Opinion

When the federal government enacted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975, this landmark legislation was premised on what was then a radical idea: that all students, including students with disabilities, are…

As I listened to the women — most of them African American, some single mothers, all relatively young — tell their emotion-laden stories last week at a DC Council roundtable, I kept recalling that first line of one of Langston Hughes’ most…

The DC Council this week unanimously approved the appointment of Pamela Smith as the new chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. That vote came despite glaring experiential deficiencies. Still, Mayor Muriel Bowser was pleased. “I…

Near the end of the 19th century, Robert Terrell and his wife Mary Church went to purchase a home in LeDroit Park, then a predominantly white residential haven in racially segregated DC. Many of the houses carried covenants that prohibited…

In 2021, when a citywide group of citizens saw the proverbial golden opportunity for a mixed-use retail and affordable housing development at the former Marriott Wardman Park Hotel near the National Zoo, they gathered their resources and…

I’m a longtime DC music venue and bar owner, but my primary job is being a mother. Ever since my daughters were very young, I have been frank with them about the potential dangers of alcohol, while modeling responsible behavior in our…

It’s hard not to be seduced by at-large DC Councilmember Robert White’s concept of a “whole government response” to the indisputable public safety crisis in the nation’s capital, underscored by near-daily reports of multiple shootings,…

The former Intelsat headquarters, located at 4000 Connecticut Ave. NW, just one block from a Metrorail stop, offers a rare opportunity for the District to acquire a massive property that can serve all Washingtonians. The…

When Linda Leaks first got word that she would be inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame this week, she told me: “I did what Harriet Tubman did when she crossed the border into freedom. I myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.” …

While some communities fight over book banning or whether enslaved people benefited from their own enslavement, DC leaders have been hard at work developing and adopting new, inclusive K-12 social studies standards for all DC students. …

Sometimes it’s difficult for me to tamp down my cynicism about the District government and local politicians, especially as it relates to their constant assertions about acting in the interest of vulnerable DC residents. That all seems…

During the past month, I have heard that question multiple times from people across DC who are not satisfied with AG Brian Schwalb’s performance. Some are upset with his apparent unwillingness to aggressively prosecute juvenile crime in…

First-time college students this fall will be the final class admitted in the era of affirmative action. Theirs could be the most diverse class we’ll see in a while. But, if we act quickly, we have a shot at mitigating the damage for all…

When the galley for Ruth J. Simmons’ memoir — Up Home: One Girl’s Journey — arrived in my mailbox a few months ago, I couldn’t wait to dive into it. I had been looking forward to reading about the tumultuous battles she had fought and,…

In 2022, the District suffered 174 fatal homicide shootings, a 29% increase above 2019 pre-pandemic numbers. Every homicide leaves devastated family, friends and neighborhoods begging our elected officials to do better. In recent months,…

Washington, DC, has been welcoming to Afghans who were forced to flee their homes two years ago as U.S. troops abruptly departed from their home country. Those who escaped found support in communities across the country, but especially in…

Two DC-funded pilot programs are boosting the incomes of local families and hold great promise to improve economic security in the District. In fact, the positive impacts of guaranteed income are so clear that the District should start…

The answer to that question is absolutely. Judge for yourself. When the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) filed a lawsuit last year against the Janet Keenan Housing Corporation (JKHC), accusing it of violating the city’s nonprofit…

John Falcicchio’s sexual harassment of women under his supervision may not have risen to the level of that perpetrated by the notorious Hollywood producer and filmmaker Harvey Weinstein. However, the serial nature of the abuse performed by…

Earlier this month, the DC Council passed an emergency crime bill that it knows will not actually reduce crime. This kind of political theater is commonplace come summer, when elected officials recognize the dearth of learning and…