Metropolitan AME Church (1518 M Street, NW) will sponsor a non-partisan conversation addressing issues and concerns that rank among the top of the list for Blacks in America. The two-hour session, “Ready – Set – Vote! Community Forum,” will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29 from noon until 2 p.m.
Co-moderators Maureen Bunyan, anchor, WJLA-TV-7, and Paul Holston, editor in chief, Hilltop Newspaper, will engage panelists and the audience on issues that will include: voter education, voter apathy, voting rights for returning citizens, immigration, what’s important to millennials and the intersection of race and the election. Featured panelists: Elsie Scott, Colbert King, Terrence Johnson and Keneishia Grant.
Senior pastor, the Rev. William Lamar IV and the Rev. Aisha Karimah, chair, Social Justice Community Engagement Ministry, will host the event at the D.C.-based church long known for being at the “forefront of battling for justice and freedom for all people.”
Early Voting Begins Oct. 27 in Maryland
Early voting in the general election begins Thursday, Oct. 27 in Maryland where polling locations will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Prince George’s County voters have nine locations to choose from http://bit.ly/2d19aXH until Nov. 3. As a reminder, voters will use paper ballots to mark their choices.
Besides president of the United States, U.S. senator and representative in Congress, Prince George’s voters will also decide on seven referendum questions that include “Question D,” whether to add two at-large members to County Council to serve no more than two consecutive terms in office. If approved, it would expand the board’s membership from nine to 11. Voters can still wait on Election Day on Nov. 8 to make their choices at assigned precincts with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call the county Board of Elections at 301-341-7300 for more information.
Segment of Red Line to Close Beginning Saturday, Oct. 29
Metro’s 10th maintenance project, or surge, begins Saturday, Oct. 29 on the Red Line with portions shut down between the NoMa-Galludet and Fort Totten stations in Northeast. Limited free shuttle bus service will be available between those stations. During the scheduled work, trains will run every six minutes from NoMa-Galludet to Shady Grove in Rockville and every 10 minutes from Fort Totten to Glenmont in Silver Spring. Metro officials suggest alternative routes such as the Green Line between Fort Totten and the Gallery Place station in Northwest. The Brookland-CUA and Rhode Island Avenue stations will be closed during that time and scheduled to reopen after work’s completed Nov. 22, two days before Thanksgiving.
U.S. Black Chambers Named Distinguished Advocate of the Year
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency [MBDA] will award the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. [USBC] with the distinguished Advocate of the Year award during the 2016 National Minority Enterprise Development Week – now rescheduled for December 5 and 6 in the District at the Marriott Wardman Park. The theme for the two-day conference, now marking its 30th year: Job Creation in America: Build it Here – Sell it Everywhere.
Each year MBDA honors “Champions of Minority Business Development” through its National MED Week. The initiative recognizes the achievements of minority entrepreneurs, along with those individuals and organizations that have demonstrated leadership and commitment to advancing global minority business enterprise.
“Each year the U.S. Black Chambers’ commitment to growing the economic power of the Black business community is strengthened. We’ve made tremendous gains in the Black business community including awarding grants to African-American Chambers to continue to do the work of cultivating Black entrepreneurs, we’ve partnered with the University of Phoenix to offer specialized entrepreneurial training to Black business owners and we played a key role in initiating the Bank-Black movement. We’re proud to be honored by the MBDA and look forward to working with them and others to advance the Black business community,” said USBC President/CEO Ron Busby.
WI Staff Writer Will Ford contributed to the compilation of this news report.