Bishop John T. Walker School was founded in 2005 to honor the life and ministry of Bishop Walker, a former bishop of the Diocese of Washington, a champion for justice and one of the first African-American diocesans. The school was created to serve the needs of boys in the most underserved parts of the city. It is supported by people across the region and by the parishes of the diocese.
Colbert King reports that the school was robbed last month of presents for the students. The robber is still at large. King points out that not only is it one more act of injustice to be added to what the students already endure, it’s made worse because it was an African American man who was caught taking the gifts on the security video.
“Jan. 10 was supposed to be a festive occasion at the school. As part of its toy drive to brighten the holidays for disadvantaged children and teens, St. John’s Church in Lafayette Square had prepared gifts for each of the Walker students. Ellen Parke, co-chair of St. John’s outreach committee, told me that the gifts were purchased through the generosity of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The gifts were not toys. St. John’s provided each student with a bag of art supplies, which the school thought would be more constructive.
James Woody, the school’s executive director, said in an interview that he had planned to distribute the gifts that Monday, but the bags were stolen over the weekend. The burglar made off with more than the gifts, Woody said. The school also lost two laptops, a pair of walkie-talkies used for staff communication, two boom boxes, a guitar and 200 music CDs that were the personal collection of an assistant kindergarten instructor who also teaches movement.
Burglaries are nasty events that don’t often get much play in the media. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t frightening or traumatic, and their damage is not limited to the loss of property.
Burglarizing the Bishop John T. Walker School violated something good and decent east of the river. The perpetrator effectively told the boys of Anacostia that their aspirations matter little, that the streets belong to him, and that he is free to invade and violate their sanctuary.”
Read the full article here.