Washington, D.C
An 'Ode to the Women in D.C': 'THROUGHLINE VOL. II' Honors Local Changemakers With Multidisciplinary Art Exhibit
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much would it amount to when fused with original poetry, vibrant artwork, and themed cuisine?
California natives Xavier Renard Cunningham and Taylor Smalls offer insight to this question in Northwest D.C., with “THROUGHLINE: VOLUME II (VOL. II),” an exclusive multisensory art exhibition that leverages photography, painting, performance art, and culinary craft to champion 16 of the District’s Black unsung heroines.
“[‘THROUGHLINE’] was always about, how do we celebrate something, and how do you do that through art,” said Cunningham, creative producer of “THROUGHLINE.” “The cheeky answer is, why not Black women, who are – for us – the foundation, not only of what runs our [cities], but we think the world.”
Through Dec. 22, art connoisseurs can indulge in an immersive experience of culture and ambiguity, as Autoshop at Union Market hosts “THROUGHLINE’S” second iteration and first-ever in D.C.
The interdisciplinary exhibit combines poetry, music, and visual and culinary art to honor the breadth of women trailblazers across various platforms, from education and activism to entrepreneurship and wellness.
“[This] was created deeply starting with that fundamental purpose of unearthing those change makers, those change agents who are sometimes and more often than not, uncelebrated … even though they are shifting and shaping culture as we know in every city,” Cunningham explained.
District honorees such as Ashley Etienne and Alencia Johnson have fearlessly shaped the local political landscape, while other heavy-hitters like Kelsye Adams, Sister Mary Brown and Chloe Dulce Louvouezo — the latter two present for a “VOL. II” display on Dec. 15 — redefine social narratives and advocate for underserved groups locally and nationally.
Other celebrated recipients include: Ayo Tometi; Dionna Dorsey; Christine Platt; Rhea Combs; and Carla L. Sims, to name a few.
“Too often, we walk through this life doing extraordinary things, but going unseen,” Etienne, who was also in attendance on Sunday, told The Informer. “So to be seen and then to have it … for people like my daughter and others to see it and to admire the beauty, the essence and the work of Black women is just incredible.”
Imitation: The Sincerest Form of Flattery
Dozens of spectators gathered on Dec. 15 to witness the virtuosity and impact of “THROUGHLINE VOL. II,” which features breakout artists: Adedayo Kosoko (photographer); Gabrielle Hights (musician); Smalls (painter); as well as Chef Keem Hughley of Bronze DC, and award-winning poet Michael Wayne Turner III.
The collaborative exhibit is a powerful demonstration of nesting beauty in the eye of the beholder, with two levels of subject-based illustrations and individualized food dishes contingent on artistic ambiguity and perception.
As the lamented poetry explores themes of introspection and endurance, the visuals emulate the honorees’ pride and potency; Meanwhile, Chef Hughley’s paired custom entrees provide flavor to the textures and colors of the distinct images, culminating in a celebration for all the senses.
“Sitting with each of these women, taking time to really respect who they are, what they have come to be and how they stand in this exact moment … this is an ode. It’s a love letter to the women in D.C.,” said Smalls.
Turner brought the stilled images and deep-colored portraits to life as the classically trained thespian led guests on a theatrical tour through Autoshop — his voice commanding the room with a spiritual cadence as he recited each of his poems to the soulful refrain:“Maybe, you’ll join me down by the river, so I may wash away all of my pride.”
Darlene Brown, CEO of Divine Empowerment, appreciated the reflective aspect of the interdisciplinary exhibition, which she described as: “cathartic,” “inspirational,” and “a catapult” to empowerment.
“As I walked through, reading the poetry, examining the photos, the entire experience, I felt seen as a Black woman in America,” Brown told The Informer. “I felt validated, I felt heard, I felt valued … in a way that I can’t say that I’ve ever experienced coming to [an] exhibit [for] art and poetry.”
According to Smalls, who crafted all 18 paintings in the exhibit, the collaborative approach of artistic practices serves as what she calls a throughline to creatively “pass the baton” of culture preservation and diasporic solidarity.
The Oakland-based painter boasted one particular example: “Young Saffron,” a canvas painting of local entrepreneur and honoree Angel Gregorio with a saffron-colored base.
Since Gregorio travels internationally, particularly to Africa, to collect unique spices, Hughley made her personal dish a wagyu hot dog topped with Mambo Sauce — a D.C. speciality — and infused it with saffron spices from her spice boutique, The Spice Suite, located in the city’s Langdon Park community.
“It’s this really beautiful storytelling working together on so many different levels of artistry, but also across the diaspora … to hold what we know culturally, and specifically, in this city,” Smalls told The Informer.
But, the power of artistic exploration shone beyond connections to D.C. culture.
For Felicia Allen, a Florida-based grief counselor who flew to D.C. for the Dec. 15 showcase, the artists proved to encapsulate not only the spirit of the champions on the walls, but the resilience of Black women throughout African American history.
“This show is a culmination of who [Black women] are as people. Our strength, our intellect, our creativity, our innovation,” Allen told The Informer. “There is truth in these writings, in these pictures. We know who we are and what we’ve done, and this is a space of empowerment.”
Championing Prosperity, Representation Through the Arts
The shared project upholds a deeper purpose of centering what Cunningham considers “the core and foundation” of the Black community: mutual support and collaboration.
“[‘THROUGHLINE’] is about fighting against that notion that everything we do must be in silence, that we must pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps,” said Cunningham. “We truly believe it’s through community that you get ahead, that each person in this room has their own throughlines and connective tissue that can unlock their deepest dream.”
In addition to championing local changemaking, creative spaces like “THROUGHLINE” act to preserve the future of cultural arts–an industry where Black people are disproportionately outnumbered.
Data from a Burns Halperin Report shows that between 2008 and 2020, Black American artists only represented approximately 2% of museum acquisitions and 6% of exhibits, despite Black Americans making up 13.6% of the entire United States population.
With the methodic integration of various modalities, Allen said “THROUGHLINE” underscores the value of diversity in the arts and opens doors that could catapult creativity and innovation.
“We speak through the arts. [It’s] deeply rooted in our culture…[and] opens up that venue for us to be demonstrative, to have exploration and teach at the same time,” she explained. “I think now more than ever, that’s what we need.”
As “THROUGHLINE VOL. III” prepares to host its third installation in Detroit, Michigan, honoree Etienne commends the institute’s commitment to Black women inclusion, emphasizing the gravity of uplifting vulnerable communities–especially given recent political cycles.
“There are a lot of Black women that are feeling dejected, betrayed and undervalued after the election,” said the CBS News political contributor. “An exhibit like this that puts on display the finest of Black women and the humanity of Black women, I think, is not only timely, but it is priceless, and it is invaluable to our spirits right now.”
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship Lab. The Lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.
WASHINGTON – The Metropolitan Police Department released new body camera footage on Friday of an officer firing his gun at an armed carjacking suspect last month.
The backstory:
The carjacking happened early in the morning of June 24.
According to MPD, two suspects held a man at gunpoint in the 700 block of 19th Street in Northeast Washington before taking his keys and driving off.
After the carjacking, officers searched the city for the suspects, before finding the car on Valley Avenue in Southeast. Officers tried to pull the car over, but the driver took off, before bailing at 2nd and Xenia Streets.
What we know:
The body camera footage released Friday picks up during officers’ search for the suspects.
In the short clip, the officer can be heard shouting out the window of his patrol car before firing out the window.
According to MPD, the officer was driving on Livingston Road SE when he saw one of the suspects. The officer asked the suspect to show their hands, but instead, MPD said the suspect pointed a rifle at the officer. That’s when the officer fired, and the suspect ran off into the woods.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 13-year-old charged in DC armed carjacking, officer shoots at second suspect
What’s next:
That suspect is still on the run, according to MPD. A second suspect was arrested the night of the carjacking. The 13-year-old has been charged with armed carjacking, reckless driving, and fleeing from a law enforcement officer.
The United States Attorney’s Office for DC and MPD’s Internal Affairs Division Force Investigation Team will both review the shooting.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Metropolitan Police Department and previous FOX 5 DC reports.
Washington, D.C
What’s that noise? What you need to know about D.C. flyovers Friday and Saturday – WTOP News
Reagan National Airport will close for America 250 flyover rehearsals Friday and celebrations Saturday featuring the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels and more.
Reagan National Airport will close from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday for rehearsals ahead of this weekend’s America 250 celebrations, meaning people around D.C., Arlington and Alexandria may hear and see low-flying military aircraft.
According to Freedom 250 event organizers, Friday’s “Wings of Freedom” demonstrations over the National Mall will feature parachute teams, helicopters and military aircraft, including the U.S. Marine Corps’ MV-22 Osprey and F-35B, the Navy’s F-18F and F-35C, the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, the Thunderbirds and a tri-bomber formation.
On Saturday, the FAA will close the airport from noon to midnight for the full celebration. All arrivals and departures at Reagan National are scheduled to end before noon.
Flyovers and demonstrations are scheduled throughout the afternoon and evening along the National Mall and Washington Monument grounds, including appearances by Air Force One, the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, military aircraft fleet reviews, parachute demonstrations and B-2 stealth bombers.
Highlights include an Air Force One flyover scheduled for 7:03 p.m., a Thunderbirds demonstration beginning at 6:25 p.m., a tri-bomber formation at 6:02 p.m. and a stealth aircraft flyover at 7:38 p.m.
Friday’s schedule of flyovers and demonstration rehearsals along the National Mall and Washington Monument
- 10 a.m.: Golden Knights, Leap Frogs
- 10:15 a.m.: Army Helo Flyover
- 10:20 a.m.: USMC V-22 Osprey Demo
- 10:35 a.m.: USMC F-35B STOVL Demo
- 10:50 a.m.: USN F-18F Demo
- 11:10 a.m.: USN F-35C Demo Team
- 11:30 a.m.: USAF F-22 Raptor Demo
- 11:50 a.m.: NASA F-5s
- 12 p.m.: HUGE (1) Formation
- 12:05 p.m.: USAF Thunderbirds
- 12:55 p.m.: USAF Tri-Bomber
Saturday’s schedule of flyovers and demonstration along the National Mall and Washington Monument
- 1:14 p.m.: – NASA F-5 Flyover
- 1:24 p.m.: -NASA Fleet Review
- 1:44 p.m.: USCG Helo Flyover
- 1:54 p.m.: USCG Fixed Wing Flyover
- 2:09 p.m.: Golden Knights, Leap Frogs
- 2:29 p.m.: Army Helo Flyover
- 2:44 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Heavies
- 2:54 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Wave 2 – AFSOC
- 3:04 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Wave 3 – Fighters
- 3:29 p.m.: Executive Rotary Wing Airlift
- 3:39 p.m.: USMC Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Rotary
- 3:49 p.m.: USMC Fleet Review – Wave 2 – Fixed Wing
- 3:59 p.m.: USN Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Rotary
- 4:09 p.m.: USN Fleet Review – Wave 2 – Fixed Wing
- 4:19 p.m.: USN Fleet Review – Wave 3 – Fighters
- 4:21 p.m.: USN F-18F Demonstration
- 4:59 p.m.: USN Blue Angels
- 5:26 p.m.: USMC MV-22 Osprey Demonstration
- 5:44 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Fighters
- 6:02 p.m.: USAF Tri-Bomber Formation
- 6:05 p.m.: USN F-35C Demonstration
- 6:25 p.m.: USAF Thunderbirds Demonstration
- 7:03 p.m.: Air Force One Flyover
- 7:07 p.m.: USAF Thunderbirds Delta Break
- 7:17 p.m.: HUGE 1 Flyover Led by the Newly Renovated Air Force One
- 7:38 p.m.: U.S. Stealth Airpower Flyover
- 7:39 p.m.: F-22 Raptor Demo
- 7:53 p.m.: F-22 Raptor in Afterburner
- 7:59 p.m.: B-1 Flyover
- 8:07 p.m.: B-1’s in Afterburner
- 8:11 p.m.: HUGE ONE Fly Over Review
- 8:22 p.m.: Golden Knights Twilight Jump
- 10:36 p.m.: B-1 Afterburner Night Pass
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An Air Force major was arrested in uniform on the steps of the Capitol after he called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
U.S. Capitol Police arrested Jason Watson, an active-duty service member, on Wednesday afternoon following remarks at a news conference where he said Trump and Vice President JD Vance should be removed from office.
The event was organized by the Removal Coalition, a group that lobbies members of Congress to impeach Trump, and attended by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who has repeatedly introduced articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I’m here with him because Rep. Green is the only member of Congress that has demonstrated the courage and conviction to … force a vote on articles of impeachment,” Watson said at the event. “If Congress followed his example, we could remove the entire Trump administration, but Congress remains unconvinced of the urgency and necessity for them to honor their oaths, so we must persuade them with our unrelenting, uncompromising civil resistance.”
Watson said he is not a Democrat and does not share policy positions with Green, who lost his re-election bid this year. Green’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Watson’s arrest.
Capitol Police said in a statement that it “is generally against the law for the public to demonstrate on the House Steps unless they are with a Member of Congress.”
“Yesterday afternoon, a man was escorted to the House Steps by a Member of Congress,” the statement said. “When the Member of Congress left the area, our officers gave the man lawful orders to stop the illegal demonstration or he would be arrested. The man refused our lawful orders.”
Capitol Police identified the man as Watson, adding that he was arrested on charges of “Crowding, Obstructing, and Incommoding” and that it is legal to protest in other spots on the Capitol grounds.
Service members are subject to stricter laws than the average citizen when it comes to protesting. The Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibits officers from “using contemptuous language towards the President, Vice president, the Secretaries of War and of a military department, Congress, and certain other officials,” according to an Air Force memo last year.
An Air Force spokesperson said in a statement Thursday: “Service members must comply with all laws, regulations and policies governing conduct and the wear of the uniform. All Department of the Air Force personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of discipline and professionalism, both on and off duty.”
All service members, not just members of the Air Force, are prohibited from participating in “political activities” in uniform.
Watson’s criticism of Trump and Vance focused on the administration’s actions in Venezuela and Iran, calling them “an unconstitutional usurpation of Congress’ authority and a violation of the War Powers Clause.”
“These violations resulted in the deaths of 13 service members and injuries of hundreds more,” he said, referring to the number of U.S. military deaths tied to the Iran war. “For this, the president and vice president must be impeached, convicted and removed.”
Watson also called the administration’s immigration policies and tactics unconstitutional.
The Removal Coalition did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Watson could not be reached.
President Donald Trump responded to criticism of a financial disclosure that listed $1.4 billion in crypto earnings largely driven by meme coins.
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