History & Community – Human Nature

History On The Big Chair – Charity Harvey

Jevon WALTON, — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 15:04:07 +0000

The Big Chair at the corner of Martin Luther King Avenue and V Street in Anacostia, named, appropriately, the Big Chair.

“The Big Chair endures as an over-sized emblem of Anacostia. A bar and grill across the street and a now-closed flea market use its namesake, and it nearly got its own ale named after it at Chocolate City Beer.

“Curtis Brothers was the Marlo Furniture of its time, and all sorts of festivities happened around the chair such as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny being in the seat during the holidays,” says Rev. Oliver “OJ” Johnson

A Recollection is a set of memories and a forecast of future events by comparison of the past. This can come in the shape of memories, ideas, features, photographs, memoirs, and traditions. I believe the Big Chair was a symbol of hope because hope is passed down from one generation to the next to succeed. When I was younger I would watch the commercial clip and mini series Pass the Plate on Disney Channel which reminds me of how traditions are made through food and recipes. They tell the story of pass the plate which reminds me of “sitting at the table to eat”.

Furthermore, in detail, “It was a sign of economic progress for the neighborhood, and not just one of the best marketing moves in downtown Anacostia”, and “[enduring] good times, bad times and good times reborn,” Johnson declared. “It is a symbol of hope for this community.” – Charity Harvey & John Muller (Contributor) March 27, 2015

HistoryBy John Muller (Contributor) March 27, 2015 14. “Anacostia’s Larger-than-Life Big Chair Is Full of Neighborhood History.” Greater Greater Washington, 27 Mar. 2015, https://ggwash.org/view/37647/anacostias-larger-than-life-big-chair-is-full-of-neighborhood-history.

The African American Museum and DC’s history – Ian T. and Charity H.

Jevon WALTON, — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 18:02:08 +0000

What makes me a part of chocolate city?

In 1957 D.C. became the first large city in the United States to be majority Black, earning it the moniker “Chocolate City.” (The Washington Post’s 2016).During this time African Americans living in Washington D.C., thrived in their communities. It was normal to hear Jazz,Gogo, and Blues music blasting on every block. Today, we can identify prominent musicians like Chuck Brown as well as Taraji P. Henson as contributors to what makes D.C. so unique. I recently had the pleasure of visiting the African American Museum but beforehand I had to acquire a visitors pass online. Built on September 24, 2016, The African American Museum was monumental for Washingtonians because according to a Washington Post article published in 2016 “it took 100 years” for this dream to become an actuality. During this time African American people thrived on their music, background, history, food, and influence.

The music that lived here was heart and soul, jazz, Gogo, and the blues. Some famous Gogo artist are Chuck Brown, Backyard Band, and Rare Essence who seasoned the air and streets. Soulfood; fried chicken and mumbo sauce, greens, pizza, carry out, and seafood are all foods featured on the plates of the people who lived and are praised here. Important people like Marion Barry of Mayor and SYEP, Taraji P. Henson of Barry Farms and Howard, P.Diddy of Howard , First Lady Michelle Obama , Marvin Gaye, Ryan Zimmerman, and Kevin Durant are all residents and/or natives of Washington, DC who have glowed and grown the community from the neighborhoods, to th capital, to other territories nationwide. These great people in the city are not just apart of heritage and culture locally but flourished the culture to the public so that capital city would be better example for the entire country.

The African American Museum was built on September 24, 2016. The opening of the museum was important to African Americans across the country and African Americans in the city. According to the Washington Post, “It took over 100 years for the African American Museum to become a reality” says (The Washington Post 2016) meaning that it was built by the hard work of black people having taken 100 years to become a monumental museum and showcase, bringing a sense of pride to the community with feelings of victory because they were able to have their hard work exhibited. Furthermore, some visitors say, “It’s great that the museum mixes everything together: it means you can’t just select a comfortable version of history. At the same time, you’re given some warnings,” says Holland Cotter of The New York Times (Curbed Washington DC 2016), “this defines the blend of culture and history while also informing the development of new life.

In the Museum, displays like Open Our Future are there to celebrate activism in the black community for slavery abolishment and DC civil rights. Olympian culture is the top and trophy which is rooted by community sports and the play field where many African Americans started their rookie career before becoming and entering the big league. Also featured in the African American Museum, The Divine 9 is celebrated and recognized which is very important to Washington,DC because many were founded at Washington, DC’s Howard University. The city is all about movement, with representation of arts and monuments, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X are two important civil rights activists in D.C. for the government and the community because they fought for civil rights with dreams of eliminating discrimination and encouraging the melting pot.=

Sources Used:

https://www.washingtonpost.com

https://dc.curbed.com/2016/9/16/12941752/museum-african-american-nmaahc-review

Fort Reno – Ian Teal

Jevon WALTON, — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 14:18:15 +0000

Fort Reno is very important because of all the history that it has. The Fort Reno neighborhood was a predominantly Black, working-class community that existed on the outskirts of Washington from, roughly, the late 1880s through the 1940s. Over the decades,members of the Fort Reno community supported families, followed profes- sions, worshiped, sought recreation, improved their neighborhood’s infrastructure, and fought for civil rights. What does this show is that during the 1880 there were working classes that was living in fort Reno and a lot of people that lived in the fort Reno community support one another and try and help and thrive one another and help them be successful in there community which shows how they have respect of they had good things for the Fort Reno community.

Another known fact that I learned about Fort Reno is that Fort Reno was built in 1861 as part of a ring of Civil War defenses constructed on the highest ground of the city. It was originally named Fort Pennsylvania, but was renamed in 1863 to honor General Jesse Lee Reno, who was killed in battle.

What were some very important facts about Fort Reno is that Fort Reno was initially established to quell the unrest among the Native Americans in the region during 1874. Thirty-two Cheyenne and Arapaho men and one woman were arrested for their alleged role in the 1874 uprisings and were taken as prisoners to Fort Marion, Florida. Several years later, some of the former prisoners returned to the area and served as Native American Scouts at Fort Reno as well as Camp Supply (later Fort Supply) to the northwest. What this shows is that Fort Reno had a supply camp to help troops.

What surrounds Fort Reno is Woodrow Wilson’s new name (Jackson Reed) also there’s Alice Deal middle school. There is also a baseball field and a lot of restaurants and a lot of other buildings. What else that I found Fascinating is that Fort Reno has been around for a very long time and there’s a lot of green space there . What else I learned is that In the late 1920s, a number of DC and federal government agencies decided to build a new junior high school (Alice Deal) and a high school (Woodrow Wilson), construct a water tower, develop a public park, and design a scenic Fort Drive to connect the city’s Civil War forts. All but the Fort Drive were carried out, and in order to do so, the DC Board of Commissioners condemned much of the modest Fort Reno housing.

Commissioner Cuno H. Rudolph called the community “a blight upon this part of D.C.” despite the fact that not all of the housing was dilapidated. Residents protested, but the government purchased the properties and over a ten-year period forced out black and white families who had lived on what had been the grounds of the Fort for two or three generations.what else did I learn is that This project investigates the Civil War-era history of the Fort Reno installation that was a key component of the defenses of Washington. Its focus, though, is the community that was built on the remains of the old fort in the last decades of the nineteenth century. This report details the formation of the Fort Reno community, the contours of daily life in Reno, the religious, recreational, educational, associational, and political activities of Reno’s residents, the campaign to destroy Reno, and Reno residents’ fight to save their community. In conclusion I feel that Fort Reno has a lot of important information and important facts that no one will ever forget.

“There Is Nothing Like A D.C. Festival” – Ellis Isaac

Jevon WALTON, — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 07:42:37 +0000

DC, unlike most major cities in America, is not considered to be a city known for its festival’s; that perception however is less than true. Washington D.C., has numerous festivals that attract both domestic and international tourists each year. The Cherry Blossom Festival stands out as one that attracts many tourists to DC every year. What I have noticed about the festivals in the Washington D.C. area is that they have brought a sense of community cohesion as well as national attention to the area that are not politically related.

DC because it is the capital of America is the home to a lot of festivals. Also since DC is such a tourist heavy area the festivals are very profitable. I think festivals are a way for people to bond because it brings people of different cultures and communities together, and since DC is so diverse it’s perfect to bring people together. DC has hosted some great festivals and concerts over the years, some of them that stand out are, Something in the Water, Capital Fair at RFK, The DC State Fair, The National Cherry Blossom festival and so much more. Since DC is the home of such amazing landmarks it is the home of hundreds of festivals year round. One of my favorite festivals in DC I’ve gone to is the DC state fair, where there were so many activities and so much great food.

One of the festivals that is going to happen is the annual DC Jazz festival, it has been happening for 18 years. Its purpose is to celebrate the love DC has for Jazz and to also inspire younger generations and spark an interest in Jazz. I’ve had family members go there and have said it’s a great experience and so fun. Most of the performances happen at DC landmarks like the Wharf and Waterfront. Another festival that is around this time is the smithsonian folklife festival, it was created in 1967 and it honors contemporary living traditions. It takes place at the national mall and it is open to the public and completely free. You are able to sing, dance, play games, and craft unique things. All in all DC has a plethora of amazing festivals and you would be lucky to be able to experience any of them.

HBCU’s affecting the DC Population – Ellis Isaac

Jevon WALTON, — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 06:41:04 +0000

HBCU stands for, “historically black colleges and universities”. HBCUs are full of history and culture. They were mainly created because of racial discrimination and for a way for black children to get education. These institutes helped black students get degrees and pursue professions they weren’t able to. They were made so that young black students would be able to learn crafts and trades to help their quality in life. HBCUs have been around for decades and are some of the best universities in the country.

Washington DC has two HBCUs in the city, Howard University and University of the District of Columbia. Howard University has been around since 1867 and UDC has been around since 1976. Howard University has been a cornerstone of DC and has been a part of its development, and is known worldwide for its school culture and a place for black professionals. UDC has been a safe and affordable option for black students to get an undergraduate degree. Although the Campus of UDC is small it doesn’t take away from the experiences you get there.

( From an interview of My dad who went to Howard in the 90s)

“My time at Howard was electric, I loved every second of it and think very fondly of it”.