Author Archives: Anna

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.

March 1, 2011 | 1:58 PM | By

Race, Class and Gay Marriage

Flickr: laverrue

Wedding Cake figurines.

Over at TAPPED, Jamelle Bouie explains it all, if by all we mean “Black People and Gay Marriage”:

The broader question is this: Why aren’t black people energized about gay marriage, despite having high rates of religious attendance? Easy answer: It’s class, stupid. To channel Princeton political scientist Larry Bartels for a moment, the culture wars are mostly fought between Republican and Democratic elites; after all, it’s easy to obsess over gay people when you’re not worried about paying your bills.

For African Americans, who are disproportionately lower-income, gay marriage is far less important than jobs, health care, and economic growth (this is also true of working-class whites, though to a lesser extent). When you couple this with extremely high support for President Obama — and also, the fact that black people hold different opinions on different things — it’s no real surprise that African Americans, as a class, are less than interested in whether gay people can marry or serve openly in the military.

FILED UNDER: Media, LGBT, Politics, Race and Class
March 1, 2011 | 8:33 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – MLK Memorial, Another Attack on Metro, Kwame’s Illegal SUV

Good morning, DCentric readers! Ready for some links?

Where are the angels? Eleventh hour angels needed, to save things like the Kids Farm at the National Zoo. “Even more poignant was one of the zoo volunteer’s perspectives. “Sometimes, this is the closest some inner-city kids will come to being on a farm,” he told me. He was a teacher for 31 years….”This is it for a lot of kids, this place.” (The Washington Post)

Black residents post high HIV, AIDS rates despite drop And over the river…”Diagnoses of HIV and AIDS infections are dropping in Northern Virginia, but public health officials are battling disproportionately high rates of infection among black residents.” (Washington Examiner )

The Beginning Of The Martin Luther King Memorial Six months ’til the unveiling: “In a way the memorial is a lot like the Civil Rights Movement: everybody’s on board now that its almost complete, but in the beginning, it was tough and by no means a sure thing.” (WUSA Washington, DC)

Teen Mob Attacks at Metro Station Man witnessed mob attacking teen, tried to help: “A woman urged Joy to call 911. When he took out his phone to call police, the teen mob turned on him, he said. The teenagers knocked Joy to the ground and kicked him in the face.” No help from station employees, either. (NBC Washington)

Report: D.C. Council chairman’s SUV was illegal Law that requires 22+ mpg for staff cars is routinely broken: “City officials broke the law by providing D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown a fully loaded Lincoln Navigator SUV, according to a review by D.C. Council member Tommy Wells that was released Monday. (Washington Times)

Volunteers fight to preserve Woodlawn Cemetery Part of local black history: “When it opened in 1895, Woodlawn Cemetery and Perpetual Care Association served a who’s who of black Washington: Pastors, doctors, members of Congress like John Mercer Langston, great uncle of the poet Langston Hughes, or the U.S. senator who was born a slave, Sen. Blanche Bruce.” (tbd.com)

February 23, 2011 | 12:45 PM | By

Are you a fan of DCentric?

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Let us know, by liking us on Facebook. We crave approval. And wall posts. Story ideas. Thoughtful discussions. You get the idea. Special shout-out to DCentric-loyalist Nastassia, who will be extra happy to learn of this news. Natassia was one of DCentric’s first readers, and she rightfully pointed out that not everyone who would like to receive updates from this blog uses or likes Twitter. Well, fret no more, you Facebook-fiends…we’re on the social network!

FILED UNDER: Media, DCentric, Social Media, WAMU
February 23, 2011 | 10:01 AM | By

Our Place D.C.: Treating Ex-Cons With Compassion

DCentric

A sign at Our Place D.C.

Women behind bars have rights, too.

That’s the premise behind Our Place D.C., a non-profit that helps and advocates for  currently and formerly incarcerated women.

“While I know the goal is to protect society from offenders, I’d like you to ask yourselves how long should this punishment endure after the offender has served her sentence and at what cost?” reads one of the large signs posted at its office on K Street Northwest.

Ashley McSwain, executive director of Our Place, said the group helps reduce how many former prisoners commit new crimes and go back to jail – something that benefits everyone.

DCentric

HIV 101

She’s especially proud that Our Place hires back 60 percent of its former clients: “The women we serve are running our company. I love that; it’s the neatest part of this team.” Often, women who are released from prison take a bus straight to K street, arriving with nothing more than the clothes on their back. McSwan described what happens after that bus ride:
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FILED UNDER: Around the City, Non-profits, Poverty, Race and Class
February 23, 2011 | 8:11 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – Kwame Apologizes, Metro Mayhem and more Gray Hires

Good morning, DCentric readers! Brrrr. It’s cold in here…perhaps there are Clovers in the atmosphere.

DC Council Chair, Kwame Brown, Returns Luxury SUV and Will Pay His Share of Cost About time: “I apologize for the disruption this has caused, and I regret that I appeared insensitive to the financial challenges our city and residents face. As Chairman of the Council, it is my duty to make responsible fiscal decisions regarding the District’s use of tax payer dollars.” (myfoxdc.com)

Wal-Mart critics plot to stop 4-store ‘invasion’ in D.C. But not everyone is against the big W: “Some families can’t wait to have convenient access to fresh produce and affordable groceries. “Everyone can’t afford to shop at a Harris Teeter or Whole Foods,” Mr. Brown said.” (Washington Times)

Crime surges in Metro system Beyond smartphone-snatching: “…brutal attacks also have increased. Seven rapes and sexual assaults occurred in the Metro system in 2010, according to the statistics, more than all the cases in the previous five years combined.” (Washington Examiner )

Vincent Gray’s spokeswoman’s son lands city job Hmm. “When asked by Sherwood about all the children hiring, Gray said “I don’t think this is nepotism at all.” He added that the youthful new hires were plenty skilled and qualified for their new gigs. “I don’t think people should be punished when they are capable.” (Washington City Paper)

Facebook Burlglar Pleads Guilty Moral of story: don’t rob reporters! “In a case of social networking at its worst, Rodney Knight stopped to post his dirty deeds on the Facebook page of the son of the homeowner, a local journalist. It was like leaving a taunting calling card at the scene of the crime.” (NBC Washington)

Children Get Tested For Lead Exposure, Landlord Denies Contamination Denali is a river in Egypt. Oh, wait…I think it’s a GMC SUV. “Nuyen told 9NEWS NOW a DCRA inspection and the lead testing by Department of Environment are coverups. He alleges the actions are in retaliation by a group of tenants for taking them to court for back rent.” (WUSA Washington, DC)

February 22, 2011 | 5:31 PM | By

Tomorrow on Kojo: African American Success Stories

Flickr: National Organization for Women

Julianne Malveaux

Friends and readers of DCentric may want to tune into The Kojo Nnamdi show tomorrow at 12:30 pm:

Whether the American economic system discriminates against minorities is a matter for debate in some circles. What is clear is that one-in-four African Americans currently lives in poverty, compared to only one-in-ten white Americans. We explore how learning about African American economic successes may help non-white Americans more successfully navigate today’s economic landscape.

Kojo’s guest will be Julianne Malveaux, whom Dr. Cornel West once called “the most iconoclastic public intellectual in the country.”

FILED UNDER: Media, Kojo, Race and Class, WAMU
February 22, 2011 | 10:14 AM | By

Our Place: Helping Forgotten Women Find Their Place in D.C.

DCentric

Our Place D.C.

When a man is sentenced to serve time in prison, he often has a support system; if visits are allowed, his partner dutifully shows up, dressed to impress, exclaiming to children about how they’re “going to see Daddy!” When a woman is sentenced, whatever support she has is usually marshaled in service to her kids, to keep them out of the foster care system; there are few visitors making the drive to women’s facilities, eagerly anticipating a glimpse of Mommy.

That disparity is also reflected in the dearth of organizations dedicated to helping women who were formerly incarcerated transition to life on the outside. In fact, there is only one group in the country that focuses solely on helping such women– Our Place D.C. Our Place is on K street NW, just down the street from Pedro and Vinny’s renowned burrito stand. There, on “burrito block”, in an understated building, in a cozy suite of offices one floor up from the traffic on Route 29, lives are being changed.

It’s easy to forget about such women; they are imperfect, guilty of poor judgment or more, and all of them are ex-cons. Most of us reserve our support for the “innocent”, or more accurately, for sympathetic victims. It doesn’t occur to us to consider those who have served their time, only to be dropped off in this city with nothing but a prison-issued sweatsuit on their backs. “It used to be worse”, Ashley McSwain tells me. She’s the Executive Director of Our Place. Before, newly-released women would arrive in that orange jumpsuit associated with inmates. “We convinced them to change that. The effort was called ‘Justice, not Jumpsuits’.”

McSwain is the kind of warm, unpretentious lady you’d want to sit next to at a beauty salon; the non-profit she runs reflects that vibe, all brightly painted rooms, uplifting art and comfy chairs. When I walked in to Our Place last week, I didn’t think “prisoners”. It actually reminded me of a college counseling department. I kept expecting to see internship offers or posters for graduate school on the walls.
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FILED UNDER: Around the City, Non-profits, Poverty, Race and Class
February 22, 2011 | 9:01 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – SUV Furor, Such Great Height and Whoa, Walmart

Good morning, DCentric readers! Are you feeling hail and hearty after last night’s storm?

Brown might turn in keys to luxury SUV Uh…yeah: “Brown spokeswoman Traci Hughes said the council chairman will have the Navigator he’s using returned if it makes financial sense to do so.” (Washington Examiner )

Post office to be renamed in Height’s honor Dorothy Height was a D.C. resident and Civil Rights leader: “It will become the first federal building in the city to be named after a black woman.” (washingtonpost.com)

Who’s Hurt If Government Shuts Down? “Small business are likely to lose a fortune. “As a small business, if the government is shutdown, it’s very bad for us,” says Lamia Afroz of Sal’s Cafe in the Southwest Federal Center…Two thirds of her income is from federal workers in the offices that surround her. The tourists spend just a few hundred bucks.” (WUSA Washington, DC)

Metro Chief Slams Riding While Intoxicated “At one point, Nnamdi asked, “If people cannot take Metro home after a late night out, won’t that contribute to more dangerous, drunk driving?” Sarles replied, “I would hope that anyone getting on our train should not be drunk.” Nnamdi chuckled and moved on.” (NBC Washington)

Bread For The City: Shaw’s Historic Bakeries District of Carbs: “At the popular Pure Food Show at the Washington Convention Hall in 1909, D.C. bakeries put on a massive exhibit that filled the K Street end of the hall. Visitors could observe machines doing the work in a modern factory setting; dirty human hands never touched the bread.” (streetsofwashington.blogspot.com)

Hold Wal-Mart to its promises in D.C. “As a native Washingtonian, I’ve lived through riots and rebuilding, and I passionately want more jobs and retail to flourish in neglected neighborhoods. But as a member of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission for the Union Station area…I can clearly state, without hesitation, that Wal-Mart will not be welcomed in our community without a signed community-benefits agreement.” (voices.washingtonpost.com)

February 21, 2011 | 10:47 AM | By

Kwame Brown’s Luxurious Black Lincoln

Flickr: Chad Horwedel

A spiffy Lincoln Navigator. Not Brown's.

Budget shortfall. Procuring a luxury SUV. Should a city suffering from the former do the latter? Too late– we already did. Twice. As mentioned in our morning roundup a few weeks ago, our Council Chair Kwame Brown– or someone acting on his behalf– required a top-of-the-line Lincoln SUV, complete with 600-watt sound system and DVD-entertainment, and it had to be here before the beginning of the year.

In the Sunday Post, Mike DeBonis outlines exactly how a city with budget woes purchased one luxurious Lincoln for Brown, only to have it rejected for the trifling flaw of having a gray interior vs. the requested black one. A dealer from Coldwater, Michigan drove a second, more suitable SUV to D.C. to deliver it in time for Brown’s inauguration. Did I mention that the city isn’t exactly flush with cash right now?

…when he was asked on television why taxpayers should foot the $1,900-a-month lease payments, Brown (D) said he had merely requested a black sport-utility vehicle and was driving the vehicle that the District had procured for him.

E-mails written by members of his staff and city officials – and obtained by The Washington Post through the Freedom of Information Act – tell a different story, beginning with a Department of Public Works solicitation in November for a 2011 Lincoln Navigator L series, an extended-wheelbase version of the Navigator. The e-mail specified “Fully Loaded Required” and indicated that the vehicle was being sought at Brown’s request…

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FILED UNDER: Government, City Council, Money
February 21, 2011 | 8:31 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – Wireless Clouds, Colorful Fannie and Freddie, Gray’s Staff Gets Paid

Good morning, DCentric readers! Here are your links:

Why Can’t We Put a Wireless Cloud Over the Whole City? Neighborhood pushers of internet: “…some new users will inevitably want the stronger connection they can only get from “fiber to the curb.” In that way, free or low-cost wireless is like a gateway drug.” (Washington City Paper)

Winding down Fannie and Freddie could put minority careers at risk “…despite several rounds of layoffs at the companies in the past few years, they have largely maintained diverse staffs. At the close of last year, nearly 50 percent of Fannie’s employees and 44 percent of those at Freddie were minorities.” (The Washington Post)

Accounts Of That Morning’s Foggy Bottom Escalator “Collapse” Eeeek! “The escalator was in operation and I was just about to step on to it when the panel below my feet rose and I head a great crashing noise. I saw the steps collapse in on themselves at the bottom and the woman immediately in front of me fell on her back in the middle of the wreckage, but not, thank God, into the chasm.” (DCist)

D.C. Social Worker Offers Brutal Choice To Homeless Mother “Because she is not being placed in a shelter, therefore she is unable to provide a safe place for her children to stay. If she does not agree to accept the arrangement that has been made for her [the bus out of town], we will be forced to take her children away from her.” (Washington City Paper)

Federal cuts in D.C. budget mean ‘sacrifices’ and higher taxes “For the District that means potential cuts to key D.C. programs, including public transportation ($150 million), courts ($25.5 million) education ($15.4 million), and water and sewer ($10 million).” (Washington Times)

Gray hires more senior staffers than Fenty did, and is paying them significantly more “Mayor Vincent C. Gray has hired more senior staffers than his predecessor and is paying his top managers tens of thousands more a year amid city employee furloughs and looming budget cuts.” (The Washington Post)