September 23, 2010 | 3:35 PM | By

Marion Barry demands more…”redistribution”.

FILED UNDER: Elections, Government, 2010 Elections, Marion Barry

Soulfull

Today, we’re full of love for the City Paper. Right now we’re reading the “Loose Lips” column, where we found the following regarding Marion Barry:

“To the victor go the spoils,” Barry tells LL. “We demand more than our fair share because we’ve been neglected for so long, it’s as simple as that.”

Sigh. That’s the sound Almost Mayor Vincent Gray just made when he read that line—because if Gray is going to be successful as leader of his “One City,” he’ll have to convince white residents (especially in neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park that voted for Adrian Fenty last week) that he’s not a rampaging Visigoth who wants to take their new breadmakers and Subarus and give them away to families living east of the Anacostia River.

Why not an Ostrogoth? Did they not rampage? I kid.

So, what you need to know about the quote below is that it’s the result of Barry being asked to say a few words at the Unity Breakfast last week.

“[The] good news this morning is that there will be four representatives from east of the river. The mayor, the city council chair, Yvette Alexander and Marion Barry. So we know that each of them are going to flourish—gonna flourish. Not at anybody’s expense—nobody’s expense—because you don’t have to take from those to give to those that were in need. It’s a matter of redistribution of that which was there.”

I wonder how one “redistributes” without taking something from someone. Interesting. Anyway, after a primary that was sometimes spun as a conflict between blacks, whites, haves and have-nots, I don’t know how much “unity” such sentiments convey.

About the author

DCentric was created to examine the ways race and class interact in Washington, D.C., a city with a vibrant mix of cultures and neighborhoods. Your guides to the changing district are reporters Anna John and Elahe Izadi. View all posts by Anna →