CORA MASTERS BARRY
161 Raleigh Street, SE
Washington, DC 20032

October 26, 1998

Dear Friend:

I was introduced to Beverly J. Wilbourn, an independent candidate for one of the two at-large seats on the DC City council, on my front porch on October 5, 1998. I was immediately taken with this energetic attorney, and enjoyed listening to her as she bubbled over with ideas about her vision for the District of Columbia. She is exactly the kind of person that we need on the Council as we move into the new millennium, someone who is well-spoken, energetic, well-prepared, and willing to do the work, study, and research necessary to be on top of the issues.

Beverly's record is impressive. A graduate of Georgetown University's law school she has used her legal expertise to help empower individuals and community organizations. She helped lead an effort by the DC bar to provide pro-bono legal services to local Community Development Corporations. She helped develop the procedure to provide pro-bono legal assistance to the DC government. When she worked at Fannie Mae, she helped develop affordable lending tools to help distressed communities rebuild and stabilize their neighborhoods.

While Beverly has been effective in dealing with institutions, she has also been instrumental in helping young women and girls, serving on the board of New Endeavors for Women, an organization that provided transitional housing for formerly homeless women. She has mentored teenage girls awaiting placement in the DC foster care system.

I was so delighted to meet Beverly Wilbourn that I wanted to jump up from my porch to get on the phone to tell my friends and colleagues about her. But any phoning I was doing in early October regarded the October 22 tribute to Mayor Barry. Now that the tribute is over, I can turn my attention to Beverly's quest for a seat on the DC City Council.

Beverly combines new ideas with the basic values of our community. She is committed to home rule. She will fight for jobs through economic development in the private sector. She sees job training for our citizens, especially our youth, as a priority of her platform. Like my husband, Mayor Marion Barry, she has spent much of her career focusing on the least and the left out, on youth, seniors, and those who need affordable housing, job training, and other city services.

Some of you haven't heard much about Beverly Wilbourn before this campaign. That shouldn't matter when you consider her as a candidate. She has worked consistently for the community since she moved to DC in 1984, but she has also worked quietly, which endears me to her efforts. No headline grabber, Ms. Wilbourn has been one of the steady forces that has moved an economic empowerment agenda forward.

I have decided to cast my vote for Beverly Wilbourn on November 3. I am certain that I will never regret my decision to vote for her. As you consider the challenges that face the District, and the kind of leadership we need to face those challenges, please take a moment to consider Beverly Wilbourn and everything she has to offer. Make sure you vote on November 3. The District's future depends on you!

Sincerely
Cora Masters Barry