BROOKLAND, Washington DC (BBN) — (Update on April 20, 2021 to include details of Blackstone founder and CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman as target of HU Divinity protesrtors and Rev. Al Sharpton) Howard University’s School of Divinity School, located in Washington DC’s unique Brookland neighborhood, could soon become a global center of excellence for the study and practice of Islamic finance in the United States.
[Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick, MD speaks to Capitol Intelligence/BBN using CI Glass on Howard University plans for Howard University School of Divinity located in Brookland, Northeast Washington, DC. June 17, 2016]
For almost seven years the campus has been left vacant as Howard University President Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick instituted plans to commercially develop the property with the non-for-profit real estate development association, Urban Land Institute.
The Howard University School of Divinity is located on 22 acres of prime real estate in the Brookland neighborhood in Northeast Washington DC and is located next door to the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land representing Jerusalem and the Holy Land in the United States.
The HU Divinity School iconic art deco building is named after Rev. Benjamin E. May, the civil rights trailblazer who Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called his “spiritual” mentor.
In fact, 100% of the residents of Ward 5 voted against any commercial development of the HU East Campus, to the visible chagrin of Ward 5 Council Member Kenyan McDuffie and the Area Neighborhood Commission Chair 5B Chair and National Urban League of Greater Washington DC Deputy Director, Ursula Higgins.
ULI Governor and Boston-based real estate magnate Richard Reynolds said that the campus would be used as a Howard University academic center but the university may decide to build a new faculty on the land or even transfer the university’s Social Work department from its main campus.
Following vehement protests by the predominantly affluent African-American residents of DC’s historical Brookland neighborhood, the ULI was quickly forced to drop any commercial development plans to reach the obvious, and only conclusion, that the campus will remain an academic center of America’s foremost Historically Black College Universities (HBCUs).
ULI Govenor and Boston-based real estate magnate Richard Reynolds said that the campus would be used as a Howard University academic center but the university may decide to build new faculty on the land or even transfer the university’s Social Work department from its main campus.
[Urban Land Institute Governor and Boston-based Reynolds Group, Inc President Richard Reynolds speaks to Capitol Intelligence/BBN using CI Glass on development plans to Howard University Divinity School. Michigan Park Christian Church in Brookland, Washington DC. June 14, 2016]
However, the fact that Howard University is still mulling options for the re-use or expansion of the Howard University Divinity School has opened a once in a generation opportunity for Gulf leaders in Islamic banking such as the Kingdom of Bahrain; the United Arab Emirates; and the State of Qatar to integrate the principles of Islamic finance into the fabric of the world’s largest economy.
In fact, Kingdom of Bahrain Foreign Minister His Excellency Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed Khalifa said he is very familiar with Howard University from his time as a rising diplomatic star the Kingdom’s Embassy in Washington, DC.
The historic Abrahamic Accords peace deal between Israel, UAE, Bahrain and [soon Qatar] makes Howard University Divinity School an ideal center to bring Christians, Muslim and Jews together.
[Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani filmed by Capitol Intelligence/CI MENA using CI Glass at Tunisia 2020 Road to Inclusion, Sustainability and Efficiency in Tunis, Tunisia. November 29, 2016]
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is intimately familiar with the Brookland neighborhood through Abu Dhabi’s endowment of the George Washington University affiliated Children’s National Medical Center and Qatar has circa US$1 billion real estate investments with its downtown DC City Center and a new Conrad Hilton flagship hotel.
The basic tenets of Sharia compliant banking — not charging interest on loans and risk sharing — is a uniquely social responsible form of finance surprisingly well suited to the often vulnerable African-American population in the United States.
Islamic mortgages — known in the United States as rent-to-own — are much better suited for lower-income home buyers than traditional US mortgage lenders who generally discriminate against African-American borrowers and quickly bankrupt weak borrowers as witnessed in the 2008 sub-prime financial crisis.
Today, African-American home ownership is at the lowest level since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. March on Washington some 50 years ago.
The development scandal at HU Divinity scandal was part of the platform of Republican candidate for DC Council, Marya Pickering (who was endorsed by competitor and former Council Member Vince Orange Sr.)
In fact, self-made businesswoman Pickering personal commitment to saving the historic Divinity School is in stark contrast to Democratic vice presidential nominee and Howard University alumni US Senator Kamala Harris who has remained silent in the growing controversy.
[DC Council-at-large candidate Marya Pickering (R) leading protest demanding incoming Howard University Board of Trustees Chairman Laurence C. Morse re-opens Howard University Divinity School under the leadership of Dean Rev. Dr. Yolanda Pierce and immediately halt illlicit commercial development on Howard University East Campus in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeat DC. Pickering was joined by Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) candidates Milton Hardy (Ret. US Army Sgt-Major) 7D04 and Nestride Yumga (5A08) on August 8, 2020]
On August 8, 2020, Pickering led a protest to the empty campus of the Howard University Divinity School to put pressure on the new Howard University Board of Trustee Chairman Laurence C. Morse and than Howard University Patron ExUfficio, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Elizabeth “Betsy” Devos.
In fact, the grassroots opposition is so strong that moves are underway to file an emergency injunction in the U.S. District Court of Washington, DC if the Howard University Board of Trustees failes to carry out their fiduciary duties by not declaring a moratorium on commercial development at the Howard University East Campus.
A similar endowments at ULI Trustees’ alma maters such as Yale, University of Chicago, Georgetown University, Tufts and Harvard would start at a minimum of US$150 million and would earn only the cursory interest of the Universities’ trustees.
[2020 Democratic presidential and US Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) filmed by Capitol Intelligence/BBN using CI Glass at the CCDP’s Blue Jamboree caucus in North Charleston, South Carolina. October 5, 2019]
“Howard University’s 150 years history and its unique place in American history makes it a place of learning with both national and global importance,” said one notable Howard University Trustee said. “However, some in corporate America treat Black Americans as children of a lesser God.”
Overlooked is US Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) unprecented work to win unprecendented federal funding from President Donald J. Trump for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) of which Howard University was a major beneficiary.
Howard University also received the largest private grant in its history, some USD 40m from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ex-wife, Mackenzie Scott.
Grassroots protest of Brookland residents and national and international support to preserve and protect the historical campus has already won quiet support from District of Columbia District Attorney Karl Racine, the former managing partner of Baltimore-based global law firm Venable LLP.
[District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine filmed by Capitol Intelligence/BBN using CI Glass on combating housing instability, corrupt developers and saving Howard University Divinity School at the Woman’s National Democratic Club in Washington DC. February 11, 2020]
Racine, who is the hands on favorite to succeed Muriel Bowser as mayor, is fully aware of the extreme frustration and growing resentment among permanent DC residents over out of control development and wild west gentrification.
The Howard East Neighbors (HEN) led by Harvard law graduate Robert E. Haferd; Brookland Manor Coalition of Minnie Elliott and Save McMillan Park led by Daniel Wolkoff organized a virtual online protest at the home of Ward 5 Council Member Kenyan McDuffie citing his complete neglect in protecting low-income housing and cultural landmarks in the Ward 5.
The new organization, Howard East Neighbors (HEN) of Robert Haferd, has been formed grouping Brookland residents, HUSD alum Rashid Hughes, energy lobbyist Taylor Beis have already gathered nearly 500 signatures in a community petition calling for Council Member Kenyan McDuffie to oppose proposals to rezone HUSD and the Franciscan Monastery from institutional use to one allowing the construction of low to moderate housing.
The changes are part of a new DC Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map (FLUM) to be voted on by the city council on May 6, 2021.
DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson, under apparent pressure from Washington, DC Cardinal Wilton Gregory, has removed any plans to rezone the Franciscan Monastery but refused to take the same action for Howard University Divinity School. Cardinal Gregory was elevated by Pope Francis to become the first African-American cardinal.
HEN has now focused the grassroots protest against the ultimate beneficiary to any planned commercial development of Howard University Divinity School, Blackstone founder and CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman.
Schwarzman took over control of Orlando, Florida-based Zom Living after Blackstone acquired the Gouda, Netherlands-based Multi Corporation in 2013.
HEN protrays Schwarzman as a pro-Trump, anti-black business leader due to his significant campaign contributions for the re-election of President Donald Trump in 2020 and that “Schwarzman was the third largest donor to legislators who attempted to overturn the 2020 elections.”
[Rev Al Sharpton says his National Action Network will push President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen among others to take out “lily white” union pension funds and asset managers who provide funding to developers that gentrify African-American neighborhoods during National Action Network 2021 Virtual Convention on April 24, 2021]
In fact, Blackstone’s European-based managers have opened Stephen Schwarzman to the wrath of civil rights firebrand, the Reverend Al Sharpton.
During Sharpton’s National Action Network 2021 convention marked by keynote speakers President Joe Biden and US Treasury Secretary Janey Yellen, Sharpton said NAN will wage total war against “lily white” asset managers and private equity groups whose investments are used as a racist sword against the Black community.
No-one at NAN would comment whether Rev. Al Sharpton plans in person protest of Blackstone’s corporate headquarters at 345 Park Avenue in New York City.
Blackstone spokespersons refused to comment why Schwarzman is willing to have Zom Living destroy a landmark of historic importance to the Black American community while he is willing to donate USD 25m to have the Abington High School named after him in the affluent white exurbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Nearly two hundred Ward 5 residents signed up to The Protest Against Ward 5 CM Kenyan McDuffie – The People are Crying Out that included an in person live stream carried out by activist Lark Catoe-Emerson with her son in front of McDuffie’s home across from McMillan Park on North Capitol Street NE.
Apparently the virtual protest and solitary live stream spooked Council Member McDuffie to call for the help of two goons — ie a violent, aggressive persons who are hired to intimidate or harm people — to physically intimidate and attempt to halt Ms. Catoe-Emerson from live streaming McDuffie’s home during the protest.
There is persistent talk among Ward 5 residents that Council Member McDuffie no longer resides at the North Capitol address and in fact lives in Prince George’s Country, Maryland.
Even more disturbing is the recent emergence of a shadowy pro-HUSD and Franciscan development group called Ward 5 for All that purports to be a community organization but whose members all have ties to DC developers or Kenyan McDuffie.
The main organizer of Ward 5 for All is Nick Sementelli who holds board or staff positions of two developer funded lobby groups: Greater Greater Washington and the DC Policy Center.
GGW is bankrolled by Trammwell Crow Cromwell [developer of Dakota Crossings] principal and Urban Land Institute Global Governing Trustee Board Adam Weers while Dc Policy Center board members include Charleston, South Carolina-based Edens CEO Jodie McLean [Union Market]; Wilkes Company Chairman Sandy Wilkes [Rhode Island Row]; and Holland & Knight partner Leila Batties who has been retained by ULI for the proposed HUSD development.
[Venture House Group CEO Mark D. Ein speaks to Capitol Intelligence/BBN using CI Glass on making DC competitive against NYC at Urban Institute forum on DC tax reform]
Both Adam Weers and DC Policy Center and Venture House Founder and CEO Mark Ein declined comment on the apparent conflict of interest of its board members andthe potential violation of DC and federal lobbying laws as any proposed changes to DC zoning require the approval of elected officials on DC Council and elected ANC members as Ursula Higgins and other 5B commissioners such as Richmond, Virginia-based Altria/Philips Morris unit Juul Labs’ Prita Piekara.
Another person behind Ward 5 for All is Council Member Kenyan McDuffie former communications director, Nolan Treadway. Treadway denies he acting as a defacto agent for developers for their lobbying efforts of his former employer, Council Member McDuffie.
Mr. Sementelli dismissed ties to developers, with Sementelli stating “I am so glad you brought this to my attention! I’ve been volunterring my time with Ward 5 for All for years and have never seen a dime of this funding? Can you introduce me to your lawyer friend [Robert Haferd]? I am going to need someone to help me sue for back pay.”
Brookland residents, and many around the world, fighting to preserve the great historical landmarks have brought the fight to save Howard University Divinity School directly to the personal attention of Howard University Trustees such as former MGM Resorts International CEO James Murren; Citibank Chief Financial Officer Mark Mason; and Howard University Board of Trustees Chairman and Fairview Capital co-founder Laurence C. Morse through an open letter and petition.
[MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren and wife Heather Hay Murren filmed by Capitol Intelligence/BBN using CI Glass with sons after receiving The Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship at The Woodrow Wilson Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. May 10, 2017]
Other HU Trustees contacted in the grassroot movement to uphold and respect HU’s Charter and obligations as a federally mandated HBCU are Vista Equity Partners Founder and CEO Robert F. Smith; AOL co-founder Monumental Sports CEO Ted Leonsis and BET co-founder Bob Johnson who all have representatives on the Howard University Board of Trustees.
By PK Semler in Washington, DC. For information please call +1-202-549-3399 or email pks@capitolintelgroup.com
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