Who is Jevon Walton?
My name is Jevon Walton. I am 19 years old and from the Nation’s Capital Washington DC. DC may not be a state but it feels like one with the structure of the buildings and the culture that is in DC. DC was known as chocolate city due to the 70% African American population during the 1970’s. Currently my brothers and sisters are being forced out due to gentrification which is sad to see. On a positive note, I, similar to my brothers and sisters, represent the important trait of Washingtonians which is hustling. My brand comes from hard work and dedication. I had to work to get in the position I needed to be in to succeed. I had to work hard to be in college. Working hard to be put in to earn what I wanted. It takes time and effort to gain the things that we need to gain.
Currently I attend SUNY Oswego, in upstate New York and get asked all the time what DC is like. The way I can describe DC is as a mini New York City with each part being like a borough in New York. For example, NW would be like Manhattan because it is really busy just like Manhattan. NE would be like Brooklyn, SE is similar to the Bronx, and SW is similar to a combination of Queens and Staten Island. DC recently has become like New York with all of the infrastructure that has been built within it. DC is also connected to Maryland and Virginia which we have access to, which is why we call it the DMV.
Jevon's Dorm Room
What makes me DC is the culture that has grown around me. Everyday there are some new interesting things to see. I love seeing beautiful parks such as Garrison Park near Shaw-Howard with the population of people. There are also the museums and the recently built African American museum which is a good place to go to because a majority are free and teach history to me. DC has its own brand of music called Gogo which I grew up listening to everyday and that has been engraved in my mind from my family and community. You can not walk around DC without hearing at least some piece of gogo music.
Another part that makes me DC is mumbo sauce. DC has its own sauce that makes food taste amazing. It is called Mumbo sauce and it is a combination of sauces that I can place on almost anything from rice to chicken. Anyone in the DMV will tell you that when you go to the carryout, you have to get mumbo sauce because it makes everything taste good.
What makes me DC as well is community because in DC literally everyone knows someone who knows another person. In DC you or someone you know will be connected to another person from the city. School really connected to some bright like minded individuals like myself. I attended the number one school in DC, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, where black excellence was promoted. My class had everyone going to college which is not common for my community but it is something I’m proud of.
