One century ago, Hattie Sewell, a Black woman, was awarded the contract to operate a teahouse at Peirce Mill. By many accounts, she was a successful businesswoman who increased the sales and profitability of the teahouse, which had been in operation since the early 1900s. Her contract was terminated in October 1921, after a prominent […]
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On March 4th, learn more about the man behind Melvin C. Hazen Park – and the people he helped displace at Fort Reno Park
For decades as a city surveyor, Melvin C. Hazen had a vision for Tenleytown, which included a park at Fort Reno. Standing in his way – a community of Black people that had settled there after the Civil War. The Reno neighborhood was a nearly forgotten casualty of government and developer efforts to remake this […]
A Black Lives Matter protest story: My journalism training didn’t prepare me for what I experienced
by Will Fowler Journalists are trained to be objective. From my first day in journalism school, the idea of unbiased, uninvolved reporting was drilled into my head. However, sometimes we become too close to a story to cover it objectively – we become participants rather than observers. This was, in a way, my experience with […]
Updated: UDC is inviting us to a June 27 candlelight vigil for Black lives lost to police violence and white supremacy
UDC tells us that the program has expanded, so it’s now starting at 8:10 p.m. Saturday night instead of 8:30. The full schedule is below. Every night since Juneteenth, UDC President Ronald Mason, student and faculty leaders and members of the Board of Trustees have gathered at Dennard Plaza. The university lights dim at 8:46 […]
Business in Brief: Donating and demanding “Justice for George;” Outdoor dining options expand
by Will Fowler When businesses say “Black Lives Matter” Little Red Fox, Calvert Woodley Fine Wines and Spirits and other local businesses have made public statements in support of the Black Lives Matter protests. On June 5, Little Red Fox donated 10 percent of sales to the D.C. American Civil Liberties Union. “It’s time for […]
Opinion: The racist roots of DC’s limited voting rights
We published this op-ed in May 2017. by David Jonas Bardin Outright bigotry and minority voter suppression have undermined efforts to restore precious political rights of Americans in Washington, DC. At a recent symposium hosted by the University of the District of Columbia Law Review, Wade Henderson, the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference […]
Mark Juneteenth at a Wilson High vigil, organize a socially distanced cookout, or make some noise for racial justice
Friday is Juneteenth, the 155th anniversary of the day word of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved people in Texas. And because of the ongoing protests of police brutality and racial injustice, participation in the 2020 commemorations could be like none other in living memory. At this writing we know of only one organized gathering […]