Grand African Run
 On July 21, 2019, the Mayor's Office on African Affairs will join Nova Connections, the African Union Mission to the United States for the Grand African Run, a celebration of Mandela Day.
Grand African Run is inspired by the interest and value that is placed upon the success of running sports in Africa. Over the past 60 years, Africa has produced multiple distance runners who have gone on to win major international honors on the global stage. Young and old alike rejoice in the successes of their athletic heroes, and many have embraced and been inspired by these successes. The Run will serve as a platform to develop and nurture community, and enhance linkages within the African diaspora.
When: Sunday, July 21, 2019 | 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: The Yards Park | 355 Water St SE | Washington, DC | 20003
RSVP here
Mayor Muriel Bowser's FY2020 Immigrant Justice Legal Services Grant: Request for Applications (RFA)
 The Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM) is soliciting grant applications from qualified private organizations and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) serving District of Columbia residents for its FY 2020 Immigrant Justice Legal Services Grant Program (IJLS). The $2.5 million IJLS grant program will support the provision of legal services to the DC immigrant population, as well as language access services to other grantees to effectuate the legal services provided.
Interested applicants who have questions about the program or application process are encouraged to attend one of the pre-bidders' meetings.
NB: The deadline for the FY 2020 Immigrant Justice Legal Grant is 5:00pm on Friday, August 16, 2019.
Submission Details: Online submissions only. Please submit your complete application through the following online portal: ZoomGrants
Availability of RFA: Download from MOAA's website (www.oaa.dc.gov) and/or the District's Grant Clearinghouse website.
MOAA Grantee Spotlight: Asylum Seeker Assistance Project
 Mustapha participated in the Asylum Seeker Assistance Project (ASAP)’s Job Readiness Training and worked with ASAP’s employment manager to redo and customize his resume. Previously, Mustapha was an accountant in his home country, but in the U.S. was working below his ability. With the new resume, cover letter, and interview practice gained through ASAP, Mustapha secured a position as an operations manager with international development consultancy that is not only his chosen profession but at a salary far greater than before.
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Mayor Bowser Announces Completion of Project that Transformed Vacant Property into Affordable Homeownership Opportunities in Ward 1
 On Monday, July 9, 2019, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the completion of four family-sized affordable townhomes at 8th and T Streets, NW in the Shaw neighborhood of Ward 1. The homes sit on a formerly vacant lot transformed with the help of MANNA, Inc. through the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) Vacant to Vibrant initiative – a program to turn vacant and blighted properties in the agency’s portfolio into productive uses.
“If we are going to achieve our goal of creating 36,000 new homes by 2025, we must find new ways to build and preserve affordable housing in every corner of our city,” said Mayor Bowser. “The investments we’re making through our Vacant to Vibrant program are turning unproductive sites – whether they are vacant, blighted, or just empty – into housing for DC residents. It’s not enough to just say we need more housing – we’ve got to have a plan in place to make that happen.”
The 8th and T Streets, NW townhomes were constructed by MANNA, Inc. a nonprofit developer of affordable housing. The four family-sized units have three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms each, measuring 1,300 to 1,500 square feet. MANNA, Inc. acquired the vacant lot from DHCD and financed the construction, with over $500,000 from the Housing Production Trust Fund, as well as bank financing. The property will be designated for first-time homebuyers earning between $58,600 – $93,760 (50% and 80% of Median Family Income) and remain affordable for 15 years.
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Mayor Bowser Visits Frager’s Hardware to Mark Minimum Wage Increase
 Effective July 1, 2019, the District’s minimum wage increased from $13.25 to $14.00 per hour. The wage increase is expected to benefit over 200,000 workers in the District.
“One of the most effective ways we can give more Washingtonians a fair shot is by connecting our residents to pathways to the middle class, which for many starts with a strong minimum wage,” said Mayor Bowser. “Establishing a $15 minimum wage is an essential part of our efforts to create policies and programs that make our city more affordable and sustainable for working families and residents across the income spectrum.”
In 2016, as part of her commitment to create pathways to the middle class for Washingtonians across all eight wards, Mayor Bowser signed the Fair Shot Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2016 into law to raise the District’s minimum wage to $15.00 per hour by 2020. Under the law, the minimum wage will increase to $15.00 per hour by 2020, and will increase each successive year beginning in 2021 in proportion to the increase in the Consumer Price Index.
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Cafritz Award-winning MPD Language Access Officer Imhotep Newsome strives to ensure all are heard
 Given his joyful nature, it’s hard to believe Imhotep Newsome routinely works 15-hour days.
Newsome’s job as the language access program manager for the Metropolitan Police Department is all about ensuring that “limited English individuals” have the same access to police services that native English speakers have. He’s tasked with making MPD more friendly for those who struggle with English.
Enacted in 2004, the DC Language Access Act “mandates the DC government to provide equal access and participation in public services” for District residents who have limited English capacity, according to the DC Office of Human Rights website. Each of the 39 DC government agencies that has “major public contact” is required under the legislation to have some sort of language access manager on its staff. Newsome is responsible for upholding the law’s requirements for MPD.
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Masai Ujiri: Why Toronto Raptors' president sees promise in Africa
As rags to riches stories go, it's a spectacular one, and Masai Ujiri, the president of Toronto Raptors basketball team, can't quite believe how far he has come from kicking a football in the streets of northern Nigeria to leading a Canadian team to a historic NBA championship win.
"I'm really appreciative that I'm here because I shouldn't be...I'm from Zaria in northern Nigeria, and I find myself getting calls from presidents...," he said during his year-end conference on Tuesday.
Ujiri also announced that his future is with the Raptors, quashing rumors of a departure to another team.
"I love it here. My family loves it here. My wife loves it here, which is very important. My kids are Canadians. You want to win more. ... In my mind, I'm here," Ujiri said during the conference at Toronto's OVO Athletic Centre.
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Nigerian Author Lesley Nneka Arimah Wins 2019 Caine Prize
 Nigerian writer Lesley Nneka Arimah has won the 2019 Caine Prize for African Writing - often described as Africa's leading literary award, for her short story entitled "Skinned", published inMcSweeney's Quarterly Concern (Issue 53) 2018.
Dr. Peter Kimani, Chair of Judges announced Lesley as the winner of the £10,000 prize at an award dinner this evening (Monday 8 July). The ceremony was held for the third time in Senate House, in partnership with SOAS and the Centre for African Studies.
'Skinned' envisions a society in which young girls are ceremonially 'uncovered' and must marry in order to regain the right to be clothed. It tells the story of Ejem, a young woman uncovered at the age of fifteen yet 'unclaimed' in adulthood, and her attempts to negotiate a rigidly stratified society following the breakdown of a protective friendship with the married Chidinma. With a wit, prescience, and a wicked imagination, 'Skinned' is a bold and unsettling tale of bodily autonomy and womanhood, and the fault lines along which solidarities are formed and broken.
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Summer Conversation Classes hosted by Washington English Center
 Interested in practicing English conversation? Consider enrolling in the Washington English Center’s six-week conversation-focused English classes, starting July 8. Enrollment is still open and new students are welcome at any time. Students can sign up for morning, evening, or weekend classes at their convenience, with beginner, intermediate, and advanced level classes.
When: Evening classes Mon-Wed, July 8 - Aug 14 | 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Weekend classes Sat-Sun, July 13 - Aug 18 | 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Where: Washington English Center | 2200 California St NW | Washington, DC | 20008
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Let's Talk Housing--Assessing Needs for FY20 Action Plan
 The DC Department of Housing and Community Development(DHCD) receives federal funding for policies and programs in: (1) affordable housing; (2) special needs housing; (3) homelessness; (4) homeownership; and (5) community development and public service activities. Each fiscal year, it develops an "Action Plan" on the best uses of federal resources.
DHCD has completed its FY2020 Draft Annual Action Plan. District residents and stakeholders are strongly encouraged to give input on the proposed plan no later than August 2, 2019. DHCD will submit the Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by August 16, 2019.
District residents who would like to present oral testimony are encouraged to register in advance. Please provide your name, address, telephone number, and organization affiliation, if any.
When: Thursday, July 18, 2019 | 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm.
Where: One Judiciary Square | 441 4th Street NW | Old Council Chamber Room | Washington, DC | 20002
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How to Locate Grants and Navigate the Application Process
 Grants are not only for non-profits but are also available for small businesses and start-ups. Grants help boost your venture and take advantage of new opportunities. This GWHCC workshop will help you locate grants and navigate the application process. We will be using the DC Great Streets Grant as a working example.
When: Wednesday, July 19, 2019 | 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Where: American University | 3501 Nebraska Ave NW | Don Myers Technology Building | Room 221| Washington, DC | 20016
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DCPS English Learners' Back to School Fair
DCPS English Learners’ Back-to-School Fair will take place for the fourth year on Saturday, August 10, 2019 from 10:00 am- 2:30 pm at MacFarland Middle School.
The fair is targeted for families of linguistically and culturally diverse English Learner students to connect them to community and academic resources. The event will also include workshops, but the resource fair portion is tentatively scheduled for 11:30 am- 2:30 pm.
When: Saturday, August 10, 2019 | 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
Where: MacFarland Middle School | 4400 Iowa Ave NW | Washington, DC | 20011
RSVP here
National Immigration Forum and Mayor Muriel Bowser's Immigration Info Session
 The District is proud to enter into its second year of partnership with, “The National Immigration Forum’s program, New American Workforce! The District of Columbia Government is dedicated to making citizenship services more readily available to District employees, their families, and hundreds of others who live or work in Washington, D.C. In partnership with the National Immigration Forum, we are helping District employees become naturalized American citizens, if eligible. To support this effort, agencies may authorize administrative leave for employees to take part in one of the sponsored 2019 Citizenship Workshops.
Employees who wish to attend one of the citizenship workshops sponsored by the Executive Office of the Mayor, and provided by the National Immigration Forum (through the New American Workforce Project), may be granted no more than two hours of administrative leave to attend one of the workshops listed in the next section. If an employee requires more than two hours of leave, the employee must request and be approved for annual leave, leave without pay, compensatory time off, or exempt time off, as appropriate.
When: Friday, August 13, 2019 | 4:00 pm
Where: DCPS Central Office | 1200 First St NE | Washington, DC | 20002
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DC Infrastructure Academy (DCIA) | DOES
 The District of Columbia Infrastructure Academy (DCIA) is excited to roll out our new year of programming and opportunities! Infrastructure is one of the fastest growing industries in the country and DCIA is committed to meeting the need for skilled infrastructure professionals in Washington, DC. This upcoming year, DCIA will offer the following Career Pathway training opportunities: Interested in employment in the Infrastructure Industry? Please join us for an upcoming information session(s) to learn more about our course offerings and requirements.
When: Tuesday's | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm & Thursday's | 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm.
Where: DC Infrastructure Academy | 2330 Pomeroy Road SE | Washington, DC | 20020
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GED and High School Skills Tutoring
Join DC Public Library for skill assessments for adults who need a high school diploma (GED or National External Diploma) and tutoring for those with skills at the high school level. Tutoring takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4 to 7 p.m. Assessments take place on Wednesdays only.
Please note: In order to qualify for tutoring, you must take the assessment first.
When: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays | 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library | 1630 7th St. NW | Washington, D.C | 20001
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Want Your Event Featured in the African Beat?
'The African Beat' is distributed to over 8,000 subscribers every other Friday. If you would like your event to be featured in our newsletter, please submit the following details: what, when & where, and provide a link to where readers can go for more information. Submission deadline for the next edition is Wednesday, July 24, 2019 by 5:00 pm. Send all materials, along with any questions, to oaa@dc.gov.
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