ROOTS Activity Learning Center has been about the business of providing our children with a first class, quality education for over 18 years. ROOTS, along with NationHouse Positive Action Center, and Ujamaa Shule, have been the flagship institutions providing the best quality education possible to our children. At at time when the public school system has been falling apart, these institutions have, without fail, been giving their all to many of our youths. As the system moves closer to turning our children's education over to businesses, our situation becomes more dire. It greatly behooves us to defend these instutions and lend our support to them on all levels. Each of these instutitions have undergone great moments of dire straits over the years. Once again it is ROOTS who is under the gun.

On Saturday, October 14th, 2 days before the historic Million Man March, the school was devastated due to flooding that should never have occurred. The US Post Office is constructing a new facility adjacent to the school's Infant Center. This flooding ended with about 3 and a half feet of water. It completely wrecked the place. This all occurred due to the negligence of Warwick Construction Company, who is the contractor building the new facility. Their demolition and construction work severly weakened ROOTS' building structure, thereby causing tremendous damage.

On the day these fotos were taken, on October 17th, one of the white workers was attempting to pose for fotos (which we ignored). It shows you the utter disregard they have for us as a people. I have further found out that earlier this year they had requested that the school be emptied one day so that they could do some blasting. Get to that!

ROOTS is, at present, operating our of the facility next door which they acquired last year. It is not large enough to house all of its students. Over 100 students have been displaced by this catastrophe (3 year olds to 2nd graders). Much thanks must be given to Dr. & Mrs. Adade, a couple from Ghana, who operate Felicity's Cultural Center, just up the block at 6210 Chillum Place, NW. They offered their space to ROOTS so that the education of our children could continue without further hardship. If not for the Adade's, more than 100 of our children would be in worse shape they presently find themselves in.

ROOTS needs your assistance -- in whatever form you can give it. There continues to be great expenses to maintain the classes intact, as well as a possible court action in order to get his matter cleared up. Inasmuch as the post office doesn't have a good track record for righting its wrongs, this could prove to be a long and costly battle. We must stand as one community an face whatever is before us together. Even if you have no child at ROOTS, this is still your fight; even though we may be of different tribes, we are still one people. They are our children, on and all.

Call ROOTS at 202.882.5155 to assist. Do So NOW!!

Other Photos of Damage:

1. Photo 1
2. Photo 2