Greetings Ward 8 Residents,

During Black History Month, we take time to reflect and celebrate the historical influence and excellence of our black leaders. It is a time of reflection. We are reminded of the courage and strength of the historical figures like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Madame C.J. Walker and rising leaders such as :
* Ilhan Omar, a Somali American politician, serving as the U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district
* Alicia Garza, the Oakland, CA native and co-founder of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement;
* Tarana Burke, the creator of the #MeToo Movement
* Ryan Coogler, the 32-year-old director who gave us one of the biggest cultural touchstones of the decade, the Black Panther movie and;
* so many others.

As we continue to make strides towards improving our community, we must be resilient amongst adversity, much like our African-American predecessors. As a predominately African-American ward, we must continue to make strides in education, economic development and build inroads for our residents to obtain success and reinforce the mission of equality, opportunity and freedom for all.

It is a pleasure to serve the residents of the great Ward 8. Enjoy black history month and keep striving.

Trayon White, Sr.
Councilmember, Ward 8
Upcoming Hearings

**ATTENTION WARD RESIDENTS**

Every resident in our Temporary Family Shelters, 801 Men's Shelter, Rapid Rehousing Recipients, SNAP, Medicaid, TANF holders who had had issues with the South Capitol and/or 2100 MLK Center - Let Your Voice Be Heard.

Councilmember Brianne Nadeau will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing for all agencies within the purview of the Committee on Human Services.
Around the Council

Emergency Legislation for Washington Metropolitan Opportunity School

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In a failed 7-5 vote, DC Council did not succeed in keeping Washington Metropolitan Opportunity School (Washington Met) open.

Councilmember Trayon White made the following statement about the school closure :

"This sends the wrong message to our already struggling student population. Students attend Washington Met because other traditional schools did not support or nurture them after experiencing different social and emotional trauma.

The narrative is that we are doing a consolidation plan. If students cannot get the support they need in school, guess where they will go? To DYRS, to DC Jail and other jails across the country and the morgue. We have a responsibility as leaders to put our resources where our mouth is and help our students. ⁣
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Our students need special attention and wrap-around services. By recommending the closure of the school, DCPS is adding yet another layer of trauma onto our students. This does not have to be the case."

Sense of the Council that the District of Columbia is Committed to Equitable Funding for all Schools Resolution of 2020
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Last year Ward 8 schools were challenged with funding. Councilmember Trayon White, along with some of his colleagues, sought solutions to the funding issues. Councilmember White advocated for more transparency, accountability, and funding to be returned to schools that needed more resources, not less.

Councilmember Trayon White stated, "I did not want the progress and momentum from last year's efforts to be lost. Students and parents need to know that the Council continues to stand with them in efforts to have equitable funding and resources for our schools."

"In this light, the Chairman and I discussed this measure, which will ensure, as we enter the budget season, fair and equitable funding for schools will be at the forefront of everyone’s attention," Councilmember White stated.
Around the Ward

Meeting with Clergy and Community Leaders
On February 4th, Councilmember Trayon White joined clergy and community leaders for a meeting to discuss ways to effectively empower our community socially, educationally and economically through training and workforce development.

Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center
Monthly Meeting
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On Feburary 5th, Councilmember Trayon White Councilmember addressed seniors of Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center at their Monthly Assembly Meeting that takes place the first Wednesday of the Month.
In The News


** After a contentious debate, D.C. Council falls one vote short of rescuing school slated for closing
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It was a nail-biter of a vote, but in the end, a frantic attempt to keep the doors open at Washington Metropolitan Opportunity Academy failed to get the supermajority of D.C. Council support needed.

Councilmember Mary M. Cheh warned that students would simply drop out. Councilmember Trayon White Sr. said he feared some would leave school and end up dead.

Others said that the school serves many students who are entangled with the justice system and that they worry closure would set them on the wrong path.

“Let’s not put these young people on a path to go to jail,” Vincent C. Gray said. “And I’m afraid that’s what is going to happen.”

Read the full article at WashingtonPost.com ([link removed])
Announcements
The Office of Councilmember Trayon White has discounted community value vouchers available for Ward 8 constituents who would like to attend Disney on Ice shows at the Capital One Arena.

(1)How to Obtain a Discount Voucher:
To obtain voucher(s)[DEL: :DEL] please fill out the form below.

(2)Where Do I Pick-Up My Voucher Once I have Registered?
Residents will be able to pick-up the discounted voucher at the following:

1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 400 ([link removed])
Monday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm

2235 Shannon Place SE ([link removed]) - w/ Security at the Front Desk
Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 4:30pm
VOUCHERS ARE AVAILABLE WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.

(3)How Do I Use My Voucher to Purchase Discounted Event Tickets

THESE ARE NOT ADMISSION TICKETS TO THESE EVENTS! This voucher/offer code can be used towards the purchase of each reserved seat . These are NOT TICKETS, they are vouchers that will discount the rate of selected tickets at the Capital One Arena. Take the voucher to the venue office box to purchase.

*****THESE VOUCHERS NEED TO BE USED ASAP BECAUSE THE ARENA ONLY ALLOWS A CERTAIN AMOUNT TO BE USED PER SHOW. *****

Disney on Ice
Friday, February 14, 2020 at 7:30pm
or
Monday, February 17, 2020 at 2:30pm
Voucher /offer code can be used toward purchase of up to one (1) reserved seat at $17 each.
( Add "Up to" 6 vouchers per person while supplies last)


CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A VOUCHER ([link removed])
We are always looking for ways to better serve our constituents. This survey seeks to obtain information that will provide insight on how we are currently serving our constituents and what we can do to make things better. This survey is completely anonymous and will be used for internal purposes only.
Click HERE ([link removed]) to take the feedback survey.
Legislation


** Commission on Poverty Act of 2019 ([link removed])
Commission on Literacy Act of 2019 ([link removed])
Youth Mentoring Initiative Establishment Act of 2018 ([link removed])
Nonprofit Incubator Act ([link removed])
Fare Evasion Decriminalization Act of 2017 ([link removed])
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** Ward 7 and Ward 8 Restaurant Incentive Program Establishment Act of 2019 ([link removed])
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** Children and Youth Vision Screening Amendment Act of 2019 ([link removed])
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** Criminal Record Expungement Amendment Act of 2019 ([link removed])
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** Close Relative Caregivers Subsidies Amendment Act of 2019 ([link removed])
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** Sense of the Council Urging Fair and Equitable Funding for Ward 8 Public Schools Resolution of 2019 ([link removed])
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** Housing Production Trust Fund Affordability Levels Amendment Act of 2019 ([link removed])
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** Prohibition of Marijuana Testing Act of 2019 ([link removed])
Hannah Hawkins Way Designation Act of 2019 ([link removed])
Players Lounge Tax Exemption Act of 2019 ([link removed])
Detained Youth Access to the Juvenile Services Program Amendment Act of 2019. ([link removed])
East of the River High-Risk Displacement Prevention Services and Fund Establishment Act of 2019 ([link removed])
Local Rental Application Voucher Amendment Act of 2019 ([link removed])
Community Input for Hypothermia Shelter Amendment Act of 2019 ([link removed])
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Commission on Recreation Establishment Act of 2019 ([link removed])
Improved Coordination of Mental Health Care for System Involved Youth Act of 2019 ([link removed])
Clarence J. Venable Violence Intervention and Prevention Workers Protection Act of 2020 ([link removed])
Equitable Employment in High Displacement Risk Zone Initiative Act of 2020 ([link removed])


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Ward 8 Outreach

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