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.

January 31, 2011 | 12:31 PM | By

The Man Behind Duke’s on 14th Street

Flickr: Adam Gurri

After passing it for years, I’ve often wondered about the shoe shine/repair place with dramatically high ceilings across from Busboys and Poets on 14th Street, in the Frank D. Reeves Center of Municipal Affairs; I had no idea that it had been there for 75 years. TBD has a video featuring the 89-year old proprietor of the shop. Here’s how they describe it and him:

Irving “Duke” Johnson has been shining shoes in the heart of Washington, D.C. for the past 75 years. His shop, Duke’s Shoe Repair, is located at the intersection of 14th and U Streets. For this 89-year-old man working is a joy and a way of life. He says he has no plans of retiring.

The first comment on the piece is amusing:

God, I can’t believe he’s still there. He used to scare the crap out of me when I was in daycare there. I’m pretty sure he was old as dirt then, and that was 22 years ago.

Speaking of 20 years ago, in 1991, Mr. Johnson had this to say about Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas and the state of his people:
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FILED UNDER: The People, Small Business, U Street
January 31, 2011 | 10:27 AM | By

The Kindness of our Neighbors

Flickr: Rosipaw

Years ago, Mr. Bronson used to surprise Nadine Epstein, who now helps care for him, by pruning and tending to her lilacs; gardening is one of his hobbies.

This may be the best thing I’ve ever read in the Washington Post. I don’t say that without consideration. This is the story of two strangers, one black, one white, one old, one young, who lived across the street from each other but didn’t interact– until the older one lost his home. That’s when John O’Leary did the most selfless, compassionate thing a neighbor could do for another; he invited James Bronson to come live in his six-bedroom home, for free. Over the years, Mr. Bronson became part of O’Leary’s family and he is especially close to O’Leary’s partner, Nadine Epstein. He even became a surrogate grandfather to her son.

Perhaps the one thing that could heal the rifts between different groups in D.C. is being truly neighborly to one another; in this case, doing so created a family, and not just a better neighborhood:

Linda Feldmann, a family friend and reporter for the Christian Science Monitor, recalled being amazed early on at the couple’s willingness to include Mr. Bronson in every facet of their lives.

“If I ever invited them for dinner, the next question was, ‘Can Mr. Bronson come?’ ” Feldmann said. “And then after a while they didn’t need to ask, because, of course, Mr. Bronson can come. He’s part of the family.”

Over the years, Mr. Bronson became a surrogate grandfather to Epstein’s son, Noah (now a college freshman), attending his plays and Grandparents Day at his school. Once, Mr. Bronson recalled, he cheered so loudly at one of Noah’s Little League games that one of the parents asked him – with raised eyebrows – how he knew the little boy he was rooting for.

At family dinners, he would tell stories of growing up in the segregated rural South, opening a window into a way of life his adopted family scarcely knew existed.

FILED UNDER: Delightful City, Adams Morgan, Gentrification, Race and Class
January 31, 2011 | 8:42 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – Multiracial America, Snowy Chaos and Bouncing Souls

Good morning, DCentric readers! Welcome back from your weekend.

More Young Americans Identify as Mixed Race “How many mixtures do you have?” one young man asked above the chatter of about 50 students. With her tan skin and curly brown hair, Ms. Wood’s ancestry could have spanned the globe. “I’m mixed with two things,” she said politely. “Are you mulatto?” asked Paul Skym, another student, using a word once tinged with shame that is enjoying a comeback in some young circles…The crop of students moving through college right now includes the largest group of mixed-race people ever to come of age in the United States…” (The New York Times)

Snowy chaos worsened by poor regional coordination, officials say “The massive gridlock caused by Wednesday’s snowstorm so alarmed government leaders across the Washington area that they say they will reevaluate plans for winter weather, evacuation and transportation. After commuters reported being stuck in their cars for hours – 13, in one woman’s case – elected officials in the city and suburbs said the storm’s crippling impact indicates that the region remains woefully unprepared not only for the next storm but also for any event that could require large numbers of people to be on the move at the same time.” (The Washington Post)

GW Says Students in Egypt Are Safe “There are currently 14 GW students in Egypt: two in Alexandria and 12 in Cairo. “We are in communication with our students and staff who are supporting their programs and have confirmed that they are safe,” the university said in a statement Sunday. “We are also in regular contact with their parents to be sure all parties have the most up-to-date information.” The school contacted the students via e-mail before the Internet was shut down, reminding them of precautions to take and advising them to avoid demonstrations. The students were also asked to stay in contact with both parents and administrators.” (NBC Washington)

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January 28, 2011 | 5:55 PM | By

A Gandhi Warming on Sunday

Flickr: Steve Fernie

The statue which will be warmed on Sunday, at 21st and Q.

One of you forwarded an interesting event DCentric’s way– on Sunday at 3pm, there will be a Gandhi-warming. Yeah, that was my reaction, too. I thought of the distinctive statue of the Indian leader near Massachusetts Avenue, shivering under all this snow, and pictured people dressing him with a hat or a shawl. Turns out I was right:

k1-d2 and i are knitting a scarf, hat, and a flower garland for gandhi in DC! we are excited to do this again & would love it if you would like to contribute as well!

please bring no-longer-used or newly knitted hats/scarves to give to those in need, flowers for his feet, or just enjoy a bit of camaraderie while listening to some beautiful indian music during gandhi’s warming ceremony, which we are really excited to be doing this again this year!

It’s neat that the organizers are collecting hats and scarves for those who need them. The Facebook event page is here; looks like 29 people are attending.

FILED UNDER: Delightful City, Events
January 28, 2011 | 4:38 PM | By

A Program that Transforms Prisoners to Parents

Flickr: jsmjr

D.C. Superior Court

Now reading- “Fathering Court Helps Transition From Prison To Parenthood” from WAMU’s Jessica Gould:

Eight ex-offenders were back before a judge Friday. But this time, they were there to graduate from D.C.’s Fathering Court.

Most dads feel overwhelmed by the demands of fatherhood, at least some of the time. But for parents who have been in prison, learning to be a good dad can be especially hard.

“The stigma of being incarcerated is a heavy stigma to work with,” says Judge Milton Lee.

Lee presides over Fathering Court, a D.C. Superior Court program that helps formerly incarcerated parents catch up on child support and reconnect with their children.

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FILED UNDER: Government, Children, Rehabilitation
January 28, 2011 | 3:09 PM | By

Next Week: Lisa LaFontaine of the WHS on Dogs, D.C. and More

Washington Humane Society

I just got off the phone with Lisa LaFontaine, the President & CEO of the Washington Humane Society.

We had an edifying discussion about “Pit Bulls” (though that’s not how the WHS refers to them) and the humane education programming the group does in D.C.; we also explored how a breed once known as “America’s Dog”, which enjoyed starring roles on classic television programs like the Li’l Rascals is now a pariah.

Interestingly enough, LaFontaine mentioned that frontier icon Laura Ingalls had a dog named Jack, who may have been a Bull Terrier– and when I looked for links, I found several which corroborated this bit of history– as well as a few which hotly disputed it, and termed it “pit bull propaganda”. That 15 minutes of web-surfing reinforced how much of an issue this controversial breed can be for some, but why?

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about “Pit Bulls”– even though most people can’t correctly identify them, when tested. Are people of a certain race more likely to own one? Is it a class thing– are they more likely to be in Ward 8 than Ward 2? And how prevalent is dog-fighting in Washington, D.C.?

The answers might surprise you– check back on Monday, for more.

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Animals, Race and Class
January 28, 2011 | 11:36 AM | By

All Atwitter About the Mayor

Twitter Screenshot

The now-shuttered, fake Twitter account for Mayor Gray.

This morning, in my link roundup, I included a story about the Mayor and Twitter, the microblogging service DCentric loves so much, we comb through it every night for a “Tweet of the Day“. Apparently, someone created a fake Twitter account with the very useful handle, “@MayorGray“. While veteran social media cynics expressed skepticism about the new account, Council Members who have known the Mayor for years initially believed it was him sending out the 140-character messages known as “tweets”.

All of this was on my mind this when I stumbled upon Aaron Morrissey’s post on DCist, “The Twitter Gap“, an hour ago. Morrissey is the editor-in-chief of the site; in his piece, he cautions people to remember that there are definitely people who aren’t as Twitter-savvy as the typical DCist lurker or commenter, which is a great thing to keep in mind. Morrissey concludes his post by saying:

The confusion, of course, is no one’s fault but Gray’s. The new Mayor, who utilized Twitter somewhat capably during his campaign for office last year, has so far been silent, despite repeated promises that his administration would offer enhanced transparency. There’s but one way that Gray could battle this kind of public confusion — that’s to start up a Twitter account of his own and get tweeting.

I can understand the disappointment behind this suggestion; the Mayor proved that he’s aware of Twitter during his campaign, so he can’t plead ignorance or say he’s unsure of how to use it. Social media IS an effective way to facilitate transparency. And in a city which is still majority “chocolate”, it would be wonderfully savvy to utilize a service like Twitter, which is extra popular with African-Americans (especially young ones).
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FILED UNDER: Government, Social Media, Twitter, Vince Gray
January 28, 2011 | 8:26 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – Fake Mayoral Tweets, All Apologies and Legendary Gangsters

Good morning, DCentric readers! Happy Friday!

Man Attacked by Metro Mob Fights Back “Metro transit police said they’re making progress. “We do believe that we have a search warrant that well (sic) execute and hopefully in executing that warrant we’ll have further information that will further solve this case,” said Chief Michael Taborn, Metro Transit Police. The victim who was left bruised and bleeding…described the attack. “Just one after another. Bam, bam, bam, in my head, all over my head; It was a very lonely moment in a very public place,” said Haywood. The victim says those who weren’t punching him were recording the attack and no bystanders helped him; not even a nearby Metro employee.” (myfoxdc.com)

Fake Twitter account pops up for Mayor Gray “After negative tweets about Mayor Vincent C. Gray failing to measure up to the Twitter-adept Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a fake Twitter account has popped up. One of @MayorGray’s first tweets was to The Washington Post’s own Mike DeBonis: “@mikedebonis I signed up for Twitter. Will you tell Dorothy and Jonetta please?”…No identity yet on @MayorGray, but the first tweet reads, “Hello, District of Columbia, and welcome to the most transparent administration ever!” (voices.washingtonpost.com)

OPM Apologizes For Federal Workers’ Nightmare Commute “Spinning tires, skidding cars and nightmare commutes lasting more than eight hours have garnered the Washington area’s 300,000 federal workforce an apology of sorts from their personnel chief after he released the workers two hours early on Wednesday afternoon — into the teeth of a fierce snowstorm…John Berry apologized Thursday at a hastily assembled news conference. Yet he said he still believes that letting workers go two hours early was the right decision and says everyone was caught off guard by the intensity of the storm. “That was the fastest accumulating storm I’ve seen in my lifetime,” Berry said.” (WUSA Washington, DC)
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January 27, 2011 | 11:28 PM | By

Tweet of the Day, 01.27

Hell hath no hilarity like a DCPS parent, scorned:

Hey dcps! Pull this 2 hr delay crap on me again and I'm sending my kids in with vodka and espresso. Enough for the whole class!
January 27, 2011 9:37 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite
@DCLikeALocal
Tim Krepp
FILED UNDER: Media, Social Media, Twitter
January 27, 2011 | 6:58 PM | By

Even the Powerful Lack Power

Flickr: theqspeaks

Yesterday's "Thundersnow".

Thundersnow doesn’t care about race, class, political office…

D.C. Mayor Vince Gray was among the 400,000 Washington area residents who were without electricity Thursday morning after a Wednesday night storm dumped heavy, wet snow on the region.

About half of those powerless homes get their electricity from local utility company Pepco, including Gray’s.

“There are about 200,000 homes without power, including mine by the way,” Gray said with a smile during a Thursday afternoon press conference.

Via the Washington Examiner.

FILED UNDER: Government, Vince Gray