium in Southeast on Saturday, April 7. /

Former Major League Baseball legend Maury Wills, (l), talks with Alex Kajumulo, 18, and Nicholas Hinton, 15 about the importance of the role of short stop during the Maury Wills Invitational on Friday, April 6 in Northwest.

While police are clear that 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by Sanford, Fla. neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, questions abound about how and why this unfortunate incident occurred. Clearly, law enforcement officials are protecting the accused and thereby protecting themselves against claims that, if proven, will show complicity in the effort to justify Martin's unjust death. It is yet another example of the lack of protection, by some law enforcement agencies, afforded to Americans who represent a different race, gender, age or sexual orientation. Susan Powell, whose husband was a suspect in her disappearance from her home in West Vale City, Utah, has never been found. Yet, despite police reportedly knowing about Josh Powell's lewd and lascivious acts, coupled with their suspicions that he may have been responsible for his wife's disappearance, he was still allowed supervised visits with their two young boys. During a recent visit, Powell hacked the children to death with a hatchet and the set the house on fire killing all three of them. Police are now determining the evidence uncovered nearly two years ago may be reason to believe that Josh Powell could be guilty of harming his wife. But her children are dead and it is presumed she is dead, as well. It's yet one of innumerable instances that prove how African-Americans and other people of color, women, children and LGBT members are all likely victims of poor and inadequate police protection, in spite of their calls for help. Of course, there are exceptions, but the assumption is that law enforcement is there to protect anyone, regardless of their differences. Powell eventually killed his own children and then himself; Zimmerman, who like Powell, remains a free man, has killed someone else's child. Based upon his excuse of self-defense, there could likely end up being another victim. How will Sanford police explain their actions then?

April 11th marked the 44th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, passed in 1968, just one week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As the iconic civil rights leader traversed the nation addressing countless inequities faced by African-Americans and other people of color, he included the right of all Americans to enjoy fair and decent housing opportunities as a mandate requiring legal enforcement by federal and local legislation. He even moved himself and his family into a housing slum in Chicago in 1966 to be closer to ground zero where a national campaign for fair housing was being fought. When Dr. King was killed, President Lyndon B. Johnson immediately pushed Congress to enact legislation aimed at ending housing discrimination in America. Yet, today, Dr. King would find himself still leading the same fight due to the historic housing crisis that has led to the biggest loss of land owned by African Americans in the nation's history. In addition, HUD, the agency responsible for enforcing the Fair Housing Act, continues to receive thousands of discrimination complaints annually. This week, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announced plans to file a discrimination complaint against several large banks for failing to maintain foreclosed properties in African- American neighborhoods in the same manner as in white neighborhoods. This pattern of negligence, found in D.C. and Prince George's County, causes distressed properties to fall further into disrepair, including broken windows and doors, trash and unkempt lawns lessens their marketability and decreases the housing values of neighboring homes. The Fair Housing Act is only as effective as those responsible for enforcing it and all agencies, including the Department of Justice, should come down hard on those institutions that continue to discriminate.

After 44 days of mounting tensions and protests across the country, George Zimmerman has been arrested and charged with second degree murder in the Feb. 26 death of Trayvon Martin.

The 17-year-old unarmed youth was shot to death by Zimmerman - a neighborhood watch guard -- who had been patrolling the modest neighborhood in Sandford, Fla., where Martin was walking. Zimmerman, 28, claims to have shot Martin in self defense, and his attorney says he will plead not guilty.

Upon hearing that Zimmerman had been charged, the youth's mother commented that she'd "still be at home in my room crying."

Special prosecutor Angela Corey confirmed Zimmerman's arrest.

"Today we filed information charging George Zimmerman with murder in the second degree," Corey said during a press conference late Wednesday.

But Corey declined to say where Zimmerman was being held, citing safety precautions. "It is for his safety as well as for everyone else's safety," she said.

When asked about evidence in the case, Corey responded that was not up for discussion as well.

"We don't discuss the evidence in a case, it would be improper to do so," she said. "It was a full investigation, full facts and circumstances that lead us to any decision in any case."

Howard University officials issued a statement April 6 saying that several student athletes who were previously declared ineligible to compete in a handful of campus sports have been reinstated.

"As a result of this decision, all spring sports teams will compete as scheduled for the remainder of the season," the statement, issued by HU spokeswoman Kerry-Ann Hamilton read.

A week ago,  a shockwave of reports stated that the prestigious, historically black university located in Northwest D.C., had come under a temporary self-imposed suspension in the wake of an internal investigation surrounding possible NCAA rules-violations.

As a result of the suspension, student athletes were restricted from competition.

"This is a self-imposed action while the University conducts a review," Hamilton said at the time. "We are working quickly to review this issue."

HU is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The University boasts 17 athletic teams, which include six spring sports that are currently in season and had been affected by the suspension. Among them were the men's and women's track and field, men's and women's tennis, softball and women's lacrosse teams.

Washington, D.C. —Four-year graduation rates released by the District's Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) show that 80 percent of public charter high school students from the class of 2011 graduated on time. This percentage is in close alignment with the graduation rates of neighboring, affluent suburbs such as Fairfax and Montgomery County public schools.

"DC's public charter schools serve a high percentage of at-risk students, many of whom will be the first in their families to attend college," said Scott Pearson, executive director of the D.C. Public Charter School Board. "A four-year graduation rate of 80 percent is a testament to the hard work of all of DC's charter school leaders. While there is reason to celebrate, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that all students are able to finish high school and receive a diploma."

Washington Math Science and Technology Public Charter School -- which serves all low-income, African American students -- had the distinction as the charter high school with the highest graduation rate.

It had an on-time graduation rate of 91 percent, the same as Fairfax County Public Schools, which has a substantially different population with just over a quarter of its students low-income and 10 percent African American.

The SEED Public Charter School of Washington (90 [percent), Booker T. Washington Public Charter School (86 percent), and Friendship Public Charter School – Collegiate Academy (86 percent) all had rates at or above Montgomery County Public Schools.

OSSE calculated graduation rates for the 2010-2011 school year under the new Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) – the method now required for all states by the U.S. Department of Education. The ACGR is determined based on the total number of students who graduated with a regular diploma in 2011 within four years.

Many charter schools require students lacking sufficient credits to take a fifth year to graduate. These graduates are not reflected in the four-year graduation rate.

"While graduating in four years is a laudable goal, we should also celebrate those students who take the extra time they need to earn their high school diploma," Pearson added. " And we should recognize that charter school graduation rates would be even higher were these graduates to be included in the calculation."

Erykah Badu Among Performers for Event at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland

The metropolitan D.C., Maryland and Virginia region welcomes back what has become one of the premiere music and arts festival events in the country.

Slated to perform during the highly-anticipated event which takes place Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., are Erykah Badu, Common, Chuck Brown, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Estelle and Eric Roberson.

Since its creation in 2005, the Summer Spirit Festival, which has garnered nationwide popularity, has always featured diverse musical styles that include R&B, alternative R&B, hip hop, Go Go, Soul, Neo Soul; comedy performances; and arts/vendors/crafts.

Past Festivals have featured everyone from Oscar Award winning actress/comedian Mo'Nique; to Grammy award winning singers, Jill Scott and Badu; to up and coming talents such as Estelle, Janelle Monae, Chrisette Michele and B.o.B.; to DC area born and bred artists like Go Go King Chuck Brown.

With an emphasis also on community involvement, the Festival has been acclaimed as an unmistakable one-of-a-kind cultural experience.

Gates and marketplace will open to the public at 3 p. m., Aug. 4. Main stage performances begin 4:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $44 to $125 and go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, April 20.Tickets are available at the Merriweather Post Box Office, the 9:30 Club Box Office and online at TICKETFLY.com, merriweathermusic.com and 9:30.com.

For more information on the 2012 Summer Spirit Festival, log onto www.cdepresents.com. The 2012 Summer Spirit Festival can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CD-Enterprises-Inc and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CDEPresents (@CDEPresents).