Dear residents, neighbors, and friends:

As we draw near the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year, I’d like to highlight an OHR team leader.  Ernest Shepherd, who leads our Youth Bullying Prevention Program, has been hard at work developing and updating training and outreach programs. One of his newest programs, “Student Discussion Series,” hosts small discussion groups allowing students to speak confidentially about their experiences. OHR partners with schools across the District and shares general themes and findings from these discussions with school administrators. We believe that these discussions can help foster positive school climates, and if you’d like to host a student discussion at your school, please get in touch with us via email at bullyingprevention@dc.gov. For more information on bullying and how parents can address suspicions of their child’s involvement in bullying, visit: Bullying in the District: Tips for Parents. Additionally, Ernest is working on developing OHR’s first Youth Human Rights Ambassador program, which will educate, empower, and engage our youth's human rights.  If you know a youth who may be interested in becoming an ambassador, you can also reach out to us at bullyingprevention@dc.gov. 

I’d also like to take this time to acknowledge that August is National Black Business Month. DC is proud to be the home of many historic Black-owned businesses and offers robust programs for those interested in starting their own business. The newly established Black and Forth, the first Black-owned strip mall located at 2201 Channing St NE, is a perfect example of how the District government supports black-owned businesses that invest in our communities. Its founder Angel Gregorio is a DC native and Howard University graduate who founded the Spice Suite and supports Black, female-owned small businesses. Her community-centric business model of sharing space and supporting entrepreneurs to build their legacies in DC embodies our DC Values. Show your support and shop with a local Black business this month.  

Finally, as OHR continues to grow and expand, I am pleased to announce that in our ongoing efforts to achieve new heights, James Yu (he/him/his) has joined OHR as the agency’s first Associate Director of Communication and Equity Programs. Associate Director Yu previously worked as the Chief of Staff at the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs (MOCA), where he established focused partnerships with external and internal partners and led inclusive and equitable messaging. He will oversee the Youth Bullying Prevention Program, the Language Access Program, Creating Safer Spaces Program, and the Communications and Community Engagement team. We are excited about James joining OHR and hope you will join us in warmly welcoming him!    

OHR will also be recruiting for an Associate Director for Enforcement, who will oversee the investigation and ADR teams.  If you know a qualified individual, keep your eyes peeled for updates on our website and at careers.dc.gov.