14th and You

Forty years ago today, the prophet Martin Luther King, Jr. was martyred.

Like other cities, Washington, DC broke out in riots. In my opinion, DC has never recovered from these riots. I am not only speaking of the store fronts, and the buildings in-and-of-themselves, I mean that in many places the physical ruins of the riots continue to symbolize the brokenness of race relations and the punishment of poverty prevailing in our country.

Today, white residents in Washington, DC continue to fail our black brothers and sisters with irresponsible gentrification- having left the post-riot neighborhoods in decay for thirty years- and then buying cheap, moving in, driving up property costs, pushing folks out, and taking over the neighborhoods with places like Whole Foods where an apple costs two dollars.

Don't get me wrong, I think the intentionality of living in diverse and walkable communities is fantastic. And of course I want my city to flourish, and to be safe. I love having food and cocktails at some cornerstone places like Busboys and Poets, and Saint-Ex, - I just think we must exercise caution and awareness when throwing our hats into the inequity game of home-ownership. This of course means different things in each situation, but participating in gentrification comes with responsibility. Being white, we are the minority in DC, - -and as George Clinton said, "We didn't get our forty acres and a mule but we did get you, Chocolate City."