Washington Informer

At an early morning breakfast gathering in downtown Washington last week, officials from around the Washington metropolitan area treated more than 200 business leaders to a cordial but sometimes chippy discussion about regional cooperation.

While the politicians didn't solve all the thorny issues during the 2013 Regional Economic Forum at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Northwest, they agreed that it's in all their best interests to find ways to work together.

"Intellectually, everyone would agree with the question [about the importance of regional cooperation]. How do we achieve it becomes more difficult," said Montgomery County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett during the April 11 event hosted by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Business Journal. "We have to find what that means."

Leggett, 68, was joined in the spirited discussion by D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Virginia Congressman Gerald Connolly, Alexandria Mayor William Euille and Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker III. The audience enjoyed the quips, wry comments and gentle jibes lobbed by the panelists and the questions offered with some interesting twists by Washington Business Journal Publisher Alex Orfinger.

Panelists acknowledged the intrinsic and unavoidable competition among distinct and sometimes very different jurisdictions when it comes to attracting and retaining businesses. But they said there's plenty of room for cooperation and agreement on a diverse range of issues that affect the entire region.

"[Regional cooperation] is important because our interests converge so much, [but] not always in concert with each other," said Gray, 70. "With regards to the economy, there is inherent competition and areas where we compete. We have to find ways to come together for opportunities that might not be apparent."

Several on the panel noted that even as they compete against each other, the real competition comes from cities elsewhere such as Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.

Connolly questioned Orfinger's use of the word "poaching" to describe jurisdictions which snatch businesses from one city or region to the other.

"Poaching is a very simplistic term. It doesn't describe a complex process," he said.

Euille, 62, said those in charge should set the tone.

"It's all about leadership and that starts with people at the top. This has to be a collaborative partnership," said Euille, who has served as mayor since 2003. "Poaching is probably something you don't want to be doing. When businesses are contemplating moving, you'd want to know. It shouldn't matter because if we're working together, we'll all benefit and gain."

Gray said disparaging his neighbors gains him nothing.

"There has to be a prevailing principle not to do this," he said.

Connolly, 63, agreed.

"Economic competition is robust, it's real," he said. "It's foolish to believe that we don't look at other people's assets and say we'd like to get a piece or all of it. You have to play to your comparative advantages," Connolly said. "But you have to do it in a way that doesn't disparage anyone. It's time for us to cooperate and seize opportunities."

Connolly, who has represented Virginia's 11th District since 2009, explained the difficulties area officials face with three distinct jurisdictions, different funding and tax formulas and varying governing models.

Baker, Prince George's County's seventh chief executive, concurred that regional leaders have to work to ensure that all boats rise so that everyone benefits.

"My good friend [former Prince George's County Executive] Wayne Curry calls D.C. Rome," said Baker, 54. "We all surround the nation's capital. We all feed off that. We want D.C. to do well ... D.C., Fairfax, Alexandria: When they grow, we all benefit ... But in order for us to compete with the rest of the United States, the rest of us have to do well."

Orfinger's question about the prospective move by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from its current location on Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest, led to barely concealed friction among the panelists. Each person seated on the stage views the FBI as a prized plum they'd love to grab for their own. Orfinger's query revealed the divisiveness of the issue and the politicians' competitiveness when he asked each which jurisdiction they would select, other than their own, as the site of the FBI's new offices.

" ... Let me rephrase that ... when the FBI moves to Maryland ..." Leggett began.

"When hell freezes over ..." Connelly interjected without missing a beat.

Leggett and Baker have identified a site in Greenbelt, Fairfax County officials have offered a spot in Springfield and Gray is lobbying that the FBI stays in the District at Poplar Point on the Anacostia River.

Leggett admitted that city officials are often used as pawns by businesses which use that leverage as a way to sweeten their deals.

Connolly, a former chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, chimed in.

"Marriott said that they might move to Fairfax. They succeeded in extorting $35 million from Montgomery County to stay," he said with ill-disguised disgust. "I don't know what other word to put to it. They were telling me moving trucks were outside."

While it may seem otherwise, there are numerous examples of successful collaboration, Connolly argued.

He and his colleagues spoke of the Metro system, emergency preparedness planning, ozone days and the development of air quality guidelines, and coming up with a definition of what constitutes a drought.

"There are unspoken successes which are generally unsung and unsexy," said Connolly. "Metro is an astounding success of regionalism. The extra feat is that we did it in 30 years and established the second-highest ridership. That's not trivial."

But there are a host of seemingly intractable problems that officials are grappling with. This includes affordable housing, transportation, workforce development and developing and sustaining quality education.

"Regional cooperation is a fundamental step for innovation and economic growth," said Verizon's Tony Lewis, who opened the discussion. "It affects everyone in the region despite jurisdictions or the business you're in."

"But cooperation can be staggeringly difficult with differing needs, local regulations and strong personalities – that can be daunting. To compete and grow, we need innovation, improved services and rigorous attention to shareholders ... the business community thrives when regional cooperation is a must."

Brittney Griner is one of the most dominant players in the history of women's college basketball. Some have labeled her unstoppable.

However, Louisville was able to contain her Sunday night and pull off one of the most shocking upsets in NCAA tournament history.

Considered a prohibitive favorite to win a second consecutive national championship – and at a minimum a lock for the final four – Griner and the Bears were beaten 82-81 by fifth-seeded Louisville.

Led by Griner, Baylor (34-2) was on a 32-game winning streak. But the 6-foot-8 leader didn't make a field goal until the second half, then committed a foul with 2.6 seconds remaining that gave Louisville an opportunity to win.

Monique Reid converted those two free throws, enabling the Cardinals (27-8) to escape after they blew a 17-point lead in the final 8 minutes.

Louisville faced Tennessee in the regional final on April 2 for a spot in the Final Four.

Odyssey Sims had 29 points, including two foul shots with 9.1 seconds to go, that gave Baylor the lead 81-80. Sims had one more shot to extend the season, but her desperation heave was late and off-target.

Sims went to the floor after her shot missed, kicking her legs and pulling her jersey over her face as she lay on her back. Griner squatted next to her and banged on the floor with both hands prior to helping Sims get back on her feet.

It was an abrupt ending to a magnificent college career for Griner, the second-highest scoring player in the history of women's college basketball. Against a smaller but quicker Louisville team, Baylor needed more offensive production from Griner. The Bears nearly overcame Griner's subpar performance, but came up a point short after a great second half comeback.

Griner averaged 33 points in Baylor's first two games in the tournament. However, she didn't have a field goal until she made a put-back with 15:20 remaining in the second half. She ended the game with 14 points and 10 rebounds, converting only four of her ten shots and being relatively insignificant when you consider her history of dominance.

The Louisville defense collapsed on Griner as she has experienced most of her career, but her usually reliable teammates were unable to make outside shots which ultimately contributed to Baylor's demise.

For a magical couple of hours, young people from area high schools regaled an enthusiastic, appreciative audience at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Northwest.

The 10 finalists – who sang, danced and played musical instruments at the DC-CAPital Stars Talent Competition – were competing for thousands of dollars in scholarship money from the DC College Access Program (DC-CAP). The celebrity judges included Grammy Award-winning vocalist Patti Labelle; opera legend and mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves; singer and actress Jordin Sparks; and Amber Riley, of Glee fame. The judges' votes, plus those of the audience helped determine the eventual winners.

When the dust settled on the evening of March 26, 17-year-old Chabeli Arroyo, a senior at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts – by virtue of a flawless, controlled yet sassy rendition of Betty Jackson King's "Ride Up in de Chariot," – copped the first prize. She received a $10,000 DC-CAP college scholarship that will be applied to her first year of college.

Her performance left judges and the audience alike in awe.

"It was a wonderful mixture of head and chest and you kept your bravado," said Graves, 49. "It was a fantastic job. I think you're an angel, a treasure."

Sparks agreed, calling Chabeli's performance powerful and tasteful.

"I felt the Holy Ghost when you were singing," she said effusively. "It was such a different and unique juxtaposition. It messed me up. I felt straight joy when you hit the high note. It was beautiful – I felt lifted up."

Savannah Cranford, who danced to "Bitter Earth" by Dinah Washington, placed second and received a $6,000 scholarship, while Rocky Garcia who played "Loving You" by Minnie Ripperton on his saxophone placed third and earned a $4,000 scholarship. Both students are 17-year-old seniors at Duke Ellington in Northwest.

Master of Ceremonies and WJLA Anchor Leon Harris captured the mood and purpose of the evening during which the late Joe Albritton, one of the founders of DC-CAP, and educator Dave Domenici, co-founder of the Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools, a network of alternative schools in the District, were honored.

"This showcases the incredible talent of D.C. students who are performing in the hopes of winning big-time scholarship money," Harris said. "... DC-CAP ensures that every student has the opportunity to enroll in and finish college. It changes young people, it changes families, it changes the community, it changes this, the most important city in the world."

"You thought you came to see a show but you came to change the world."

The talent competition is in its fifth year and DC-CAP President and CEO Argelia Rodriguez said before the show that she was amazed by the talent of the young people and the slate of judges.

"We're psyched," she said during a recent interview. "This has been so successful we decided to do this every year. It's sort of a [mini-American] Idol. The kids audition from DCPS and charter schools."

A local panel of independent professional vocalists, dancers, musicians and educators from the metropolitan area, and more than 6,500 online votes helped select the top 10 finalists. Rodriguez said there were 41 semifinalists and the finalists were the Top 10 voted in on the DC-CAP Gala website. All finalists received college scholarships.

Of the finalists, five were vocalists, three were instrumentalists and two danced. The high energy Tango, Salsa and Flamenco numbers, the congas and marachas, coupled with the driving music of Richie Valens, Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan and Marc Anthony defined the show's Latin theme. The semifinalists, adorned in costumes bearing a fluorescent rainbow of colors, danced and sang before and after the 10 finalists performed.

At a reception following the gala, former Washington Redskins great Ken Harvey shook his head in amazement and laughed.

"It was outstanding. It's one of the things you want to invite all your friends to," he said. "The level of talent of the kids was amazing. Every year, it seems to get better. The criticisms of the judges [had] very few words of correction. That tells you about the level of talent of these young people."

Amneris Rodriguez agreed.

"I've been here before and the caliber has come up, definitely," said the D.C. resident. "It's more competitive and the talent has skyrocketed. It was one of those competitions where you didn't know who'd win."

The talent show and the reception were underwritten by His Excellency Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba of the United Arab Emirates who said he was honored to be supporting such a worthwhile cause.

"DC-CAP is an important and essential community organization [in Northwest] that has had a direct impact on the lives of thousands of students in Washington, D.C. in a very short time," the ambassador said. "By providing talented and driven area students with needed resources to pursue their higher education, DC-CAP has attracted a broad base of support from sponsors and contributors who see the value of the work that the organization is doing."

"There is no reason why every child in Washington, D.C. should not have the ability and opportunity to pursue higher education, and I commend DC-CAP's pursuit of this goal."

Each time he attends this special event, Al Otaiba said, he's "simply blown away by the talent, dedication and skill of all of the student performers."

"This year's show was no different. In fact, it might have been the best one yet. All 10 finalists who performed should be proud of themselves for performing and displaying their artistic abilities in front of such a crowd."

Former Virginia Congressman Tom Davis (R), chief sponsor of the bill that created DC-CAP, said what he saw during the program was proof of the program's effectiveness.

"It allows D.C. kids to pay in-state tuition and makes college an affordable dream. And, DC-CAP has made that even better in terms of opportunity," he said.

DC-CAP is a privately funded non-profit organization established in 1998 with the expressed purpose of encouraging and enabling all students attending the District's public and public charter high school to enroll in and graduate from college. Over the past 13 years, it has helped almost 18,000 students enroll in college, awarded $26,000,000 in college scholarships and supported the success of 3,800 college graduates.

Argelia Rodriguez, who has headed DC-CAP since 1999, said she's gratified to see young people succeed.

When the program started, she said, between 25-30 percent of high school graduates were going on to college. Now, that figure stands at 52 percent. In addition, the average college graduation rate is now 40 percent, up from 15 percent over the past 10 years.

"A lot of our kids get beat down and often don't have resources. Seeing them reach their potential is great. We get to see kids flourish possibly in ways they might not have otherwise.Tuition assistance grants have made the difference," she said.

It is customary for the evening news and other media outlets to characterize Africa in the most negative and derisive manner. Droughts, coups, famine, civil unrest and poverty often take center stage while any number of success stories and the many positive developments occurring among the continent's 54 nations are often ignored.

So last Friday's panel discussion with three presidents and a prime minister at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) was a breath of fresh air because an audience of several hundred heard the leaders talk about their efforts to institute and strengthen good governance, the rule of law, and transparency. The leaders took part in a wide-ranging discussion entitled, "Consolidating Democratic Gains, Promoting African Prosperity" at USIP in Northwest, at a function that was televised live and on Twitter.

"The Africa of today is far from the cliches of war, famines and coups," said Senegalese President Macky Sall. "We're moving toward democracy and growth. We're the cradle of mankind, a magical continent with diversity and resources. Africa today is a continent on the march."

Sall was joined by Presidents Ernest Bai Koroma and Joyce Banda and Prime Minister José Maria Pereira Neves. Each detailed their governments' roles in fostering the social and economic upswings of their respective countries, the seemingly intractable challenges and their vision of an independent, self-sufficient and transformed Africa during what moderator Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnny Carson called "a very stimulating and delightful" conversation.

"They're here because of the contributions they've made to strengthen democratic institutions in their countries," said Carson, who retired from the State Department on Friday, March 29. "They have developed independent judiciaries, free press and vibrant economies to protect their democracies. Sierra Leone held free, fair and credible elections where 90 percent of the citizens participated peacefully."

"This was the second term for President Koroma to continue his agenda for prosperity. The economy is expanding rapidly."

The quartet was invited to the White House by President Barack Obama on Thursday, March 28 because of what Obama said was recognition of the fact that each leader had "undertaken significant efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, protect and expand human rights and civil liberties, and increase economic opportunities for their people."

Carson spoke of Sall's election a year ago, and the instability and economic contraction surrounding his predecessor's attempts to secure a controversial third term. Since then, Sall has instituted economic reforms, worked to reduce conflict, unrest and tension in the southern Casamance region. In fact, Carson said, Senegal's economy is expected to grow by five percent this year.

Sall prompted laughter when he said he was putting one of the two presidential jets up for sale but with no takers, may have to offer it to a museum. Both he and Banda said they have scaled back on ministerial perks and she has gotten rid of fleets of vehicles as well.

Banda was the vice president in President Binguwa Mutharika's government until he died suddenly in April 2012. Mutharika dismissed Banda and attempted to appoint his brother leader of his political party and Malawi's next president. When he died, some in the cabinet, his wife and others questioned Banda's legitimacy to succeed Mutharika even though the constitution was clear on succession. Banda is said to have called Malawi's army commander who agreed to support her and stationed troops around her home. She also acknowledged America's role behind the scenes in ensuring her ascension to the presidency.

Toward the end of his presidency, Mutharika managed to alienate the U.S., Britain, the European Union, the World Bank and other lending institutions and all, including some other European countries suspended financial assistance. His critics expressed concern about his erratic policies and actions that threatened Malawi's democratic institutions.

"One year ago, she implemented tough political and economic reforms, including a currency devaluation, and removed price controls for fuel," Carson explained. "In the first 100 days, she turned the country around. The economy has expanded and continues to grow."

Banda, who has been involved in women's issues for 30 years, said a number of austerity measures and policy proposals that she's enacted have been deeply disliked but vowed to continue even if it costs her personally.

"We're on track, strengthening government institutions and increasing the level of comfort for donors to return," she said. "The 100 days was used to also improve relations with our neighbors. I reversed all the laws that were not good and in July 2012, we started a national dialogue on the economy. Using mining, energy, tourism, infrastructure and agriculture, we will be able to create wealth for Malawians.

"For 14 months, we have implemented a very, very unpopular reform program. I should have backtracked because elections are next year but it's OK ..."

Koroma is guiding a country that still bears the scars of a brutal civil war that ended in 2002. He spoke of developing institutions to foster democratic change, such as the Independent Media Commission and the National Commission on Democracy, the work undertaken to bolster the economy and critical sectors such as mining and agriculture and restructuring police and security forces so they adhere to human rights standards. Despite the challenges, he said he's pleased with the progress.

"What we take pride in is that we're committed to moving forward," he said. "We have peace and a rapidly developing country ... we've built on the peace and positioned ourselves for growth. This is why we believe that Sierra Leone is no longer a country of blood diamonds ... I believe that Sierra Leone is on the move."

Neves presides over a string of islands – Cape Verde – off the coast of West Africa that have been lauded by Obama and other administration officials for fostering a favorable environment for investment, for its high and steady economic growth and for having one of the highest literacy rates in the world.

"I think that in order to ensure continuity, we must respect scrupulously the rules of the game," said Neves, in answer to a question about keeping democracy on-track. "We must build consensus on the issues and we must strengthen the social dialogue with unions, businesses and management. By carrying out a government of rules, governments become more legitimate every day. They must provide answers to social needs, develop new channels of access and ensure that civil society has room to develop and grow."

Neves said it is critical to cater to the needs of young people and women, adding that every African country's success is tied to including them in all aspects of the country's growth and development in ways that go well beyond lip service.

"We must invest in education, university training and professional and technical training to create conditions so that they can be employed," he said primarily of young people. "Women represent the future of humanity, period. I have budgets that include gender questions and issues. We must reduce the inequality of the distribution of power and wealth."

"We must now say, 'beside every great man is a great woman ..."'

For a very long time, Ward 8 has borne the stigma of being the poorest section of Washington, D.C.

Social indicators paint a sometimes grim portrait of life in the ward, but at the 2013 State of Ward 8 address, hosted by Council member Marion S. Barry, a multitude of speakers told a large crowd at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church of the promise and bright future they say is present or just around the bend.

Several hundred residents, business leaders, government officials – including Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D), and council members Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) and Vincent Orange (D-At-Large) – members of civil society, admirers, supporters and critics attended. The event was marked by a Metropolitan Police Department Honor Guard, the presence of Navy brass, members of the D.C. Defense Force, soaring gospel songs, a mini-sermon by the Rev. Charles M. Hudson, Jr., and remarks from several speakers whose delivery sounded like sermons too. The only element missing was strains of Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance playing softly in the background.

In his welcome, Hudson set the stage for those who followed.

"To those of you who've come east of the [Anacostia] River, welcome," he said. "I want you to know that this is the Promised Land. The last will be first and the first will be last. I couldn't have welcomed you at a better time than during Holy Week. It's not uncommon at this time to see a vision unfolding. A vision is a pictorial view of a preferred future, an inspired portrait of possibility fueled by the power of passion."

"How many of you know that it's possible for Ward 8 to be the best ward in the world? ... The Creator specializes in bringing us out of horrible situations. Never have we experienced so much newness. We've been promised a whole lot of things but this man [Barry] is delivering. He's risked his entire life in pursuit of an idea you cannot prove. He'll tell you what's happening not what's promised."

While Gray and other speakers provided specific examples of the changes taking place across the ward, Barry during his remarks assumed the role of preacher, exhorting those within the sound of his voice to throw off the shackles of dependency, embrace more personal responsibility and work actively for the transformation of the ward.

"I know some of you have had struggles, some of you have had storms in your life but you cannot give up, give out, or give in," said Barry whose arrival was greeted by rapturous applause, cheers and a standing ovation on the evening of March 28. "You have strength, tenacity that hope is coming."

Barry, 76, said it's apparent that many people have lost their way and too many have forgotten what the struggle is all about.

"The struggle isn't over," he intoned. "Racism and segregation is alive and well in D.C. Many of us have lost hope; many of us never had hope."

Ward 8, like much of the rest of the city, is undergoing changes that are redefining the ward. New 30-something residents are moving in, gentrification has taken hold, the Department of Homeland Security is coming and the Navy already has a significant and growing presence on the grounds of St. Elizabeths Hospital. But even as these changes manifest themselves, there is a fear that Ward 8 residents will be left behind in the business boon because many don't have the education, experience or business acumen to compete. And another concern is that gentrification will price people of modest means out of their homes and their communities.

Gray and Barry offered assurances that these scenarios will not play out as expected but not everyone is convinced.

"Hope is restored and transformation realized," Gray said after a rousing welcome. "I wish people could come here to see the enthusiasm here. This is a ward on the rise."

To illustrate this, Gray talked about the collaboration between himself and Barry which has produced a slew of new projects including the upcoming $120 million modernization of Ballou Senior High School; $26.3 million allocated to build a new recreation center at Barry Farm; new housing that is springing up all over the ward; renovations to public schools including Johnson, Hart, Kramer, Turner and Leckie; and an initial $20 million investment to build a new hospital.

"He's a man who is a legend, someone I'm proud to call friend and an inspiration to people here," said Gray, 70. "The state of the ward is growing and getting better. We have to right historical wrongs, look across the city and say we have the same things as everybody else. It's time for everyone in this city to have the opportunities of everyone else!"

At that point, Barry jumped up from his seat onstage and approached the lectern as Gray wrapped up.

"Being mayor is a very difficult job," he said. "There are no textbooks on how to be mayor. D.C. is the most complex city in the world and we're run by Congress. Thank you for your love, thank you for coming to the people of Ward 8. Mayor Gray loves this city. He went to jail for statehood. I would have gone to jail too but I was out of town."

Despite much of the evening resembling a love fest, there were pockets of resistance, discontent and hard feelings from some in the audience who chided Barry, Gray and other elected officials for doing little to reverse the myriad problems affecting Ward 8 residents.

Almost a dozen men and women sat in pews close to the front and they vocalized their unhappiness with the status quo and impatience with the slow pace of change.

"They ain't serious, man. There's work that needs to be done in this ward and they need to come on with it," said an unidentified man as he waited for 45 minutes before the 6 p.m. address began.

A man seated in front of him called Gray and Barry crooks and refused to stand up during the national anthem or when Barry and his entourage walked into the church.

Schyla Pondexter-Moore said she is bitterly disappointed and deeply angered by what she sees playing out among the poor in Ward 8.

"I'm angry because Marion Barry supports redevelopment that's pushing out poor people," said Pondexter-Moore, a housing advocate with Empower DC, a grassroots organization in Northwest. "People are living in slum-lord conditions. They are purposely making these areas distressed."

"There are new communities coming and plans to demolish housing. I can't keep supporting a man who doesn't support public housing. They need to repair and renovate existing public housing. People clap and support what he used to be. Now, he's aggressively supporting developers."

Detrice Belt, a resident at Barry Farm agreed.

"I've lived here for 17 years," she said. "You have cabinets hanging off, floors lifting up, mold, mildew and mushrooms coming up through the floor in some apartments. It's crazy."

A 62-year-old woman complained that there are not enough services for seniors, and applauded when Alethea Campbell, a resident of Ward 8 for 47 years, detailed the amenities, services and classes, home-delivered meals, four-course lunches and pharmacy services offered by the Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center for which she credits Barry.

For the many years he lived in the District of Columbia, Lawrence Guyot could be counted on to be at the forefront of any issue that involved equality, justice and fair play.

The tall, husky, barrel-chested Mississippi native marched, agitated, confronted, and instigated for change. He was a common presence at D.C. Council meetings, challenging those he felt ignored or overlooked the needs of the poor and the vulnerable. And he served as an advisory neighborhood commissioner seeking to change from the inside as well as outside.

On Friday, Nov. 23, Guyot’s large heart, that embraced every righteous cause, was stilled. He died at age 73 after a long illness.

“I regard him as one of the real unsung heroes of the Civil Rights movement,” said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who had known her friend, community activist and lawyer for 50 years. “Most of those who were as badly beaten as him didn’t live to tell it much less live a life of struggle. He was much respected for carrying on many different struggles in this town. He didn’t confine himself. He knew injustice when he saw it because he had seen it at its worst.”

Norton, 75, said she first met Guyot when he, famed Civil Rights Campaigner Fannie Lou Hamer and 14-year-old June Johnson were imprisoned in Winona, Miss., for registering black people to vote at a time when racist elements in the state and other parts of the South resorted to murder, intimidation and violence to ensure that blacks there would never have the opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights.

“I first met him when I was a law student in Mississippi, went to Greenwood, Miss., and was told that he’d been put in jail in Winona. I went there to try to get him out of jail,” Norton recalled. “They let him out of jail to allow him to be beaten by the White Citizens’ Councils. When you meet someone under those circumstances, you form a lasting bond. At that time there was almost no Civil Rights movement in Mississippi. It had spread throughout the South and the last place to go was Mississippi.”

“There was terrorist violence for anyone who threatened the regime – from the courts to the police to all parts of the community.”

Local political consultant, political analyst and commentator Chuck Thies said Guyot was a unique man and activist.

"He is an irreplaceable force in the District. I am saddened by his death,” said Thies, 47. “He was a civil rights warrior who used his background in D.C. politics. Lawrence was different from the civil rights leaders of that era who are still around today. He was jailed and beaten and risked his life for the cause of civil rights. Don't get me wrong, people like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Marion Barry and Ivanhoe Donaldson were courageous, but Lawrence did not use his civil rights background as a way for upward mobility.”

Thies detailed just a small snapshot of Guyot’s activities in the city.

"In 2003, he worked with whites to have the District as the first Democratic primary in the 2004 presidential race. He legitimized the effort in the D.C. civil rights and black community. In 2004, at a discussion of a Ken Burns film, he said that D.C. is racially divided and the only thing that is bringing the people of the city together is Howard Dean and Kwame Brown. That is a classic Guyotism."

Longtime Civil Rights Activist Dorie Ann Ladner said it will be hard not to be able to call Guyot every day to discuss politics and to get updates on scuttlebutt and the latest political information percolating not just in the city but nationwide.

“It really will be hard to not have those discussions. He was a fearless warrior in civil rights, housing, jobs, and justice,” said Ladner, who met Guyot as a teenager in 1961. “He was a political animal. I’d call him every day and ask what was on the agenda.”

Ladner said her friend was “always there advocating for the poor and downtrodden.”

“He supported group homes in D.C. neighborhoods when a lot of people were opposed to them,” said Ladner, 70. “We fell out when he supported [former Mayor Adrian] Fenty. I chased him across Turkey Thicket. He got up and started trotting and I was on a crutch after him. I told [Kwame] Brown I was looking for him.”

“And when he supported Carol Schwartz, I got up and gave him a piece of my mind and after that, I gave him a ride home. Our core beliefs were the same. That is where we were joined at the hip. You couldn’t separate us.”

Ladner said she met Guyot at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss., in 1961 when she was a sophomore and he was an upperclassman. She said she and her sister Joyce became involved with Freedom Riders “in the body of Diane Nash, James Bevel, Paul Brooks, and Marion Barry, who remained in Mississippi around the right to vote.”

“When I met them, it was like Hallelujah. We wanted to get involved and those few of us went into Jackson to talk … about our rights,” said Ladner. “I asked Guyot if he wanted to go with us. We lived about 10 miles from the city limits. It was something he liked and he stayed with it.”

Ladner said Guyot wasn’t on the staff of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) but both of them worked with SNCC Project Director Bob Moses and others from the Congress of Racial Equality to register disenfranchised black voters and to integrate public accommodations.

Ladner was a founding member of the Council of Federal Organizations in Clarkesdale, Miss., an umbrella organization which included Civil Rights martyr Medgar Evers, SNCC, the NAACP, Congress on Racial Equality and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

“We launched ‘Freedom Summer’ and in the summer of ’61, ’62, I went home and told my mother I was going back to Jackson to get my freedom,” she said.

Ladner said Guyot paid an awful price for his fight for freedom and equality.

“He was in Parchment Prison at least two times that I know of,” she said. “In Greenwood, he looked like one of the Somali refugees. He’d lost 100 pounds and had his head shaved. They turned on the heat at night, tortured them. Once, they had to jump out of a window in Greenwood. I often joked with him about how he got out the window because he was always robust, but he said ‘you gotta do what you gotta do…’”

In 1962, Guyot began work with SNCC and two years later was named director of the Freedom Summer Project in Hattiesburg, Miss. He was also the founding chairman of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which sought to include African Americans in the Democratic Party’s Mississippi delegation.

“He became the chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and went to Atlantic City in 1964 and challenged the seating of an all-white delegation. We had taken Miss Hamer from the cotton fields to Atlantic City.”

When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in 1965, Ladner said she, Guyot and other Civil Rights pioneers had already been in the trenches fighting for these rights for years. And in later years, she said, Guyot always expressed concern that the act was constantly under threat.

Guyot said as much last year after watching PBS’ screening of ‘Freedom Riders’ at the Newseum with several hundred viewers.

After the show, at a watering hole in downtown Washington, Guyot was his usual boisterous, funny self as he explained in detail the ways that blacks and their allies needed to protect this cherished right.

He also recounted his days as a soldier on the forefront of the civil rights struggle, tying those struggles with D.C.’s statehood push and the scandals embroiling council members.

“I find this absolutely astounding,” Guyot said during an interview earlier this year. “If you’re going to do a criminal investigation, it’s good to start with a crime that has been committed. This is not a serious investigation; its intent is to inhibit this government’s operations,” Guyot said about the federal investigation into businessman Jeffrey Thompson’s involvement in political donations to elected officials. “It is an issue framed as if it’s only about purity. We should have as much concern for having a functioning government as a pure government.”

“I don’t want this government stymied by discussions of who’s the purest in the group. When I go to the polls, I go to elect politicians, not saints.”

Ladner said Guyot was an unabashed supporter of President Barack Obama. She said he went to North Carolina and elsewhere in 2008 to campaign for him and although he was unable to travel this year, he worked the phones. She and others who knew Guyot said he was a die-hard Democrat and predicted Obama’s victory on Nov. 6.

Local journalist Adrienne Washington said she is stunned by her friend’s passing.

“He said he was the president of my fan club,” said the former Washington Times columnist and writer. “He would come and lecture in my classes and talked a lot about the Civil Rights movement. He always repeated the quote about race relations: there was the USA, the South and then there was Mississippi.”

“He registered Fannie Lou Hamer to vote. He was beaten almost half to death for registering people to vote and he was very involved in the Mississippi Teaching Project – making civil rights relevant to children today.”

“It used to bother me that people thought he was stuck in the ’60s but they didn’t understand him. It was always a springboard to tie it to current issues. And he wasn’t as predictable as you would think. He supported Fenty. He never got his due. He should be up there with Hamer, [Ella] Baker and King. There’s a bunch of unsung heroes and soldiers. He was at the top of that list. He really cared about D.C. and poor people. He wore those people out at the city council.”

WI Staff Writer James Wright contributed to this story. 

Encourage High Voter Turnout to Offset Challenge

A panel discussion on voter suppression, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus [CBC], produced more than 90 minutes of pointed conversation, fireworks, verbal sparring – all a microcosm of the contentious nature of the issue playing out on the national stage.

The Rev. Al Sharpton and conservative commentator Crystal Wright wrangled most frequently during the town hall at the 42nd Annual Legislative Conference, each sparring, jostling to make their point, battling for verbal supremacy, dismissing the other's comments.

Beneath the lively exchanges at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest, is the very real situation that voting rights is under siege by Republican-led state houses which have proposed or instituted onerous voting laws panelists argued are adversely affecting constituencies who will most likely vote for President Barack Obama and Democrats.

"There are 181 restrictive voter ID laws that have been introduced all over the country," said Donna Brazile, veteran political strategist, academic and vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "Seventeen have passed and the impact is that 218 electoral votes are at stake. My mother told me that when you change the rules in the middle of the game, that's cheating!"

Brazile and others contend that the laws that are now present or being considered in 41 states are designed to disenfranchise minorities, the elderly, the poor, students, and disabled voters who are often less likely to have the types of IDs the GOP is demanding. At the same time, supporters insist the laws are necessary to maintain the integrity of the election process and prevent fraud.

Starting last year, panelists said, Republicans have been focused on turning the Nov. 6 election in their favor. In Texas, for example, prospective voters can register to vote with a gun or a hunting license but a student ID has been deemed insufficient by election officials.

Around the country, several panelists said, the GOP has done away with early and weekend voting; mandated that voters secure new IDs before they are allowed to vote; purged voter rolls in states like Florida, with most of those removed attached to the Democratic party; and Brazile said Republicans are intent on making it as difficult as possible for those seeking to exercise their right to vote, but she said regardless of the obstacles people face, they must not be deterred.

"This fall, we'll see barriers we have not seen since 1965," she told a standing-room-only audience of more than 2,000 participants. "Martin Luther King, Jr., gave us the ballot but we're going to have a hard time getting the ballot to people seeking to vote."

Moderator Marc Lamont Hill, Ph.D., echoed the sentiment of most of the panelists during opening comments.

"This is a 21st century form of racial discrimination," he intoned. "This is not anything to be objective about. This is a clear case of discrimination. Republicans don't want to win by genius, they want to win ... by the marginalization of poor, brown, black people. Obama galvanized a whole new generation of people. Now they [Republicans] have convinced us that for the sake of voter fraud, they have to restrict us."

"You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning in front of the house you won on Publishers Clearing House. We can lose an election, but we can never lose our vote."

Brazile was joined by the Rev. Al Sharpton, conservative columnist and commentator Crystal Wright, Reps. John Lewis [D-Ga.], Mel Watt [D-N.C.] and Marcia Fudge [D-Ohio] and Republican strategist and commentator Ron Christie.

Christie said he is aware of voter fraud and provided examples, but said he does not agree that the pursuit of those involved in these activities should come at the expense of people's ability to exercise their basic democratic right.

"The Indiana Supreme Court case paved the way for states to craft their own laws but I have a problem with Texas' law ... the Texas law is discriminating against low-income people."

Sharpton characterized GOP assertions that their desire is to root out voter fraud as a red herring.

"This is a solution looking for a problem, not the other way around," he said. "We're not against IDs ... we're against the new restrictive IDs. We say have the same IDs this year as when Reagan, Bush and Clinton ran."

Sharpton cited the case of an 85-year-old man who has to drive 27 miles to get an ID and pay $27 for the ID as well.

"That's a poll tax," he said. "This will potentially cost 5 million votes. In Watt's state, the president won by 14,000 votes. Shaving off 100,000 votes could turn the election. We need to fight to change the laws but do everything we can to vote this year. If they [Civil Rights activists] could stand up to Jim Clark, what excuse do we have to not get voter IDs?"

Wright scoffed at the assertions of Sharpton and most of the other panelists, saying that there is no racial discrimination in the efforts to combat voter fraud, adding that demands for new IDs have not adversely affected those seeking to vote. She buttressed her argument with studies which show that in Colorado, 500 non-citizens voted. And she suggested that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case involving the state of Indiana sanctioned the legislation GOP-controlled legislators are trying to pass.

"We have to look at the laws to find ways for people to prove who they are without others being disenfranchised," she said. "... On a very basic level, it's incumbent, regardless of the party, to know who they are voting for [on pocketbook issues] and where you live."

Sharpton and Wright butted heads verbally throughout the discussion with each accusing the other of misstating the facts.

"First of all, we can have different opinions but not different facts," he said addressing Wright following comments she made about the Indiana voter ID law that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld. "The Indiana case was not the same ID laws we're dealing with in Pennsylvania. We're talking about different states and different laws."

Pennsylvania has become ground zero in the GOP's voter registration efforts. A Pennsylvania judge upheld a law that requires voters to have a state-issued ID before they'll be allowed to vote. But residents have had great difficulty in securing these IDs and so far, fewer than 7,000 of the estimated 758,000 people on voter rolls have these photo IDs.

The number of people who lack the photo IDs needed to vote outnumber Obama's 2008 margin of victory in the state. That year, Obama carried Pennsylvania by 605,820 votes.

Laws in states such as South Carolina, Florida and Texas have been challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice under provisions of the Civil Rights Act because of a history of discriminatory election practices in those places.

Lewis, who is revered for his role in the Civil Rights movement, lamented the current situation, but also expressed frustration, saying he was "trying to be non-violent today."