Washington’s Segregated Amusement Park
Yesterday, Washington Post Metro columnist John Kelly incorporated reader comments in a follow-up piece about the Potomac river– and the vessels which traveled on it. The following note, about Marshall Hall, an amusement park across from Mount Vernon, got my attention:
Robert K. Jenkins Jr. is 63, a native Washingtonian and African American. “I remember both blacks and whites boarding the ship at the Wilson Line pier,” he wrote. “Many of the whites got off at Marshall Hall but not any of the blacks. I recall asking my father why. He responded: ‘Don’t fret. Spending time learning about history at Mount Vernon is much more important to your education than a wasteful day of frolic at Marshall Hall.’
“So this attorney/banker heartily thanks the bigoted Marshall Hall owners for their inadvertent contribution to his education and success.”
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DCentric Picks: Emancipation Day Great Debate
What: D.C. Emancipation Day Great Debate When: 6 p.m., Saturday Where: The Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW Cost: Free, but you should register here. Why you should go: The debate is just one of a number of D.C. Emancipation Day activities taking … Read More
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Kanazawa is Grounded for a Year by LSE
In May of this year, Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist at the London School of Economics penned a controversial blog post for Psychology Today asking, “Why are Black Women Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women?” Kanazawa was widely condemned for … Read More
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