Members of the press and community will remember the life of Capital Community News reporter Charnice Milton who was killed on her way home from an assignment.
A candlelight vigil will take place Wednesday, June 3, at 7:30 p.m.outside of the Washington Seniors Wellness Center, 3001 Alabama Ave., S.E.
People attending as asked to arrive 15 minutes before the start of the vigil. Ushers will guide people to assigned places.
Participants in the event will gather in concentric circles around copies of the Hill Rag and East of the River newspapers containing Milton’s contributions. They will join hands and stand in silence for 20 minutes to reflect on the meaning of her work.
The Washington Post said Milton, 27, was known as a tireless advocate for the communities east of the Anacostia where she lived and chronicled everyday life, using grass-roots-style journalism whether profiling a lifelong Ward 7 resident and avid cyclist or examining penalties for selling alcohol to minors.
In addition to Capital Community News, Milton also contributed to sister publications East of the River and the Hill Rag.
“Not only did they gun down a young woman, they also silenced a reporter,” said Andrew Lightman, managing editor of Capital Community News, “She was one of a handful of reporters across the District who was looking at the nuts and bolts of everyday life.”
Neighbor and fellow East of the River contributor Marco Thomas praised Milton for reporting on issues not reported in major outlets.
“She was brave and asked all the right questions. And she had such a wonderful spirit,” Thomas said, “her loss is devastating on so many levels.”