American University School of International Service students and survivor advocacy group NoMore-AU staged a protest Wednesday afternoon in response to the university’s response to Professor Earl Anthony Wayne’s name appearing in the Epstein Files, a recently-released trove of more than 3 million documents related to the Justice Department investigation into billionaire human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

The files include an email exchange between someone identified as ‘Ken Turner’ and an NYPD Detective, Walter Harkins. In the 2019 messages, Turner suggests Wayne should be questioned in relation to his involvement with an underage girl. The documents do not indicate Wayne was accused of any crime by law enforcement.

Wayne, the Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer and former US Ambassador to Mexico from 2011-15, who teaches two spring classes in U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy, told 91���� he had reviewed the documents and described the claim as “baseless” and “fabricated”.

Said Wayne: “It appears to originate from a disjointed email chain that makes outlandish claims regarding international conspiracies and events that demonstrably never occurred as they would have been matters of public record or reported in the media at the time they occurred, and they were not.”

We don’t know what’s going on, and that makes us feel unsafe.

Students unsatisfied with the university’s response to the unverified allegations protested Wednesday, calling for a transparent investigation. The AU chapter of NoMore, a national organization that advocates for ending sexual and domestic violence and empowering survivors, organized the walk-out after news of the professor’s name in the files spread on YikYak, an anonymous campus-based message board.

“We don’t know what’s going on, and that makes us feel unsafe,” said Adah Nordin, one of the student protestors who helped organize the walk-out. “As someone going to class and getting a diploma from SIS, we deserve to know.”

The documents are being released as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed late last year, which requires the government to release all its investigatory files concerning the late sex offender and financier.

Students have developed a list of demands for the university in response to the allegations.

“We want the university to push for a criminal investigation, for him to be suspended without pay while it goes on, transparency on the process, and a statement from SIS administration and AU addressing these allegations,” said Tanishka Khanna, a senior who also helped organize the walk-out. “Survivors need to feel safe on campus.”

As of Thursday morning, there had been no official statement from the university addressing the allegation.

“Knowing someone with these allegations is teaching here…this can’t be a safe place for survivors without transparency,” said Emily Kershner, Vice President of NoMore-AU. “Whether the allegations prove true or false, we need transparency.”

In the email exchange, Turner writes: “You may want to question the Ex US Ambassador to Mexico; Mr. Earl Anthony Wayne about his involvement with an underage girl when he attended and was arrested by the Federal Police.”

He goes on to allege Wayne fathered a child with an 11-year-old child in Mexico and that another man is incarcerated there for Wayne’s crime.

Wayne said he sent a statement to each of his classes describing the allegations in the file as “online misinformation.”

“I stated unequivocally that the allegations about me are false,” he wrote.

Wayne also said that he never heard from law enforcement about the matter, and that he does not know who Ken Turner is.

Update: Following news of the allegations, the American Academy of Diplomacy released a statement. It reads, in part;

Upon reviewing the available facts, the Academy believes allegations in recently released Epstein files concerning Ambassador (ret.) Earl Anthony Wayne are false and malicious.

The allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor reference a party in 2014 and a supposed trial in Mexico in 2017. Any allegations as serious as those described against a United States Ambassador would at least have been reported to the Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security. We have checked with the relevant incumbent at the time and there was no such report.

You can read the full statement here: .

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During the ceremony, President Donald Trump acknowledged the shooting of the two guardsmen the day before Thanksgiving. “I want to pay my highest respects to those two great guardsmen, you know who I’m talking about,” Trump said.

“They paid, in one case, the ultimate, and the other, Andrew, is getting better. Sarah, unfortunately, is watching from a high, watching from heaven,” he said, referring to Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom.

The National Guard continues to be in the District as the Trump administration continues to challenge orders for their removal in court.

Despite the news of the shooting, guests still attended from around the country.

“I think this part of D.C. especially, is pretty secure,” said Michael Armitage, a 911 director and former mayor of Charlotte, Michigan. “You know, just being kind of in the center of all the national monuments and buildings. I knew they’d have increased police presence.”

Armitage attended the ceremony with his wife, Colleen, and their two children. The two said the trip was worth the short planning window afforded by the ticket lottery. “You only get a few weeks to make your plans,” she said. 

Both said that they were not worried about safety during the visit as well. “We constantly see the police present, we feel secure and safe. We’ve always kind of felt that every time we come to D.C.,” Colleen Armitage said.

The event features a ticket lottery for a chance to attend the festivities, which this year included performances from the Beach Boys, Christian singer Matthew West, and country artists Gabby Barrett, Jon Pardi, and Alana Springsteen, among others. 

Annette Vasquez, a secretary from Artesia, New Mexico, also attended the ceremony with her daughter, Felicity, and staff from Central Elementary in Artesia. Felicity’s class was chosen to make ornaments for the New Mexico tree. 

“We made our way this way from New Mexico, to watch and see it. We’ll come tomorrow and see the trees,” Annette Vasquez said. She also said that safety was not an issue in the decision to attend. 

“That didn’t even cross my mind,”  she said. “We feel very safe. It was amazing. I would come back.”

The display features one national and 59 additional trees to represent each of the states and territories. First Lady Melania Trump, also in attendance, lit the tree at last night’s ceremony. 

The president took the opportunity to praise the peace deals he has helped broker this year and offered a rosy view of his accomplishments this year in office. 

“On this holiday season, our border is secure. Our spirit is restored,” he said. “Our economy is thriving. Inflation has stopped. Our nation is strong, and America is back, bigger and better, stronger, better than ever before.”

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Now complete, the Highway Safety Office is hoping to expand the pilot driver education program for the future. Evaluations are still ongoing, but so far, the response is promising.

Jules Kontchou, one of the driving instructors for the course, praised the program, the students, and the curriculum.

“Going through the course, as a teacher, I never had a teaching document like that one,” he said.

According to Kontchou, the curriculum, designed by AAA for the course, was a great benefit to students and instructors.

“Students told me after class that they were using the skills they learned in class on the road immediately,” he said.

Kontchou also said that other instructors were impressed with the curriculum as well.

“All of the students want the program to continue for others, and they want it to be longer,” Kontchou said. “If I could convince the government to keep the program going, I definitely would.”

According to the Department of Transportation, the program focused on a few main goals, the first of which included increasing the number of students who can obtain a driver’s license safely and affordably.

“In D.C., we have a unique transportation environment, and navigating our multi-modal city safely requires awareness and respect for everyone using our streets,” said Mayor Bowser at the launch of the initiative. “This program will give our young people the skills to become confident, responsible drivers who keep themselves and their community members safe.”

According to a press release from the mayor’s office, data shows that traffic fatalities in D.C. are at a 12-year low. As of August, the data showed a decrease of 57% in traffic fatalities compared to the same time in 2024.

“Safety is at the core of everything we do at DDOT, and it is imperative that we work together as a community to help keep every traveler on our roads safe,” DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum said in a press release. “This progress shows the impact of smart engineering and strategic road improvements and reinforces why we must continue building on this momentum.”

Now that the program has ended, the Highway Safety Office is in the post-pilot phase and working on evaluating its success. HSO is determining the feasibility of continuing the program and its funding options to do so.

Initial results are promising: 90% of students reported learning behaviors that will keep them safer on roadways through a survey provided at the end of the six-week pilot, DDOT said.

“Traffic safety education is critical to continuing our progress in reducing roadway injuries and fatalities in DC,” Acting Director of the Highway Safety Office Melissa Shear said via email. “This pilot program will empower young drivers with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate our roads safely.”

The pilot was paid for with local funds from the Office of Vision Zero whose goal is to eliminate traffic fatalities in D.C. by 2030. The $70,000 cost of the pilot covered instructor training, course materials for students and instructors and instruction fees at no cost to students.

The partnership brought together D.C. Public Schools, Dexterity Driving School, the D.C. Highway Safety Office, and Vision Zero. The driving school provided certified instructors who followed data-informed AAA curriculum to deliver in-person training, and HSO offered strategic oversight, funding support, and alignment with the city’s broader traffic safety goals.

DCPS�� was able to integrate driver education into the student experience, ensuring equity and access for young learners.

According to DDOT, the four high schools, Jackson-Reed, Coolidge, Phelps, and Eastern all have robust Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, which allows students to benefit from a driver’s license to remain competitive in their field of study post-graduation.

Students were selected in consultation with school counselors, with preference given to those currently enrolled in CTE courses, such as automotive technology, where driving knowledge may support future career paths, the department said.

Even before final evaluations are done, DDOT has already seen measurable impacts from the pilot. According to the department, early successes include students gaining classroom knowledge of D.C. roadway laws and safety behaviors, and families benefiting from no costs and streamlined access to training.

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Washington, D.C., area residents said Wednesday they are less interested in the political battles, and more focused on the potential loss of benefits and what that means for their families.��

SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a government-funded food assistance program designed to support low-income households with children, seniors and people with disabilities; it offsets the cost of nutritious food during economic hardship.��

Stress is palpable

More than a million people in the D.C. metro area suffer from food insecurity, according to the Capital Area Food Bank, the largest food distribution center in the region.����

Bernice Anderson, a D.C. resident, received her SNAP benefits on Nov. 1, but said the possibility of not receiving them kept her awake for several nights in a row.��

Anderson, who has been receiving SNAP benefits for the past six years, said she depends on that help to feed her three children.��

“Three kids, bills and all the things,” Anderson said. “We would have no food if we didn’t get stamps.”

Hillary Salmon, senior director of marketing and communications at Capital Area Food Bank, said 430,000 people in the DMV area rely on SNAP benefits, with monthly assistance averaging between $186 and $330 per household. Without the SNAP dollars, Salmon said 80 meals a month are “gone from families’ tables.

“We are trying to fill the gap,” Salmon said. “For every meal that a food bank provides, the SNAP program provides nine. That can get you a sense of how broad the issue is.”��

Salmon said Mayor Muriel Bowser’s announcement that the city will fund SNAP through November brought relief. But she said the food bank is still planning for potential impacts from possible delays. In November, Capital Area Food Bank is ramping up to provide a million more meals than previously projected, a 25% increase from the same time last year.��

Although residents in the Washington, D.C.,�� area will still receive benefits this month, Salmon said the community’s stress is palpable. Phone calls to the organization’s Hunger Lifeline, which assists those looking for emergency food aid, have tripled over the past three weeks.��

In September, the Capital Area Food Bank’s Hunger Report found 36% of residents in the DMV area don’t know where their next meal will come from. Salmon said she suspects the numbers will get worse following recent federal layoffs and the government shutdown.��

“We are dealing with many forces acting upon each other,” Salmon said. “A lot of these folks are really experiencing economic strain and a lot of anxiety about what’s going to happen.”

Mixed messages from the feds

Conflicting messages from the federal government on SNAP funding have led some to question whether they will get their benefits in November.

In October, the website said SNAP benefits would not continue in November.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 1,” the Food and Nutrition web page said at the time.

On Oct 30, Bowser announced that the District will use its own money to cover the cost of food benefits received by Washingtonians under SNAP through November.��

On Oct. 31, federal judges ordered the Trump administration to use emergency federal funds to sustain SNAP benefits through the shutdown.��

Then, Trump said on a Nov. 4 Truth Social post,�� SNAP benefits would be held.

On the same day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Trump administration is distributing SNAP benefits.

“The administration is fully complying with the court order,” Leavitt said.

‘Frustration’ and confusion��

Behind the shutdown, political banter, confusion and court orders, residents are worried.��

Mike, who received food from Bread for the City, an assistance center, and who requested not to use his full name for privacy reasons, said he welcomed Bowser’s decision to authorize the use of local funds to support SNAP.

“Without that help,”�� Mike said, “I would lose my benefits.”

For Katrina Sanders, a Washington, D.C., resident, the possibility of not receiving her SNAP benefits in November is unimaginable.

Sanders, a mom of four, said a foot injury has kept her from working, and the benefits provide peace of mind for her and her four children.��

Scheduled to receive her SNAP benefits on Nov. 8, Sanders said she is relying on different community outreach programs, such as Martha’s Table, a nonprofit service organization, to have access to fresh produce.��

“I am going to have to make due with what I have,” Sanders said. “You rely on all these things put in place, and to hear they may not continue to be in place is so frustrating.”��

��World Central Kitchen helps federal workers

The NGO World Central Kitchen is helping people in need in Washington, mostly federal employees and their families. The government shutdown has affected not only SNAP recipients but also the food security of many federal workers.

“We are feeding people working without pay,” said Laura Hayes, senior manager of the Chef Corps for World Central Kitchen. “They are coming into the office, and we are making sure to take care of them.”

By helping federal workers overcome food insecurity, they are also supporting local restaurants, which have been struggling as fewer federal employees eat out.

Hayes said the group has provided more than 36,000 meals and all of them are purchased from local restaurants.

“We are buying the meals from the local restaurants and then sharing them with furloughed workers,” Hayes said. “So everybody is supported a little bit.”

Salmon said concerns and caution are rampant in the community. But with support from community networks, there is some ease to the tumultuous environment.

“We know there was an existing high level of need in our community even before anything related to the shutdown, and we are working to step in and help provide even more food out into the community,” Salmon said.��

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Still, both parties are refusing to take the blame for the reasons behind the 36-day shutdown. Democratic leaders say the election day victories are a sign to hold their ground. Republicans say blue wins in blue states are not a reason to cave.

House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said at a press conference Wednesday that he hopes the elections are a “wake-up call” for Republicans. Schumer said Democrats may have won the battle, but they have to keep fighting to win the war. 

“Americans have been feeling the real-world repercussions of Trump’s policies for months,” said Schumer, who Wednesday sent a letter asking President Trump to meet with party leaders.

Voters “know that Democrats are fighting for them and Republicans are doing nothing … Last night, Republicans felt the political repercussions.”

Bipartisan Stalemate

The shutdown has persisted because Democrats and Republicans cannot find a middle ground on health care tax credits, which makes insurance cheaper for millions of Americans. Those subsidies are set to expire Dec. 31.

Democrats have refused to reopen the government until Republicans agree to extend the tax credits.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Republicans have always been willing to talk about making health care more affordable, but have been reluctant to do so during the shutdown because they want to reopen the government before negotiating.  

Republicans have been reluctant to do so during the shutdown because they want to reopen the government before dialogue continues, he said.

“It was in no way necessary or appropriate to shut down the government in order to have bipartisan discussions about the subsidies,” Johnson said.

Mayoral Milestone in New York

In New York City, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani beat former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor-elect, and its youngest in over a century. 

Mamdani, who calls himself a democratic socialist, started his campaign relatively unknown last year before surging to victory Tuesday against Cuomo. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.,called Mamdani’s win “one of the greatest political upsets in modern American history.” 

Sanders said Mamdani not only took on oligarchs, President Trump and Republicans in the election, but also the Democratic establishment.  

“If you have an agenda that speaks for the working class in this country, if you are prepared to take on the oligarchs — explain to people that it’s unacceptable that the very rich become much richer while working families can’t even afford groceries or their rent — and if you put together a grassroots movement you can in fact win,” Sanders said.

Speaker Johnson called Mamdani an “avowed, openly proclaimed Socialist” at a press conference Wednesday. He said Mamdani’s win signifies a shift toward socialism in the Democratic Party.

“Mamdani is without a doubt the biggest win for socialism in the history of the country, and it is the biggest loss for the American people,” Johnson said.

Alejandro Medina, a marketer who splits his time between New York and Virginia, said he feels more comfortable living in Virginia now because of the election results, which flipped the governorship to Democrat.

Medina is an immigrant from Mexico who cannot vote because he is not a U.S. citizen.

“I have to allow people to vote on my behalf,” he said.

Electoral sweep in Virginia

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said Democrats are “playing politics” with the lives of Americans during the shutdown. Republicans currently have a majority in both the House and Senate, as well as control of the White House. 

The Democratic sweep of Tuesday’s elections presents a new mainstream for the party, he said. 

“From a Communist mayor in New York City to a Virginia Attorney General who said he wanted to murder his political opponent. Pro-terrorist Marxist radicals are now the left’s mainstream,” Emmer said.

In Virginia, Democrats won the races for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General in one fell swoop. 

D.C. Tour Guide Lori Cohen, said she wasn’t surprised that Democrats won the state elections, with the exception of Attorney General-elect Jay Jones. 

On the campaign trail, Jones sent text messages about shooting his political rival, then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, to a Republican state delegate. Jones had apologized but stayed in the race.

Cohen said she wasn’t too pleased with the messages.

“I almost didn’t vote for him, but I didn’t want to continue Trump policies for attorney general, so I voted for him, and I kind of held my nose while doing it,” she said.

She said she voted Democrat because she disapproved of the shutdown and recent policy decisions by Trump. She said that she believes other democrats voted for similar reasons.

“There’s no end to the things to hate about Donald Trump,” she said.

Eric, a federal employee and Republican, who did not want his full name used, also said he was surprised by the election of Jones.

Jones “wanted to shoot his opponent twice and murder his children. I find that kind of extreme,” Eric said.

Eric is a Maryland resident, but he says he would have voted for Winsome Earle-Spears if he could have participated in the Virginia elections.

“I’m a Republican and she’s a Republican. I kind of go for the underdog,” he said.

Blue voted blue

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La, said the recent elections do not represent most Americans’ view of Republicans’ performance during the shutdown. Many of the states that saw Democratic wins Tuesday voted for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

“Is it any surprise that last night, blue states voted blue? We’re talking Virginia, New Jersey, New York,” Scalise said. “By the way, none of those were swing states.”

Pam Henkins, a retired federal employee who voted in the Virginia election, said that the federal shutdown was one of many factors that motivated her decision. 

Her husband is one of the federal employees furloughed as part of the shutdown, though he still works for the DOJ. The government has furloughed about 670,000 employees, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

“I feel like this president is lawless,” Henkins said, “and I relied on the Supreme Court to institute the structure and uphold Congress’s authority and that’s just gone dead.”

Scalise said Republicans have worked with President Trump to deliver results on issues, like lowering taxes and securing the southern border.

But Ed Markey, D-Mass., said the elections are a clear call from voters for Republicans to come to the table and negotiate to end the shutdown. He said Trump has given himself “king-like power” and enacted economic policy that is illegal and destructive. 

“President Trump is taxing food, and toys, and clothing and even tea … the last time there was a tax on tea there was a revolution in Boston,” Markey said. 

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With rallies and events planned until the end of the year, organizers��are building stronger coalitions��and amping up urgency in��D.C.’s fight for��self-governance.  ��

Just as��Free DC, a grassroots movement that supports local self-determination,��mobilized residents��for the��“Pack the Court” demonstration��at the Oct. 24 hearing,��the group’s leaders��are training, protesting,��building��resistance movements and��strategic coalitions across state lines to underscore the urgency of local autonomy��and D.C.’s tumultuous road��to self-governance. ��

Free DC��Executive Director Keya Chatterjee��said��the increasing consolidation of power and systemic erosion of democratic norms��has the country making a democratic U-turn.��

“The U.S. is��a��backsliding democracy transitioning to a competitive authoritarian state,”��Chatterjee��said.��

With a��five-year campaign��strategy��for self-rule, Chatterjee said��the goal is to be strategic in every cycle of attack from this administration.����

She characterized economic attacks, mass firings, National Guard deployment, local funding freezes, and legislative attacks as some examples of irreparable harm the federal government is causing residents. ����

Chatterjee said,��with every attack on rights and freedoms,��Free DC��gets stronger—growing��at double the speed than��in��years past—to��build unity,����

“Every effective movement is unified,”��Chatterjee said.��

Admitting she is clear-eyed about the challenges, Chatterjee said they have a 7.5% chance of success relying on the traditional electoral process, but by building a unified civil resistance movement, organizers believe they can increase the odds to about 50/50.��

“Our end goal is to have equal representation under the law for the people of D.C.,” she said.

Pack the Court��Protest��

Free DC organizers��say they have��a sense of urgency, not seen before,��as they describe a democracy that is slipping away to authoritarian rule. ��

Packing the U.S. District Courthouse with D.C. residents was just one of the many protests Free DC said they have planned to express the importance of the moment and the commitment to sustained activism. 

The courthouse protest started as a short walk from Constitution Avenue and rallied in front of the U.S. District Court, where they sang songs, chanted and eventually lined up to enter the court hearing.��

Capitol Hill resident Randy Martin said Washingtonians are not accepting this situation, calling it “crazy” and adding that people will continue to show up. ��

Katie Henke, a Hill East resident who works in international development, said she has worked in authoritarian countries in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe and the military presence on D.C. streets reminded her of those regimes. ��

 “I don’t want to see that in our country, and so I want to stand up for my neighbors,” Henke said. ��

The legal battle in the courthouse ��

Inside the courtroom,��in��,��D.C.��Attorney General Brian Schwalb�� that��the deployment��of the National Guard��undermined the District’s right to self-govern. He equated the deployment to an illegal occupation that is harmful to the city and its residents.  ��

Schwalb said that the troops were not trained to do the job of law enforcement and made residents less safe. ��

“Today we again made clear: the U.S. military should not be policing American citizens on American soil,” Schwalb said after the hearing. “It does not make us safer to have out-of-state military—many of whom are not from here and do not know our communities—policing our streets, driving military vehicles, armed with rifles and carrying handcuffs.” ��

Linda Alexander, a protester who sat through the hearings, said she wanted to be fair and hear both sides.  Alexander said even though she felt safer in Ward 7 since the deployment of troops, she recognized that it’s time for them to go home and spend time with their family. ��

Eric Hamilton, an attorney representing the Trump administration, argued that the case should be dismissed since the president has broad authorities. ��

D.C. is a municipal corporation with limited��authority,��Hamilton��said,��criticizing��the��attorney general��for not aligning with the president’s position.����

Accusing Schwalb of political posturing, Hamilton said, “D.C. is not a state, however much the attorney general wants to pretend it is, and he is doing damage to the District.” ��

��Judge Jia��M.��Cobb��is expected to make a ruling��later this year.��

��The voices of the movement ��

��Law student Byron Brooks said he came to the hearing to see how the process unfolds. ��

“We’re in an unprecedented time of democracy, or dictatorship, depending how it’s viewed.  So, today’s case will definitely set the precedence on where we are headed as a nation,” Brooks said.��

Matt Gordon said he saw the issue as a constitutional crisis. He said, as a veteran who has served his country, he sees the deployment as an illegal abuse of power.  ��

Henke described the impact on her neighbors: “Poor kids are going to and from school, passing these guards with rifles bigger than their torsos. It’s disgusting. This is what you see in authoritarian countries, and I don’t want to see that in ours.” ��

“This is a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act,” said Gordon, a self-described angry veteran. “It’s one step closer towards an authoritarian takeover of this country.”  ��

The Posse Comitatus Act generally prohibits the use of military for domestic law enforcement, with a few exceptions, such as protecting federal property and quelling domestic violence. ��

After the hearing 

At a press briefing following the hearing, Schwalb said, “When this lawsuit was filed several weeks ago, I said it was D.C. today. It was going to be other cities shortly. In fact, that is exactly what has happened. This is fundamentally un-American.” ��

During the press briefing, Henke chanted and heckled Hamilton while holding a Free DC sign prominently in the backdrop. Chants echoed off the courthouse to disrupt Hamilton’s briefing, as he referred to protestors as a “woke mob.”

Hamilton sparred with disruptive protestors but was ultimately drowned out by chanting and walked away. ��

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The intensity and frequency of��Free DC��activities��have��surged, partnering with Virginia and Maryland affiliates to build local momentum for self-governance.  ��

Chatterjee��said that, since��D.C.��lacks��representation,��Free DC��must reach out to states to build political pressure and create a network of resistance.��

Chatterjee said she wants the local D.C. government to stop complying with federal demands and legitimizing illegal actions that harm D.C. residents. ��She said D.C. local government must be on “Team Democracy” and prioritize protecting the community over appeasing the regime.��

“When you give an authoritarian regime what they want, they just take more,”��Chatterjee said.��

With events planned in each ward, every month until the end of the year, organizers are conducting extensive and sustained training programs and building coalitions for mass non-cooperation strategies to fundamentally reimagine democracy in the nation’s capital.��

“Whether it takes ten months or ten years, we must be absolutely resolute in our fight,” said Rig, who used the moniker U.S. Army Overlord.

“As the government wants to escalate its attacks against the District of Columbia, we will clearly have to take more measures to withhold our support,” Henke said.

The resistance continues and prioritizes joy, community resilience, non-violent strategies, and alternative support systems as the way forward, Chatterjee said. ��

“There’s no oppressed people in the history of the world that have ever succeeded without joy,”��she said.��

“Justice looks like the military being off our streets and one step closer toward statehood,” Gordon said.��

The post Beyond ‘Packing the Courthouse’: D.C.’s long road to self-governance  first appeared on 91����.

The women said they have a reason for skipping the demonstrations against the administration: it’s time for others to step up.

During the 2024 presidential election, 92% of Black women voted for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. After her defeat, some chose to disengage from today’s demonstrations to prioritize their own well-being.

However, others said that while rest is important, citizens should not abandon participation in resistance movements.

At a time when Black women face further marginalization, some sat out a rally that had more than 7 million participants nationwide, but no clear action steps, some said.

“Black women are tired of empty performative action,” said Sherri Williams, associate professor in Race, Media and Communication at American University.

Williams explained that the issue is not about disengagement but about choosing when and how to engage. Black women chose to unshoulder political burdens and prioritize self.

“’Rest as protest’ means Black women are really thinking strategically about where they will invest their energy,” Williams said.

Exhausted, but ‘still showing up’

Still, the rally was compelling for some protesters.

Activist Imani Bashir spent the day under a tent helping people understand their power as jurors and taxpayers and sharing information about labor unions.

She described the rally as a “white liberal space,” a space with predominantly white attendees and no plan of action. She felt it lacked a sense of urgency, disruption, and clear demands, and felt more like a parade than a protest.

Bashir said she understood why others skipped the event. However, she said doing nothing is not enough.

“Some are throwing up their hands,” Bashir said. “But most of the Black femmes, trans folks, and gender-nonconforming people I know are exhausted — and still showing up.”

Opting out

Kia Braxton, an emergency management contractor who works on social justice issues, stayed home. She found little reason to express herself publicly again.

“My protest was back in November when I voted for the only competent, capable choice who was on the ballot who happened to be a Black woman,” Braxton said.

Braxton said protests should not be “comfortable pursuits.” She said the rally was more of a “social gathering.”

Braxton told 91���� that Black people are still resisting, even if they don’t appear in demonstrations. Black people, she said, historically have been working for everyone’s benefit.

“We’ve earned our rest,” Braxton said. “We are still doing the work, just not the way you expect.”

“The Rest Revolution”

Amanda Littlejohn, author of , recognizes how going back to the basics of rest and well-being is helping Black women deal with burnout from advocacy.

Littlejohn and others are turning inward to prioritize their physical and mental health above advocacy.

As her critics call rest a luxury, she pushes back.

“Rest is not a luxury or something that we have to earn,” Littlejohn said. “You can’t outwork racism; you can’t outwork sexism. Your excellence cannot fix systemic issues.”

Littlejohn criticizes the oft-repeated doctrine that Black women must be “twice as good” to succeed. She said it normalizes exhaustion to an unhealthy degree.

“Rest is being in community with people who are supportive to you,” Littlejohn said. “Rest is making room for joy and things that replenish, refuel, and energize you.”

Intergenerational burnout

Clinical psychologist and founder of Vivid Innovations Consulting Ashley Elliott, popularly known as Dr. Vivid, said that rest is a form of resistance.

Elliot said that resting allows others to step up and act. She added that since Black women have carried the load, others need to contribute.

“That resistance is a show of growth in our mindset,” Elliot said. “We understand we are doing more harm than good if we continue to show up on the battlefield for people who won’t show up for us unless we start the work.”

The Arlington-based psychologist told 91���� that Black women have taken on the role of keeping communities together, sometimes neglecting their own needs, resulting in generational cycles of burnout.

To break generational cycles of burnout, Elliot said Black women must remember they also deserve the love, rest, and safety they provide others.

Elliot said that Black women can often feel guilty for resting due to societal pressures. When this guilt rises, there is a way to counteract that – with evidence.

“What have you done for yourself, for your family, for your community that has proved fruitful, effective, positive, beneficial?” Elliot asks. “Acknowledging that that work, no work, no matter how long or short in the task or the project, is enough to justify rest.”

Not exactly “rest”

Anna Malaika Tubbs, sociologist and author of Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us, said that because Black women were pushed furthest from the original U.S. patriarchal structure, they had to imagine and fight for better conditions.

“The Founding Fathers … were building a republic of men, white men in particular, who they saw as elites,” Tubbs said. “They painted Black women as the complete opposite of American patriarchy and the benefits that are afforded to them.”

The sociologist said that when Black women do not always appear at rallies or events, it is not because they are necessarily resting in the traditional sense of the word.

“Our day-to-day life is resistance,” Tubbs said. “The way we parent our children to still live and love and thrive in a nation that often tries to attack them, is our resistance.”

Black women aren’t giving up, Tubbs said, it’s just time for others to “wake up.”

The post The complicated relationship of Black Women and the ‘No Kings’ movement first appeared on 91����.

Once threatened by development, the club’s recent historic designation now offers it protection and potential partnerships as the 11th Street Bridge Park and the reimagined Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium development transforms the Anacostia waterfront.��

In a prime, almost hidden corner of Boathouse Row, Seafarers was founded by mariner and educator Lewis Thomas Green in 1945 with the support of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. ��At a time when boat clubs were exclusively “white-only,” Seafarers stood as a haven for Black boaters and a symbol of resilience. ��

“It’s not about nostalgia. It’s about protecting what still serves the people,” said Roger Legerwood, Seafarers Yacht Club historian and 30-year member.

Historical designation offers legal protections��

Seafarers gained its historic designation in 2022, sponsored by the D.C. Office of Planning—shepherding in new protections against emerging developments.��

“We’re not scared, we’re historic. We’re in partnership with the D.C. government,” said Seafarers Yacht Club Commodore Tony Ford. ��

Seafarers falls within Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal projects to assess and mitigate adverse effects on historic properties. �� ��

“If the review identifies potential adverse effects, the parties will coordinate to resolve them,” the D.C. Office of Planning said.��

Legerwood began documenting the history of the club about 25 years ago, almost by accident. ��He said he found the history fascinating, and his chronicled account eventually became the basis for filing historic preservation.��

“They just can’t run through here without checking,” Legerwood said. “When we see or hear of threats, we look at it as an opportunity to engage.” ��

The designation opens new doors for grant funding and restoration support. Seafarers partnered with the 11th Street Bridge Park team—the project to transform the abandoned 11th Street Bridge piers into a state-of-the-art park—to ensure the club’s legacy is cemented in the future of the waterfront. ����

“Connecting to the river has always been one of our key goals,” said Scott Kratz, director of the Bridge Park project.�� “Seafarers started the Anacostia River Cleanup in 1985.�� They’ve been critical to restoring and healing the river.”��

Kratz’s team secured a U.S. Coast Guard permit to maintain the navigational envelope—increasing visibility for organizations like Seafarers. ��The new park will include an environmental education center, which could feature Seafarers’ history and community programming. ����

Ford, who has led the club for seven years, said he views the Bridge Park partnership as a model for respectful collaboration. ��

“We’re already partners,” Ford said. “We offer free boat rides during cherry blossom week and talk about the history. ��It’s not adversarial; it’s community.”��

Ford is less certain about the RFK Stadium development, a $3-billion project expected to generate thousands of jobs and billions in tax revenue. ��

“We haven’t had a mutually respectful conversation with those developers,” Ford said. The club’s relationship is only through the mayor’s office, he said.��

Over the years, Ford said developers have used intimidation tactics. In one case, Ford said a developer sent an email alluding that Seafarer would sell its property before even having a conversation. Ford said he is used to the tactics—and some have already begun.

“Forming, storming, norming and performing, that’s how we figure out where we fit in,” Ford said. He added this is a teambuilding process that goes through different stages to understand their relationship and roles in the development projects.��

Despite concerns, Ford said he remains optimistic.����

“We are the oldest African American boat club in the country—not DC—in the country,” Ford said. ��

Seafarers started the Anacostia River clean up, and we will continue to do what serves the community, Ford said.��

It’s about the community��

For longtime D.C. resident and recreational fisherman Derick Jones, this is personal.�� Fishing on the Anacostia River for over 20 years, Jones acknowledged that the RFK development is good for the city.������

“I hope they don’t mess it up—a lot of young brothers come here to fish instead of getting in trouble,” Jones said.��

Jones urged developers to protect community spaces.����

“This is my fishing spot,” Jones said while laughing. “This is my peace of mind.” ��

Seafarers Business Manager Captain Anthony Hood echoed the sentiment.��

“We are a working club. Members bring their skills—woodwork, law, electrical—to keep things going.” ����

Hood joined the club in 2020 after his wife passed. He said she always had encouraged him to buy a boat. ����

“It has occupied my time and helped me heal—now I’m part of something bigger,” Hood said.��

As the business manager for Seafarers, Hood focuses on infrastructure and restoration efforts. ��Partnered with Anacostia Riverkeeper and the Council of Governments, Seafarer received a grant to remove abandoned boats as part of an initiative for cleaner waterways, Hood said.��

With work-in-progress projects all around the club, Hood said the infrastructure needs attention. ��Members are replacing old dock woods themselves, but with development funds, Hood said. ��

“We could rebuild the docks, the rail system and even the clubhouse,” Hood said.��

Legerwood said the club wants to amplify Seafarers’ legacy and make boating more affordable and inclusive. ��

“Inclusivity was our original mission,” Legerwood said. “Mr. Green built boats by hand but couldn’t find a place to dock because of his race—that’s why this place exist.”��

The D.C. Preservation League, which maintains the city’s historic inventory, said it added Seafarers to its public database after the designation and is now part of the public record. ��

D.C. Preservation League said, “That visibility matters.” ��

“We’re not just a boating club.” said Legerwood. “We’re a living archive of Black maritime history.”��

The post This last Black institution along the Anacostia is navigating development with intention first appeared on 91����.

 The gala will be held Thursday, Oct. 23rd, from 6-10 pm at the Blackburn Center on campus. This first of a kind homecoming event, along with other major university changes, is part of an effort to support the university’s military-connected community, an effort spearheaded by Paris Adon, director of student services. 

Howard offers Army, Air Force, and Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs—students who participate train, study, and graduate to become officers in their respective military branches.  

The military-connected community, however, includes student veterans and military dependents using their benefits to attend school.  

Adon said, “80% of the students who use our services are dependents.”  

Adon heads six university offices, including the Office of Military and Veteran Services (OMVS), Advocacy and Support, Student Accessibility, Bison Intervention, the Pantry, and the Office of Interpersonal Violence Prevention (IVPP). Since he came to the university, there have been several renovations, the most recent being the Veterans Resource Center.  

Armed with a grant from the Department of Education and significant investment from the university, Adon has overseen major changes. The grant allowed for renovations to create the Veterans Resource Center, and the university added staff to help support the military-connected population, which has grown to nearly 700 students since Adon arrived.  

The success of the VRC is in large part due to the community being built within the space, Adon said. He said he takes pride in the fact that it’s a popular destination, even with students who have off-campus housing. 

“The students come down here to enjoy themselves,” Adon said. “The SVA meetings are packed.” 

The SVA is the Student Veterans of America, a student organization that uses the space for meetings and is made up of mainly military-connected students. Restarting the chapter was another win for Adon.  

Mentorship from the Ohio State University SVA chapter helped make the Gala possible. 

The Ohio State chapter suggested Adon pitch the idea to the school’s development office.

“Why don’t we do it during homecoming?” the development office asked Adon. 

The gala will honor Brigadier General Ronald Sullivan, an Army judge advocate general (JAG), graduate of Howard’s ROTC program, and the School of Business. There will be additional awards for cadets and SVA members. 

“A lot of campus partners don’t realize how connected this community is,” Adon said.  

For the students, the community is a huge draw.  

“If you come down here often enough, you’ll know everybody,’ said Xavier Rodriguez, a junior.  “It’s a chill place where a lot can go on, and nothing can go on.”  

Adon said he has tried to attend the commissioning ceremonies for the programs the university offers. His constant effort to make more connections across the campus is evident whenever he steps outside of his office.  

“We’ve done so much under his leadership,’ said Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Cynthia Evers. “They’re doing amazing things, and now others call on them.” 

Adon said he is most proud of what the students are doing with the space that he has helped create.  Not only is it a place for them to hang out, it’s a place for them to get answers, he added.  

“Any resource that Howard has, someone here knows about it,” said Joshua Gaither, a sophomore.  

Armani Bostic is a third-year law student at Howard who visits the VRC often.  

Bostic said she completed a work study program with the Veterans Administration and has found both community, and mentorship opportunities.  

“I go to school on west campus,” she said. “This is a great way to interact with the main campus.”

Adon said the staff he has built in and around the center is just as focused on creating those positive outcomes.

“We want to be the number one Student Veterans of America chapter,” Adon said. 

Keshala Fluker, one of the VRC case managers said for her, it’s about helping the students when they’re navigating hard times.  

“Sometimes you don’t know you need something until you experience it,’’ she said. 

She also said, there are more great things to come.

 “I think the more traction the VRC gets, the more positive outcomes we’ll see,” she said.  

Tickets for the event, which start at $100, are still available, and can be purchased online.

The post Red, White, and Bison Gala is another Howard military community win first appeared on 91����.

If you didn’t, you are not alone. It’s been 50 years since the first ANC elections, but D.C. residents are unaware that these neighborhood commissions administer community grants.������

While a lot of confusion remains about the role and power of ANCs in the District, the community grant program can have visible impact, if you’re lucky enough to live in a neighborhood that offers them.����

��According to the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions FY 2025 , the role of the ANCs is “to advise the District government on matters of public policy,” which range from planning and social service programs to health, safety, and sanitation.����

The ANCs provide advice and recommendations to the D.C. Council, the mayor, and various agencies, boards, and commissions of government. Some ANCs also award grants to help their communities.��

“ANCs do a tremendous amount of work,” says Executive Director, Kent Boese. “We are in a much better city because of them.”��

The OANC oversees each of the District’s individual neighborhood commissions. When it comes to grants, both the OANC and the ANC receive the applications.����

The OANC reviews the grant for fiscal compliance and makes a recommendation on if they feel it would be an appropriate expense. The ANC can then decide if it still wants to support it, Boese said. ��

For community members who want to apply for a grant, there are rules, of course. Grants can be as much as $3,000 and are available to organizations, not individuals, based on D.C.����

Organizations can’t receive more than one grant in a year.��

Can’t duplicate a city service.��

Also, for a group to receive a grant, it can’t be for a program that duplicates a city service. Boese said that line is clear, but there is nuance.����

“For example, the city has a program where you can ask for free tools during the fall for community clean-up. However, the city doesn’t operate a program for that during the winter,” he said. A grant for a winter program would be allowed, but the ANC would need to retain ownership of the tools, he said.��

Additionally, grants can’t be used for things such as food, must benefit the community (not a person or organization), and must be for a future event, Boese said. ��

Ward 1 resident Wendy Singleton, a board member and logistics coordinator for , has helped her organization get an ANC grant for the past five years. The organization, founded by Ransom Miller III, has used the money to support their annual Thanksgiving food distribution. This event, celebrating its 30th year, helps Project Giveback support over 5,000 families with bulk food distribution throughout the city.

“It’s not a hard process,” she said. “You have to get in early. The ANCs want to make sure their constituents are being served.”��

��Not all commissioners offer grants.��

Since the ANC’s have final say if an organization or event gets funded, single member district representatives can sponsor a proposal for an organization that is based outside of their ANC. This is important because not all ANCs offer grants.����

For example, Anna Krebs, commissioner and treasurer of ANC 6B06, represents one of those districts.����

“6B does not currently have grants available, but it is something that we are actively working on,” she said. ��

She said her neighborhood commission is working with the OANC to see what kinds of grants have been approved for other neighborhoods.����

Before becoming an ANC commissioner, Krebs said she hadn’t heard of the grants either. However, she added that she does see the value of them.

��“Part of why we want to bring back grants is so we can put money back into the community,” she said.����

So who decides if an ANC will offer grants or not? According to Boese, that’s up to the ANCs as well.��

��“It is important when reading the Code to pay attention to the words ‘may’ and ‘shall.’ ‘May’ means that a Commission is allowed, but not required, to do something. ‘Shall’ means that a Commission must so something,” Boese said.��

Boese is referring to section 1–309.13(l)(1) of the D.C. Code, which says “Expenditures may be in the form of grants by the Commission for public purposes within the Commission.”��

Some commissions have elected to start creating programs themselves, rather than issue reimbursements to organizations, Boese said.��

According to the OANC Annual Report for FY24, ANCs receive an approved allotment in the D.C. budget by the mayor. For the last two years, that amount was $915,688, which comes to $1.327 per District resident based on the 2020 census.����

The OANC can also recommend that the Office of the Chief Financial Officer withhold a portion of an ANC’s allocation if that commission has spent money for something that is not allowed (e.g. a committee luncheon) or is not in accordance with the procedures for spending money (e.g. the expenditure is not recorded in the minutes, or the check does not have two signatures). It is the OCFO that makes the quarterly allotments to the ANCs.��

ANC budgets are restricted to two main uses: administration and community support. Admin can be office supplies, business cards, signs, advertising, or rent for office space or community meetings. The commissioners themselves are not paid, however.��

A common theme is a lack of awareness. “Even if people don’t get involved, they should know we exist,” Krebs said.����

Singleton said she found out about the grants from a member of her church.����

“They don’t publicize,” she said. “You need to be active in the ANC, and you need to go to meetings.”����

Boese said his office is working to fix the lack of awareness of the grant program. In addition to improving individual websites, his office is working on an initiative in conjunction with local libraries to bring more attention to the commissions, and the work they do, before next year’s election.����

The post ANC community grants: An underpublicized feature not uniformly offered first appeared on 91����.