By Liane Scott, on March 27th, 2014 Next Tuesday, April 1, 2014, is DC’s Mayoral Primary. Given that the District of Columbia has never elected a mayor who wasn’t a Democrat, so far as I know anyway, the primary can be counted on as a prediction of the election itself. A Google search of the District’s mayoral race reveals that most news outlets are reporting on who’s likely to win and not so much on their position on the issues. One exception is the Examiner.com article, D.C. mayoral candidate forum addresses sustainability and the environment.
If you were unable to attend any of the candidate forums but want to know what the candidates think about income inequality, the achievement gap, the wage gap, housing affordability, and other pivotal issues, you can watch the Un-Forums. These one-on-one conversations with the leading mayoral candidates were held on three evenings in March at the University of the District of Columbia Law School before a live audience. The forums were moderated by Mark Segraves of NBC4 and Marc Fisher of the Washington Post. Participating candidates were Muriel Bowser, Andy Shallal, Jack Evans, Tommy Wells and Vincent Orange.
Mark Segraves Interviews Andy Shallal and Tommy Wells.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34dsTjuRN2Y
Mark Fisher Interviews Vincent Orange and Jack Evans.
Mark Fisher Interviews Muriel Bowser.
For those who want an opportunity to hear from all of the candidates, you can watch WAMU’s candidate forum.
By Judith Hawkins, on March 21st, 2014 
The participants of Bread for the City’s first ever media training included several BFC clients: A graduate of BFC’s Pre-Employment Program (PEP), a returning citizen, one former and two current BFC Client Advisory Board members, and two residents of the Potomac Gardens public housing complex.
The first three sessions were held in Bread for the City’s SE Center and dedicated to:
Gaining a better understanding of what a powerful tool the media plays in perpetuating racism and oppressive stereotypes Understanding how the media helps to perpetuate the cycle of oppression Strategizing how to make media production skills available to the people who are most affected by oppression and stereotypes in the media
The last three sessions were held at the Potomac Gardens public housing complex and dedicated to:
Teaching the technical skills of videotaping and editing using Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier Elements 11 software Discovering creative ways to use cellphones as media tools
In today’s world of ever evolving technology, it’s exciting that those most affected by poverty are steadily gaining more control over how their stories are told. They are also being given the tools to share their stories with a wide audience. We plan to begin another session in April 2014.
Remember- we can be the change we want to see!
Below are two of the videos produced in the class. The first is a testimonial by William McIntyre who was a smart kid. He graduated from high school and everybody thought he was going to be just as big a man in the world as he was a big man on campus. But six months later he’s still working at McDonalds. What happened next? Watch and find out.
The second is of Ms. Brown who spoke to her daughter about life in the District of Columbia throughout the years. Ms. Brown, being born in 1931, had a lot to share. This 10 minute video is just a start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut5JT0qM5Cc
By Liane Scott, on March 18th, 2014 
On February 18, a panel discussion on the critical implications of “urban renewal” in DC communities took place at American University. The first speaker was Johanna Bockman. An Associate Professor of Sociology and Global Affairs at George Mason University, Bockman also runs the blog Sociology in My Neighborhood: DC Ward Six. In the video below, she gives a brief history of gentrification, dissecting it along the way. Worth taking a listen, even as you do other things.
Shout out to Sophia YoshiMi and Luis Enrique Salazar for putting together what was an amazing panel discussion and posting the video. Watch this space for more video from the Confronting Gentrification Panel Discussion.
By Grassroots DC, on March 13th, 2014
By Grassroots DC, on March 11th, 2014 It’s budget season. The mayor’s fiscal year 2015 budget is almost complete. According to the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, it could use some work.
In Addition to this report, the Fair Budget Coalition invites you to join them at their Tale of Two Cities Action.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014 10:oo am – 12:00 pm The Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
This is your last chance to pressure the mayor to fund your priorities before he finishes his budget! So join the Fair Budget Coalition to demonstrate, in people power, how important safety net services are to DC residents and allies. It will be a dynamic and fun action so don’t miss it!
Bring your ID to enter the building
For more information: Contact Janelle at 202.986.9580
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