The debate about how to respond to mass youth gatherings is unfolding during one of the most consequential election seasons in the Home Rule Era. As the Trump administration gears up to prosecute parents of curfew breakers, there remains the question of whether to embrace punitive measures or take on a holistic approach.
For Democratic D.C. Council at-large candidate Dwight Davis, the answer lies with the youth.
“Why can’t we form a committee and talk to the kids about the issues?” said Davis, a former D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) principal. “What are we willing to engage them [about] and what does that engagement look like? We aren’t going to be able to legislate our way out of an adaptive problem. We really got to connect. We got to care about these young people. We got to see them.”
Davis,a father of DCPS and D.C. public charter school students, and one of nine candidates vying for a seat currently held by District Councilmember Anita Bonds, said he jumped into the council race inspired, in part, by his tenure as principal of Ron Brown College Preparatory High School in Northeast.
As the lifelong D.C. resident recounted to The Informer, that’s where he learned how to include young people in policy decisions, particularly those involving what they put in their stomachs.
“They would come to school late [with] Takis or Hot Cheetos, and I was like ‘I’m gonna write a policy that says you can’t bring this stuff into school [or] it’s going to be taken,’” Davis said. “Then I had this idea: ‘Why don’t you just talk to the kids?’ So I go down to the cafeteria, every morning and every afternoon, and I started to ask students, ‘Hey, why are you always bringing the Takis? It’s not healthy,’ and they said ‘Mr. Davis, the food’s not good.’”
Davis said what followed was his embrace of outside forces.
“We get a new chef [who] lives around the corner, so all he has to do is walk down the hill,” Davis told The Informer. “He was making oatmeal with peaches. The menu was totally just transformed to the point where…I was eating breakfast every morning, I was eating lunch every lunchtime because the food was good.”
Such a change, Davis said, led to the students’ acquiescence to his leadership.
“Students started coming to school on time. Students started to eat more food. Students stopped roughhousing during lunchtime,” he said. “When I say ‘Get quiet,’ everybody got quiet because if we did have seconds, they could go and get seconds.”
Earlier this year, Davis left the education sector after more than two decades. His experience included a foray into philanthropy where he conceptualized the idea for a sport and leadership academy. He said that experience sparked questions about how to improve current systems to District youth’s benefit.
If elected, Davis aims to spur college and career development at the middle school level and compel greater collaboration between the education sector, local businesses and the University of the District of Columbia to expand young people’s access to college and career options.
“I’m not sure we’re utilizing the infrastructure that we have now to ensure that students know what the path is or where the path is and then to get them on it,” Davis told The Informer. “There are tremendous opportunities to work with organizations. The question is how do we create these opportunities? How do we work with schools? How do we have this robust conversation to make this happen?”
Throughout much of the election season, Davis has graced forum stages alongside: labor organizer Dyana Forester, U.S. Shadow Representative Oye Owolewa, gun violence prevention guru Greg Jackson, Jr., educator and entrepreneur Leniqua’dominique Jenkins, longtime Democratic Party operatives Kevin B. Chavous and Candace Tiana Nelson; former State Board of Education (SBOE) representative Lisa Raymond; and former D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment chair Fred Hill.
In response to questions about public safety, transportation, senior-related issues and the like, Davis has relied on what he calls his experience as a community leader and bridge builder. If elected to the D.C. Council, his priorities are workforce housing that he said would reduce average median income in advancement of the District’s affordable housing goals. Davis also expressed a desire to connect with families and determine what resources and programming is needed to address the root of public safety issues.
Realizing that vision, Davis said, requires legislation, agency oversight and budget management to create a city where “children are the greatest economic engine.” As he noted, a standalone education committee wouldn’t hurt either.
“I don’t think we have a conversation that is robust enough to say, ‘Hey, if students are coming to school and they’re having an engaging experience, economic opportunity goes up.’” Davis told The Informer. “That helps the business community. It decreases crime. It raises the graduation rate, which helps this over here. Sometimes it just feels like some of the conversations we’re having in the Committee of the Whole are one-offs and we’re not making those strategic connections to other issues.”
Lisa Raymond Aims to Leverage Education Policy Experience in Council Run
As Lisa Raymond campaigns for her return to the John A. Wilson Building, she has the backing of D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), former Ward 3 D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh, former SBOE President Laura Slover, and former SBOE member and D.C. Council member Sekou Biddle, among several others.
Raymond also has, as she noted, the experience necessary to focus on an issue of significance to District families.
“I don’t see another champion for education at the moment, and especially one who is pushing for accountability for outcomes,” Raymond told The Informer. “There’s some post-COVID improvement that’s better than what we’re seeing across many cities, but…if you look at the bottom 10% [of students], we’re barely moving the needle.”
If elected as a Democratic at-large council member, Raymond will continue a career in education policy that started with her service as chief operating officer at Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, and continued with her stint as a Ward 5 and Ward 6 SBOE representative. As senior education advisor for then-D.C. Council Chair Kwame Brown, Raymond oversaw the public school budget, and drafted legislation intended to increase career and technical education funding, prevent residency fraud, and ensure every student could take the SAT and apply to college and technical programs.
“The most important role for council members is to focus on what we want from kids, what they deserve,” Raymond said, “ and then really relentlessly push the mayor and the agencies on how they are delivering.”
Since launching her bid, Raymond has attended forums and spoken with community members about her vision for the District. She counts among her education priorities: expansion of quality Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 seats and full funding of early childhood educator compensation; and investments in career and technical education and apprenticeships.
Raymond also set her sights on the full staffing of every classroom; acceleration of school modernization; and the assurance of safe water, functional HVAC systems and fully functional learning spaces.
Amid discussion about youth delinquency, Raymond said that her goals spill into other policy areas, including public safety where she aspires to expand youth programs, mental health support, and job opportunities while directing resources to those most at risk of dropping out of school.
“Some of it is just really starting with making sure we’re meeting the basic needs of our youth, that they have safe housing, that they are engaged in quality education, that they see a pathway to their future,” Raymond told The Informer. “Some of them are not feeling like they have opportunities. Do they have things to do on a Saturday night? Do they have positive programming? Do they have opportunities to engage in activities that allow them to be social and have fun?”
As the D.C. Council sifts through D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s final budget proposal, Raymond also aims to set herself apart from the pack as an elected official who can compel positive education outcomes. Though she didn’t specify legislation that will help her advance that goal, Raymond said that she can guide discussions about programmatic effectiveness and investments in workforce development and early childhood education well before budget season.
Raymond, a mother of DCPS alumni, also noted that her experiences as a parent best position her to serve as a bridge between parents, the Executive Office of the Mayor, SBOE and other entities.
“I have a son who, frankly, was failed by the system, and it took constant advocacy by me to try to get him what he needed,” Raymond told The Informer. “It really wasn’t until the very end when he ended up at Jackson Reed [High School] his last few years, that he was able to get the support to help him graduate from high school. He’s now in college, and he’s doing well, but one of the things that motivates me to run is to make sure that no other families have to go through that.”
Raymond, a Ward 6 resident and major gifts officer at Covenant House of Greater Washington, started her career in the District at a DuPont Circle-based halfway house helping formerly incarcerated women reenter society. She also served as then-D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine’s chief of staff.
As she explained to The Informer, Raymond has also been boots on the ground during the Republican-dominated Congress’ most recent actions against District autonomy. As she continues to make the case that she can help improve District residents’ quality of life, Raymond also touts herself as a leader keen on what’s at stake in the Trump era.
“There is real agreement that protecting home rule is the most important thing that people want to see. I think everyone recognizes that without it, it really won’t matter what bills we pass, what leaders we elect if we don’t have control over our own affairs,” Raymond told The Informer. “That has absolutely been critical. All these issues are things that everyone is in agreement on and housing and child care are at the top of that list. The same thing with education. There’ve been some improvements, but it’s still a priority for many people. So many families feel like their kids don’t have the education that they deserve.”
Leniqua’dominique Jenkins Centers Literacy and Civic Engagement as Engines of Youth Development
With the D.C. Council’s recent approval of permanent youth curfew legislation, the mayor and local police department will soon have the latitude to declare curfews and identify curfew zones where young people cannot congregate in large numbers. However, because the council didn’t move forward with emergency legislation, there’s a gap in curfew declaration powers while the permanent legislation navigates the congressional approval process.
Additionally, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro’s intention to prosecute parents of youth curfew breakers has further intensified discussions. Well before this juncture, at large D.C. Council candidate Leniqua’dominique Jenkins counted among those adamant that local and federal lawmakers aren’t operating exclusively with young people’s safety in mind.
“These young people are being policed, it seems like [in] very affluent, voter-rich communities like the Navy Yard,” Jenkins told The Informer. “If it was an issue of safety, then maybe we would have a more universal approach, maybe having something similar in all eight wards, but we don’t see that. It seems very punitive and targeted behavior towards a certain demographic, so it raises concern.”
Jenkins, a children’s book author, entrepreneur and former Bonds staffer, launched her bid during the latter part of last year, shortly before Bonds announced she wouldn’t run for reelection. In the weeks leading up to the council’s May 5 approval of the permanent curfew legislation, Jenkins spoke with the youth she hopes to represent as an at-large council member.
“The young people feel very overlooked and like there’s a shortage of investment in terms of social engagement and activity that is exclusively for fun,” Jenkins told The Informer. “That’s tied to their mental health, it’s tied to their quality of life, it’s tied to their creativity, [and] it’s tied to so many things that influence the way they navigate the world.”
As each candidate makes their case to District voters, Jenkins continues to fulfill her role as a teacher. During Reading Awareness Month in March, she read her award-winning book “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall” before a virtual audience that represented all District public and public charter schools. She’s also made visits to child care centers and learning centers, where she’s conducted an intimate reading on at least one occasion.
If elected, Jenkins’ vision for education centers on literacy and civic engagement, which she said aligns with her local, national and international work over the last two decades. She touts her emphasis on phonics and the launch of a pen-pal program as key strategies.
“I had a very unique academic experience, and I know that’s something that was transformative in my ability to write and communicate effectively,” said Jenkins, a D.C. resident of two decades who attended a language immersion school. “I also have this program that’s already been executed with the school…that I have in Kenya, where they actually write the schools. I’m able to see the success already in real time, not just in my life, but in the programs that I’ve executed in other states.”
Beyond literacy, Jenkins’ platform also focuses on environmental protections and creation of green jobs, stronger police-community relations, expansion of homeownership opportunities and tenant protections, and, as a nod to her familial obligations, support for caregivers via workplace flexibility and aging-in-place services.
Jenkins, a Ward 7 resident and former advisory neighborhood commissioner, told The Informer that her life mirrors that of those living across all eight wards.
“The policies that are inspired from my community, from my lived experience, from doing the work for over two decades will benefit the entire District of Columbia,” Jenkins said. “Aging in place, caregiving and improving literacy. 119,000 adults are struggling with literacy and reading on a third-grade level. That’s not just in Wards 7 and 8. That’s throughout the entire city, independent of zip code.”
Fred Hill: A Business Owner With a Penchant for Dialogue and Development
Democratic at-large D.C. Council candidate Fred Hill, not to be confused with the former independent Ward 8 D.C. Council candidate of the same name, threw his hat into the ring earlier this year after a more-than-a-decade stint as chairman of the D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment.
If elected to the D.C. Council, Hill plans to leverage what he calls his more than 5,000 hours clocked in zoning adjustment board deliberations in an effort to bring together divergent voices and advance policy of benefit to all Washingtonians.
“Because of that zoning experience that I’ve had and also working with people on either side of an issue to bring them together under the regulations, I believe that I’m well-suited to bring more housing and affordable housing,” Hill told The Informer. “And then also help[ing to] grow the economy because of my business background. I hope to add another tool in the toolbox of the council…so that we have an entrepreneur with a different level and view.”
Hill, a District resident of more than 50 years who lives with his wife and dog, has spent nearly three decades building a federal contracting business. In his involvement with the Federal City Council and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, among other organizations, Hill has channeled his experiences as a child of Sikkim and Chickasaw heritage who depended on safety net programs as a youth.
If elected, Hill will be the first Asian-American D.C. council member. His platform includes smart housing growth, public safety, support of local small businesses, and defense of D.C. home rule. He told The Informer that youth stand at the center of what he aims to achieve as an elected official.
“We have to definitely invest more in education as well as… entrepreneurial education [and] basic finance education at the schools,” Hill said. “I would be looking forward to providing oversight with DCPS as well as the charter school system, and OSSE [the Office of the State Superintendent of Education], but I do think that more AI (artificial intelligence) learning as well as entrepreneurial learning is something that I would advocate for.”
Hill has developed his AI-centered education platform at a time when, according to the Washington DC Economic Partnership, AI represents more than a $250 billion segment of the U.S. economy that’s changing the nation’s capital. Last year, the Bowser administration announced an AI pilot program to facilitate collaboration with residents in decision-making. This follows efforts by Mayor Bowser in recent years to dictate AI policy and infuse the technology in data management and other aspects of government operations.
If elected, Hill aims to play a role in ensuring the District continues along that trajectory.
“During the process where we have an opportunity to interview the person who’s going to have the [DCPS chancellor] job that the mayor has put forward,” Hill said, “ I would be asking questions….about how they plan on implementing curriculum for AI that is competitive with other regions and make sure that we are as competitive, if not more competitive in that area to educate our young people and make sure that they have the best opportunity to succeed.”
For Hill, part of ensuring young people’s academic success also includes increasing housing availability. Weeks after the release of the D.C. Office of Planning’s draft Future Land Use Map, Hill continues to tout the need for a more efficient Inclusionary Zoning program, an increase of housing around high-speed bus lanes, development of multi-unit clustered housing, and collaboration with Congress around relaxation of the Height of Building Acts of 1910.
“There needs to be more three-or-more bedroom units to accommodate families,” Hill told The Informer. “That’s something that I would push for as a member of the council and work with my colleagues to try to get the Office of Planning to look more into that and expand that housing in that way.”
In the realm of economic development, Hill told The Informer that he wants to help diversify the local economy while retaining small businesses. He said that his background would allow him to shape a budget that helps to advance that goal at a time of slow revenue growth.
“The biotech and the high tech space [are] areas that we could grow in,” Hill said. “What those industries are looking for is a good education base, a good transportation system and affordable housing. So keeping the infrastructure supported [and] making sure we build enough housing so that it creates an opportunity for people to live here. That’s what drives larger companies or midsize companies to come into the city.”
Amid discussion about the youth curfew, Hill acknowledges it as one of several tools that the Metropolitan Police Department could use to ensure the safety of young people. However, as he told The Informer, a lack of buy-in could hinder those efforts.
“Community involvement with the police is something that I would think is important,” Hill said. “I’ve had a lot of experience working with advisory neighborhood commissions and single-member districts….so I’d be working with communities to understand what they feel is a way to collaborate with the police department and also on social issues. We could possibly have meetings with the police department and the commissions, and I would help facilitate that so that they’re not just siloed.”
