Volume 14 | June 2018
  Stay Connected With Me
Hello neighbor,
On June 26, we celebrated the final Council vote on the   Birth-to-Three for All DC Act of 2018 ,   a major victory for early childhood education. This bill included provisions from my  BEGIn Act,  which was inspired by my daughter, Madison. Provisions from the BEGIn Act increase the available city funding for early childhood development providers, improve the pay system for child development educators, and creates new government positions to help providers obtain or renew a child development facility license. As a father, I learned first-hand how expensive and difficult it is to find high-quality early education programs and decided to make it one of my top priorities while on the Council.
 
The Birth-to-Three for All DC Act helps stabilize our early childhood development system and supports the health of new mothers and babies. I believe that making significant investments in early childhood education are the biggest steps we can take to close our persistent and stubborn academic achievement gap.   
 
This month, we also recognize our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) community with festivities and our annual Capital PRIDE parade. As we celebrate, we must go beyond words and parades to affirm and support our LGBTQ friends and neighbors. So, I co-authored the LGBTQ Health Data Collection Amendment Act of 2018 to require our annual health surveys to study and collect information on health barriers that impact the LGBTQ community, so the government can more effectively target resources where they are needed. 
 
On June 5, the Council passed my School Promotion and Graduation Fairness Emergency Act of 2018 , which I introduced with Councilmember Grosso and four other councilmembers. I wrote this bill because D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) enforced various attendance policies at the beginning of this school, but changed to a uniform enforcement mid-year. The result is that some students who were on track to graduate or promote to the next grade under their original rules were no longer eligible to pass. It was simply unfair to students to change the rules in the middle of the year. The bill only applies to the 2017-2018 school year and will impact just a subset of students who are on track academically, but are failing a grade or course solely due to attendance. Next school year, I expect DCPS to enforce a uniform attendance policy that is fair to students and families across the District. 
WARD 2 - MEET & GREET
I value meeting residents in their own neighborhoods because I know how difficult it can be to visit the Wilson building. So, on Thursday, July 26, from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. join me at Duke's Grocery for my Ward 2 Meet & Greet. I am looking forward to connecting with you. If you want to attend or want more information, please contact Andre Strickland, Director of Constituent Services, at astrickland@dccouncil.us or at (202) 724-8174.
 
If you would like to volunteer, let Andre Strickland know!
JOIN ME - Friday, July 6

I'm taking YOU out to a ballgame!

Washington Nationals Night Out with Councilmember Robert White.

Nats vs Marlins at 7:00 P.M.

If you are interested in attending this FREE event, contact Andre Strickland at astrickland@dccouncil.us or at (202) 724-8174.

* Tickets are on a first come, first served basis.
COMMUNITY CORNER
I had a fabulous visit with senior residents Vida Senior Center on Monday, June 11. Vida serves seniors from all wards, providing bilingual services and a variety of programs. Incredible residents with even more amazing stories!


‪Usually, the last thing I want to see more of in my day are diapers, but it was exciting to chat with Executive Director Corrine Cannon of  Greater DC Diaper Bank about all the ways they assist District families. It is much more than diapers! She started this organization with her husband, and my  American University College of Law classmate, Jay Cannon.

Corrine Cannon of Greater DC Diaper Bank


What an honor it was to speak with students from my alma mater, St. Mary's Maryland College of Maryland . They asked great and thought-provoking questions about various career paths. ‬
Students from St. Mary's Maryland College of Maryland
I enjoyed my meeting with students from  BASIS DC . I was so impressed by their presentations about gun violence, gun control, DC statehood, and lowering the voting age to 16. ‬
Students from BASIS DC
One of the students enjoyed her time in our office so much that she came back to shadow me for a week and testified last Wednesday to support lowering the voting age.
Helisa Cruz testifying at a public hearing for the
Youth Vote Amendment Act of 2018
WILL ON THE HILL
I was honored to perform in Shakespeare Theatre’s 16th Annual Will on the Hill at Sidney Harman Hall, along with members of Congress and the national media. What a fun and innovative evening! Our script was based around today’s political climate and benefited the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s free education, artistic, and community engagement programs.
Councilmember Robert White with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton at the 16th Annual Will on the Hill
AROUND THE WILSON BUILDING
On Tuesday, June 5, I presented the DC Black Lesbian & Gay Pride Recognition Resolution of 2018 to Earl Fowlkes. Mr. Fowlkes serves as the President and CEO of the Center for Black Equity, Inc. , formerly known as the International Federation of Black Pride. Black Pride offers a safe space to come together to celebrate being members of both the African American and LGBTQ communities.
Councilmember Robert White with Earl Fowlkes, President and CEO of the Center for Black Equity, Inc.
FIND US IN THE COMMUNITY
Saturday, July 21
Canvassing | 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. | Ward 2 - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Tuesday, July 24
National Building Museum | 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. | 401 F Street, NW | Just bring your DC ID and let's appreciate art together!

Thursday, July 26
Ward 2 Meet & Greet | 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. | Duke's Grocery | 1513 17th Street, NW

*Dates, times, and locations are subject to change.

To volunteer, contact astrickland@dccouncil.us or at (202) 724-8174.
NEED HELP?
PLEASE CONTACT ME OR ANYONE ON MY TEAM
I hope you enjoyed this month's edition of my newsletter. If you have any questions or need to bring an issue to my attention, please call my office at (202) 724-8174 or reach out to my team.






My Best,

Robert
Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember, At-Large | Council of the District of Columbia
Phone: (202) 724-8174 | Fax: (202) 727-8210 |  www.RobertWhiteAtLarge.com