Opinion

Many of the District of Columbia’s early childhood educators ― who are predominantly women of color ― don’t earn sufficient wages and benefits to support their own families while they care for and educate the children of other families.…

There are many labels that have been slapped on DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson throughout his decades-long political career. He has been accused of suffering the all-trees-no-forest syndrome, of being a nitpicker, and of being a…

When Mayor Muriel Bowser issued her recent order declaring a “Health Care Resources Emergency,” she tore a page straight from former President Donald J. Trump’s book on how to create and exploit a crisis for personal political benefit. She…

As we approach Labor Day, many workers in DC are out of work, going hungry and falling behind on rent because of the pandemic. Black residents especially have felt the grip of the pandemic downturn in an economy that has been built on…

Growing up in Southeast DC with limited good public education opportunities, I was fortunate to attend Friendship Public Charter School’s Collegiate Academy. My late mother told me I would be attending Woodson, which excited me as some of…

For the past year, Mayor Muriel Bowser and her Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage have presented a master class in government and financial mismanagement marked by political and self-centered motivations. They — and…

In 2019, only 30% of fourth grade students in DC performed at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam in reading, ranking us 47th nationally. This does not even account for subsequent COVID-19…

Life for more than three dozen low- to moderate-income Ward 8 homeowners just went from bad to worse — much, much worse. The engineering consulting firm they hired, The Falcon Group, is recommending a complete evacuation of all units at…

“When I go to sleep at night, I kind of sleep with one eye open, so I’m never really sleeping, because I don't want building to collapse and not be able to get myself and my baby out,” LaDonna May, a condo owner at River East at Grandview…

There was Ward 4 DC Council member Janeese Lewis George, during last week’s public roundtable on gun violence and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Building Blocks initiative, reiterating a statement made by former DC Metropolitan Police Department…

In recent weeks, the world watched as pop star Britney Spears recounted her story of living under a court-mandated conservatorship that, for the past 13 years, has removed most, if not all, autonomy from her personal and professional life.…

It is very hard to raise a family in the District — as a single mom of a beautiful 1-year-old boy, trust me, I know the struggle. Yet I have gained so much hope these last few days with actions taken by President Joe Biden and members of…

In presenting his recommended Fiscal Year 2022 Budget and Financial Plan to colleagues, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson called the $17,962,963,587 spending proposal and the attached Budget Support Act (BSA) “transformative.”  (Photo…

The DC Council has an unprecedented opportunity to address long-standing inequities in the District for residents of color and families with children that were inadequately addressed in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget for fiscal year…

Mayor Muriel Bowser has decided not to extend the public health emergency past July 25. As a result, the DC Council had to scramble to phase out or extend many of the legal protections that were tied to the public health emergency,…

That’s probably the question many landlords and utility companies asked as the DC Council took action this week that confirmed the public health emergency will end July 25. However, legislators extended Mayor Muriel Bowser’s authority…

James Dunn spent 29 years in prison without a disciplinary infraction. He completed every program in which he could enroll, taught classes for fellow prisoners, and mentored those younger than him. Yet Dunn was refused parole…

Ward 6 DC Council member Charles Allen touted in a press release last week that his Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety voted to recommend to the full legislature a 172% increase in spending for violence prevention programs as…

It’s disappointing that some DC advocates will use almost any means, including deliberate manipulation of the public and withholding of critical information, in order to achieve their agenda. That was my reaction after reading a poll…

District children are hurting. The social isolation from friends, the strain of the pandemic on their families, and the stress of making distance learning work for more than a year have all taken a toll. DC’s health care…