Second Gentleman Pool Reports of February 8, 2022

SGOTUS pool report #1 - Gathered at Dunbar High School

Good afternoon all,

I'll be your pooler for the second gentleman's Black History Month event at Dunbar High School in northwest D.C. Your pool has been tested and is gathered in the school's Museum of Dunbar History, which features prominent alumni and chronicles the school over its 150+ years.

Guidance on today's event from the second gentleman's office below —

BACKGROUND: SECOND GENTLEMAN??

VISIT TO DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL

Embargoed?until 1:00 PM ET on 2/8/22

In commemoration of Black History Month, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will visit Dunbar High School in Washington D.C. to meet with students who are participating in a program that helps them relate to history on a personal level. The Historical Scholar and Docent Program is comprised of students grades 8-12 from the Carter G. Woodson Academy of Black Studies at Dunbar High School and the Kiamsha Youth Empowerment Organization. Through a partnership with the National Park Service, students participating in this program are provided opportunities to serve as docents and historical scholars on the life of Carter Woodson and local black history.

Through a $150,000 National Park Foundation grant via National Capital Parks–East, students from this program are finalizing an oral history project designed to help them connect their family histories to overall African American history. The students are producing videos about the importance of National Park Service sites to African American history.

During his visit, Mr. Emhoff, joined by Park Ranger John Fowler, will meet with school leaders and program directors, prior to having a conversation with a group of students about the films and projects they're creating as part of their involvement in this program.

Additional Background:

· Carter G. Woodson Academy of Black Studies works to deepen students' understanding of the beauty and resilience of the Black Diaspora while empowering students to be critical thinkers through reading, writing, discourse and creative expression.

· The Carter G. Woodson Home, temporarily closed to public as of March 2020, is located less than half a mile from Dunbar High School. Dr. Woodson's home served as the headquarters for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Before Dr. Woodson, there was very little accurate written history about the lives and experiences of Americans of African descent. Dr. Woodson established Negro History Week from his home and headquarters in 1926, which we celebrate today as Black History Month. Dr. Woodson is also known as the "Father of Black History".

· Kiamsha Youth Empowerment Organization is a group mentoring organization that uses history, character development training and intergenerational interaction to empower youth. Since 1995, Kiamsha has invested its time and resources to supporting the National Park Service in getting the word out about the importance of the National Park System to its peer group.

SGOTUS Pool Report #2 — SGOTUS ushered out of room mid-event by secret service

SGOTUS was ushered out of the room at 2:18 by a secret service agent. The agent said something like "We have to go." Dunbar's principal followed a few minutes later.

SGOTUS staff informed the pool there was a security threat reported by the school to secret service. They did not give pool any more information.

A school announcement came over the intercom at 2:34 calling on teachers to evacuate the school and pool left the building as well.

Earlier report below:

SGOTUS entered the Museum of Dunbar History at 2:13.

"I'm finding my X," he joked when he entered. When he didn't see one on the floor he said: "Oh! They trust me now."

He heard from school and program leaders about the Black history program in partnership with the National Park Service. Will send an Otter.

"Our young people have been able to see themselves," said Renada Johnson, who leads the Kiumsha program.

"We realized there was a need for our students not only for academics.. but to also understand who they are."

SGOTUS pool report #3 - Audio of event, was a bomb threat

Speaking to a DCPS spokesperson Enrique Gutierrez, he says the issue was a bomb threat. Asking for more.

Attaching an Otter recording of the event and the moment SGOTUS was ushered out, which happens at 5:15 on this recording. Will also Tweet a photo of just before it happened for a visual of the room.

https://otter.ai/u/H23bHNws_rURzME-rBWiM9bh008

I don’t have any more information beyond this at the moment, but have asked SGOTUS staff to update me and will send anything along.

The other people in the room/speakers were as follows:

John Fowler, Park Ranger, National Capital Parks-East
Nadine Smith, Dunbar principal
Nubia Gerima-Rogers, academy director for the Carter G. Woodson Academy of Black Studies at Dunbar High School
Renada Johnson, Exec Dir. Kiamsha program
Barbara Dunn, Association for the Study Of African American Life and History

SGOTUS pool report #4 - DCPS spox and principal on threat

Pool just spoke with DCPS press secretary Enrique Gutierrez and Dunbar Principal Nadine Smith.

Otter: https://otter.ai/u/BCN9cqLmLAZiz50IEBJMvkULuis

From Gutierrez:

"We had a threat today to the facility so we did — basically we took the precaution of evacuating everybody, as you saw. I think everyone is safe. The building is clear. But I don't have any specific details at this moment."

"It was a bomb threat."

From Smith:

"Our protocol is to clear the building and move the kids away. DCPS just gave us directions to make sure, to go ahead and send the kids home. We won't be able to clear the building for probably another hour or two."

SGOTUS pool report #5 - WH statement

Flagging this statement from Katie Peters, communications director for SGOTUS: >https://twitter.com/katiepeters46/status/1491147516263694336<

That’s likely all from your pooler for this afternoon, but will send out anything else major. Stay safe everyone.