The Pack Express

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2020

A PUBLICATION OF

The Pack

NEWS, ENTERTA IN MEN T, A RTS, LIFESTY LES FREE DAILY

WHO IS

Ty Hobson Powell ?

Reviewing the DC Native’s call to action 3 VIOLENCE IN THE CITY

Washington D.C. on Track for Highest Murder Total in 15 Years 5 AN INTERVIEW WITH

Frontline Women: Advocating on behalf of the people of Washington DC 6

UNREST IN DC

What does the rise of Muriel Bowser to the national stage mean for DC Natives? 8

PAGE 14.

Chocolate City: City: Chocolate Understanding Understanding the components components the of gentrification gentrification of

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SENDING A MESSAGE: A mural

declaring ‘Black Lives Matter’ in yellow bold lettering was painted on 16th street

by Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Days later, protestors in DC added their own additon to the mural, “Defund the Police”.

This addition has added to the national discussion of how to reform America’s policing system in light of the many incidents of police brutality and excessive force.

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CONTRIBUTORS LAYOUT EDITOR

WHO MAKES WHAT ?

DC Council Votes to decrease police budget, Bowser warns of negative effects.

In July, DC City council members unanimously voted to a new budget resulting in $15 million dollars being cut from the Metropolitan Police Department. The funds will now be directed toward city initiatives such as the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, social work programs, as well as strategic initiatives to curb gun violence in the city.

In light of COVID-19, several bars, restuarants and retail locations have been forced to close. The pandemic has issused a great level of stress on small businesses in DC In DC, 44% of residents are Black, 41% The very fabric of DC nightlife will of residents are white, with the be forever changed because of the remaining 15% being comprised of coronavirus. Many popular locations Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander such as; U Street Music Hall, Marvins, or more. For black residents in DC, the Big Chief, Brixton, El Centro and so on median for household income is $46,061, have shut their businesses down due to well below the DC’s overall median of the tough consumer circumstances the $90,695. pandemic provided.

COVER PHOTO

@bennygphotography PROTEST PHOTOS WHAT IS POLICE ABOLITION

Camara Stokes Hudson MURIEL BOWSER

WHO IS TY HOBSON POWELL

GO GO ART

HAIL TO CHANGE Trevor Thompson

YESAP ARTIST PROFILE

VIOLENCE IN DC

CHOCOLATE CITY GLOSSARY

Norbert Klusmann FRONTLINE WOMEN INTERVIEW

Nayion Perkins

Black Residents are the highest population group in DC. They also have the lowest rates of median and average income.

WHERE TO FIND US

@A78759

Nayion Perkins

Norbert Klusmann

SURVIVING THE PANDEMIC

WHATS IN A BUDGET ?

Camara Stokes Hudson Justin Johnson

TWITTER: @ThePack_World INSTAGRAM: @ThePack.World WEBSITE: www.ThePack.World

Nayion Perkins

Nayion Perkins COMICS

@threesirens

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FALL 2020 Express 3

Who is Ty Hobson-Powell:

page three

Reviewing the DC Native’s Call to Action

BY NORBERT KLUSMANN

Every generation, every movement, has its leaders. Some are born into service, others are called into through a punctuating moment in time. And then there are those who work their entire lives to acquire, whether consciously or unconsciously, the skills needed to affect change in the lives of many. Ty Hobson-Powell is that kind of individual. In his own words: “ I graduated high school at 13 and went on to attend Howard University, becoming the youngest student in the history of the institution. I eventually graduated from college at 15, receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Baltimore. The next year, I pledged Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. at the age of 16. I finished grad school at age 17 at Liberty University with my master of arts degree in 2013.” But he’s more than the sum of his academic achievements - this is a man of action. In 2020, Hobson-Powell co-founded Concerned Citizens, a group that has been on the frontlines organizing many of the protest against injustice in Washington D.C.

1. What drove you to found Concerned Citizens DC?

contract in the 21st century if we are to effectively solve anything.

I founded Concerned Citizens because we have a lot of reasons to be concerned.

It’s not enough just to be upset at police brutality. We must be concerned about food, housing & healthcare insecurity, lack of access to democracy, the growing wealth gap, the school to prison pipeline, college debt and an existential global environmental threat.

3. How did D.C. mold the man you are today?

2.What is the #1 issue facing America today?

America is the fundamental issue facing America. It is a nation premised on the idea that we are all created equal as systems and institutions consistently show marginalized populations otherwise.

We must revisit and restructure the American social

D.C. taught me not to go like that. To stand up for what I believe in. To be fearless. D.C. taught me Black power through Black educators, leaders and business owners. Without D.C., I would not be me.

4. What are the first steps you would advise someone who is interested in activism/being radicalized?

All it takes to get into activism is committing to activity. I believe in the power of words so I think of terms like “organizer” and “activist” as functional terms. If you’re an organizer, go organize something for

your community. If you’re an activist, activate your community with activity.

Whatever that looks like for you. We will all have different frontlines. An educator dismantling white supremacy from the classroom or a healthcare provider dismantling it from within biased healthcare systems are both just as much on the frontlines as me in the streets. Arguably, even more so. Whatever you do, let it be genuine and let it be intentional. That’s all it ever really takes.

5. Who is Ty Hobson-Powell?

I’m just a concerned citizen doing my part. I pray my deeds show the world who I am better than any words of self gratification could ever explain it. Life will show you who I am and who I’ve always been.

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@vsarhan

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THREE PO INTERS

Stick to Sports?

With police brutality and injustice in the criminal justice system brought to the national stage once again, many atheletes decided to use their platforms in a way that sheds light on many of the issues their communities face.

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Natasha Cloud Speaks Out

Hail to Change: After years of debate, The Washington Football Team adopts a new name BY TREVOR THOMPSON Tradition and culture. Two words that resonate with those who live in Washington DC and the DMV area. Two words that hold immense weight for those who have been living here their whole lives. Tradition and culture is listening and going to Go-Gos. Tradition and culture is ordering

mumbo sauce with your wings (or on) from the carryout. Tradition and culture is waking up Sunday to watch football.

The football team that claims the name of the city are now called the Washington Football Team. Not long ago, the same exact team was called the Washington Redskins. If there was one

thing that the city loved besides Go-Go and mumbo sauce, it was the Washington Redskins. The Washington Redskins were a proud franchise that was rich in tradition and culture. The phrase Hail to the Redskins is something that brought us all together, just like mumbo sauce and Go-Go. However, the name Redskins also comes with tradition and culture.

Unfortunately, that tradition and culture is rooted racism. According to Native Americans, the name Redskins is a derogatory term. Research will back them up.

This was something that needed change. As a DC native, change is hard. Especially when it’s a part of your culture. However, one has to realize that it’s not our tradition and culture

that is being directly affected. It’s the Native Americans who have lived here and had to fight for their land. Change is hard, but sometimes change is necessary.

We are all currently fighting for change in this society. The best way is to listen to others who are directly affected. We would want the same and do want the same.

Sure, some people are going to be upset that the Redskins are changing their name. They shouldn ’t be. The name that matters the most is “Washington”.

At the end of the day that’s who we are. Natives of Washington.

Whoever represents the city, regardless of the nickname ,we should be proud of them. I for one, am very proud that we are taking part in change; you should be too. Hail to change, lets keep working toward a better future.

CHANGING THE CULTURE ?

Dan Snyder has owned The Washington Football Team since 1999. In

that span, the Football Team has won its division 2 times, making three trips to the playoffs, none resulting in a conference championship appearance.

Snyder looks to change the culture of this historic franchise with the name change being a catalyst. The Football Team is expected to adopt a permanent mascot following the 2020 season.

Mystics guard Natasha Cloud opted out of the 2020 season to focus her energy on bringing attention to racial justice. Cloud has long pushed for social justice, previously orchestrating a media blackout to address gun violence in DC following a WNBA game.

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Mystics and Wizards Juneteenth Protest Mystics and Wizards players including Bradley Beal, Natasha Cloud, John Wall, Kristi Toliver and more, marched with DC residents on Junneteenth to speak out against police brutality incidents of 2020.

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John Wall’s 202 Assist Wizards point guard John Wall has raised over $500,000 that will go towards rent relief for Ward 8 residents in D.C. through his 202 Assist Program. In Ward 8, 92% of residents are black.

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violence Washington D.C. on Track for Highest Murder Total in 15 Years BY NORBERT KLUSMANN

A

midst the most chaotic year in recent history… during a pandemic, during a social revolution regarding this country’s past, present and future racial transgressions, with a paradigm shifting Presidential election looming, Washington D.C. is facing a heartbreaking and familiar epidemic that it knows all too well: gun violence.

Whether at the hands of the people sworn to protect and serve us or as a by-product of poverty, the lack of opportunities in our communities and displacement, murder has run rampant in the District in a way we haven’t seen for 15 some odd years. With 150+ murders in early October of 2020 (compared to 166 total murders in 2019), Washington, D.C. is on track for topping 200 murders for the first time since 2004.

History of Murder Capital

D.C.’s Mayor for Life, Marion Barry, once said ”It’s been like a frenzy. Once you start a name, it just becomes a name. You can’t get rid of it,” in respect to the city’s ‘Murder Capital’ tag. Throughout the 80s and 90s, Washington, D.C. did more than earn enough to earn the grim title. From 1988 to 1995, the homicide rate rested comfortably in the 400s, a frightening number for any city, but especially a city as small and compact as D.C. There were many contributing factors to this traumatic time period. First and foremost, we’d be remiss in not recognizing the profound effect the crack epidemic had on this area. Crack’s introduction in

1986 is the most obvious precursor to the ‘Murder Capital’, with D.C. also essentially becoming the ‘Crack Capital’ as well, with the largest crack-dealing organizations making as much as $8 million a month ($18 million in 2020, with inflation). This much street traffic, money and the murder that followed garnered a lot of attention - all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Newly elected President George Bush made it a point to “restart” the War on Drugs because of the drug trade in Washington, D.C., using crack sold in a park across the street from the White House as an example. The subsequent policing and attention caused more harm than good, as the murder rate rose in the following years, but this clearly outlines the landscape this nickname was given in.

Factors in Violence: gentrification, poverty, lack of opportunity)

Gun violence is not an issue that exists in a vacuum. It is the culmination of a number of things, ending in the perfect cocktail of circumstances needed for someone to be injured, sometimes fatally. When citizens are asked, they bring up the following as contributing factors: D.C. natives struggle with a lack of opportunity in an economically booming city, rising rent costs forcing residents into unfamiliar (sometimes even warring) neighborhoods, on top of an already irreparable relationship with the black community and the Metropolitan Police Department. This creates a deadly atmosphere, a hotbed for gun violence. Residents don’t feel safe and it is obvious how some may feel that carrying a weapon for your own self-defense is better

than potentially losing your life, falling victim to this new landscape they have been put into. On the other hand, when it comes to individuals that may not have any opportunity, any way to feed themselves or their families, relying on less than savory methods of making money become necessary. This puts an unavoidable target on your back - either with other individuals in the streets, the police or both. The powers that be in Washington, D.C. have a responsibility to its citizens, to ensure that they are never put between a rock and a hard place, in this way. The cross-section of economics and public safety can be seen plainly here and real steps need to bee made to ensure the progress of all Washingtonians.

34th N EAT Party Shooting

More recently, there has been two captivating stories: a celebration turned mass shooting and another young life taken too soon

by America’s over-militarized police force. In the days leading up to August 9th, near the apex of a somewhat dormant and stifled summer as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a video went viral on social media. Hundreds of bottles of liquor advertising an annual cookout branded the ‘34th & EAT Cookout’, featuring the popular D.C. brand EAT, prompted hundreds of people to take to the streets. A little past midnight, shots rung out. 22 people were shot. 21 individuals were adults, including 12 of which are women, 9 male victims and 16 people between the ages of 20-29 years old. Heartbreakingly, a 17 year old young man, a father to an infant, lost his life. No one has

# of Homicides per year in D.C.

2017: 116 2018: 160 2019: 166

As of November 1st 2020: 165 been charged for these murderous actions and no explanations have been produced. The event was a perfect cocktail for meyhem, with alcohol amounting to thousands of dollars, the common violent occurrences of dice games and other cash-based gambling at parties and cookouts, ontop of the reality of warring neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.

DEON KAY

Deon Kay was similarly young.

18 years old with years of life ahead of him, his journey was cut short in a way that is all too familiar to young black men in this country: by a gun in the hands of a police officer. Police responded that a tip that Kay and two others were in their neighborhood brandishing guns and officers actively

went looking for them. Upon being discovered, Kay fled, trying his best to escape capture. Officer Alexander Alvarez runs ahead of Kay, trying to cut him off. As we can only guess at this point, Deon realizes his capture is inevitable and he tries to best to toss his weapon. While doing so, Alvarez shoots and kills Deon Kay. The weapon in question was found nearly 100 feet away from Deon Kay’s lifeless body. Police shootings happen everyday in America.

Rarely are we, the people, given the information to truly discern whether or not justice was truly served. Do I believe Deon Kay could have been apprehended without loss of life? I do. But at the end of the day, we can only truly focus on how to stop these situations and circumstances from being common occurrences in our communities.

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civil engagement

An Interview with Frontline Women

Advocating on behalf of the people of Washington DC BY NAYION PERKINS Activism is inspired by a call to action. People observe a need that is often neglected and ignored; and that neglect elicits action. This has been a constant theme for the year 2020, which has been plagued with the COVID-19 pandemic and racial strife in the country, especially within the nation’s capitol, Washington D.C. Frontline Women DC, a group of young black women who are advocating for the needs of Washingtonians are one of the best examples of recognizing areas of neglect, and organizing to address them head on.

In early June, they came together in reaction to the death of George Floyd, a definitive last straw for many black people who were tired of hearing about police encounters ending with the same deadly result.

“The inspiration was definitely through the George Floyd protests.

That’s when we came together right at the beginning of June. We really just wanted to make an impact and we didn’t know exactly how we were going to do that, but we just wanted to be a part of this special moment in history.

It was like a really like weird time and it’s just like, I want to do something. I can’t sit home and watch this on social media and on TV and not be a part of the movement.”

The need to participate in the overall movement for justice translated into the formation of Frontline Women.

Subsequently, the group organized resources from district residents across the city to provide protestors with food, water, and general financial support to help protestors spread their messages.

Though their advocacy started with a desire to support protestors of racial injustice, Frontline Women’s mission has expanded into many areas that directly addressed problems DC residents are facing, especially when it comes to black women.

“We wanted to center black woman because we felt like in the movement in general and also in DC, we don’t

“We wanted to center black woman because we felt like in the movement in general and also in DC, we don’t really see the focus of a lot of the movements and a lot of the activism here being black woman.” really see the focus of a lot of the movements and activism here being black woman. So we wanted to create the space for ourselves. A lot of black are black women are abused, killed, violated by the police and just by the system in general, that gets overlooked.

I think when you have an organization that is founded by black women, we’re always going to put those issues first.

For example two girls back in June, were murdered in DC. It wasn’t by the police, but we are still victims of violence within our community and outside our community. We really made an effort to donate to their go fund me’s and spread awareness to violence against black women in DC. I think it’s important to have things that are for us by us when it involves black women, because we’re always going to champion us.”

Saige Ballard and Zymia Joyner are the young women referenced. They were two black teenagers who were murdered due to the rampant gun violence that has taken place in DC

this year, especially during the summer. When Frontline Women heard of their stories, they immediately used the profile they built aiding protestors in order to funnel aid and support to those two families.

Since the summer, Frontline Women DC have organized a series of events to give DC residents resources. Grocery giveaways to Wards 7,8, which are areas that have been historically disenfranchised due to their demographics and location.

School drives to provide supplies, as many children went back to school in September without the same familiar infrastructure present. As election season approached, they mobilized to register people to vote, as well as sharing important information with their communicates about how and where to vote.

Though they have been able to organize and provide resources to support many communities in DC, members of Frontline Women DC sounded off on a number of issues that are on their

radar moving forward: “I think one of the biggest issues is definitely the lack of access to healthy food across the city, food insecurity in general. As DC has become more gentrified those neighborhoods before that didn’t have access to grocery stores, maybe only have like a corner store, now have grocery stores and things like that only because white people have moved in the neighborhood. You can see that these places where white people haven’t moved yet still don’t have access to groceries.

Someone should be able to walk down the street and get food because everyone doesn’t have access to cars.”

“I also think, to be a little more black woman specific, DC is one of the most high risk places to have children in the country, especially if you live east of the river because there aren’t any hospitals, and the hospitals that are in DC right now outside of Howard, you can’t really go to most of them if you don’t have insurance or it’s going to be extremely expensive. That’s something that alarms me. That’s also a huge issue since we’re in the middle of a public health crisis; that there’s just not access to medical care, especially for black women, like there should be in a major city like DC.” “A big thing is cultural and social

awareness, just coming back to DC and seeing how gentrifiers, even black people who are new to DC not understanding the culture. We would like to see more emphasis on teaching people about black DC culture. I just felt like a lot of people are just not culturally sensitive or aware to how inspirational DC’s culture has been and how it’s being taken away through gentrification.”

“DC has always been violent, but I feel like this summer in the past couple of years, it’s been super evident. We know that a lot of that is the effect of gentrification. People are being pushed together, but also there’s not a shared community responsibility just to keep everyone safe and alive anymore and that’s just stressful and kind of alarming to think about, especially as we get older and we’re going to start having kids and wanting to raise families here, it’s just not safe and we don’t feel safe when the police come. They don’t necessarily give the care and the proper attention to a lot of these cases like they should, the mayor doesn’t; It’s like us as activists and as community members are the only one who cares.

We’re the ones supporting the families when they need help after they lost loved ones.”

“It kind of goes back to gentrification. I know growing up here, there were a lot more resources for homelessness. A lot of homeless people had a lot more shelters that they could go to. A lot of addicts had drug treatment programs that they could get into, and now it’s little to none. That’s extremely frustrating, especially with drugs being exposed to younger kids. A lot more people are on the street and there’s a pandemic on top of all of this. Homelessness is at such an alarming rate and then people are already being pushed out from some of the places that they are staying. It’s very concerning.”

You can follow Frontline Women DC on Instagram @FrontlineWomenDC in order to keep up with their community events, as well as receiving information on how to donate or volunteer.

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What is Police Abolition?

BY CAMARA STOKES HUDSON

Why don’t you like cops - All people have inherent worth and dignity - and people are not their jobs. When people say ACAB or Fuck 12 they are attacking the institution of the police and people who uphold and defend that system, many of those people are current or former law enforcement.

The fact is, policing is rooted in anti-blackness and racism. The origins of American policing come from pre-civil war slave catching forces and has throughout its history created and perpetuated a criminal justice system that actively kills Black people and holds Black communities back.

What is Police Abolition? Police abolition is a term used by a wide range of activists and scholars and means something a little bit different to everyone who uses it. In its broadest sense, when activists say “Abolish the Police” they are referring to removing all institutional, financial, and social support for police departments, child welfare enforcement, immigration enforcement, federal enforcers like the FBI, CIA, and Army. These advocates believe that the foundation of policing is so rotten because of its relationship to American slavery and racial stratification that it could not possibly be reformed, the only way to achieve public safety then is to remove the police. For example to some people this means that the Metropolitan Police Department would cease to exist - they would no longer carry out arrests, investigations, or do crowd control. For others this means that they would not have “police powers” - the power to arrest or seize assets but would be

What does it mean to "defund" the Police ? Defunding the police is also a broad term but often means using legisla-

tive tools to decrease the police budget as a way of reducing the overall size and power of the police force. Police budgets are often oversized, much larger than other community investments like education and public housing. Defunding the police provides us with an opportunity to shift our public tax dollars away from policing to more effective investments like increating street intervention teams, expanding educational supports to all students, improving public housing. These types of policies have much more of an impact on rates of victimizationn and ultimately lead to healthier, happier, safer communities.

Why can't we just reform the police ? Lots of policies have tried to reform the police - increasing the #s of Black officers, requiring body cameras, banning especially dangerous practices like kettling or the use of tear gas, improving community relations with the police have been tried across the country. In fact, DC has been treated as a model for police accountability in the past despite the fact that we have had 4 police shootings in 5 years. Police reform was a noble effort but it has become clear to many people that it is not how police do their job, its that they do their job at all. Abolition means that How will we be kept safe when there are no police? Ask yourself what it means to be safe, DC's police budget and size have grown every year for the last decade but the murder rate continues to climb. Policing, especially patrols, can create a veneer of safety in some communities simply because those communities trust them. In places where Police have not built positive relationships, even patrols can cause fear and trauma responses. Police are also active perpetra-

tors of violence - arrests, seizures, high-speed chases, etc are all deeply traumatic experiences that can lead to injury and death, when police use these tools they do not increase safety inside of communities they very directly make people less safe. Community safety actually does not come from enforcing the laws, research has shown that the effect of deterrence (the idea that the existence of the law and law enforcement stops people from committing crimes) on reducing crimes is much much smaller than other interventions that focus on the prevention of crime and building safer communities. So investing in education and safe public housing in many ways makes us even safer than police ever could.

Photos by

@A78759

What about rapists and abusers? Rapes are barely dealt with by the criminal justice system in the SQ. Only 23% of sexual assaults are reported, less than 1% of rapists end up in prison.1 in 3 survivors feel less safe when in the presence of law enforcement. Alternative methods of punishment that don’t include an arrest and criminalization - like mediation or restorative justice processes - may work better for many survivors because they give them autonomy in how to approach their healing instead of the one-size-fits-all policy of jail. Police are also active perpetrators of violence in their own lives. Households with police officers have a rate of domestic violence four times higher than other households.

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GENTRIFICATION

BY THE NUMBERS

24.7% The percent that low-income residents in D.C. have decreased by since 2000

34,520 The number of black residents that have decreased in economically expanding areas of D.C., 23.4% fewer

20,000 More than 20,000 black residents have been displaced in D.C. since 2000

40% About 40% of the District’s lower income neighborhoods experienced gentrification between 2000 and 2013

What does the rise of Muriel Bowser to the national stage mean for DC Natives?

BY CAMARA STOKES HUDSON

Mayor Muriel Bowser seems to be getting a lot of national attention in the past few months. wwShe has appeared on MSNBC, CNN and ABC to speak on racial justice and the pandemic. She has been offered a Leadership Award by the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Mayor Bowser even had a speaking role at the 2020 DNC. Often alongside other Black woman mayors like Keisha Lance Bottoms, London Breed, and Lori Lightfoote, Muriel has been cast clearly in the national discussion as a local savior, holding the line against the public health and political threats posed by the Trump Administration and its followers.

Most notably, Mayor Bowser has received high praise for her decision to paint “Black Lives Matter” large enough it could be seen from space on the portion of 16th street running up to White House, renaming it “Black Lives Matter Plaza”. A response, of sorts, to the still ongoing nation-wide protests to end racist policing practices and seek accountability for police who commit murder.

Mayor Bowser’s choice to brand herself as a supporter of racial justice begs the question - What does the rise of Muriel Bowser to the national stage mean for DC Natives?

At this point? Not much at all. As Muriel’s star power has gained, DC Natives, most of whom are Black, are fighting to survive.

Take the city’s response to the Covid-19 crisis as an example.

On April 12th, when Mayor Bowser sat on CNN’s Inside Politics and said “While the spotlight of Covid-19 is on it, we need national and local strategies to have more equal medical outcomes for African Americans in our country” she had only just set up the first testing site East of the River - even though testing had been available in richer, whiter parts of the city since March. The United Medical Center testing site, until recently, was only open for four hours a day, on weekdays.

The result? There were clear disparities in who was tested for Covid-19, who received treatment and who ultimately died from it. Black DC residents make up 46 percent of the DC,

they make up 74 percent of DC’s Covid-19 deaths.

And Wards 7 and 8? The communities served by the single testing site at UMC? They had the highest rates of Covid-19 deaths in the city. Of the 616 people who have died in the District, 124 died in Ward 8. Compare this with Ward 3, which lost 34 of its residents.

Since the Pandemic started, Mayor Bowser ignored the demands to improve Covid-19 protections for the patient population at St. Elizabeth’s; she has failed to extend unemployment assistance to thousands of DC workers who were not covered by the federal CARES Act (including street vendors, undocumented workers and sex workers) and she has pushed for the reopening of DCPS trigger-

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ing something people are likely to forget come the next mayoral election. backlash from students, parents and teachers alike. In almost every way that mattered during this pandemic, Mayor Bowser failed Black DC residents.

We definitely did not fail ourselves. Black communities swiftly and effectively stood up and filled in the gaps that the DC government had left. Organizations like Black Lives Matter DC and their East of The River Mutual Aid set up networks targeted at providing food, medical supplies, school supplies to DC residents who were homebound or who had lost their source of income.

Mutual aid networks like this existed in all 8 wards in the city and were community-led and owned.

By April 20th, East of the River Mutual Aid had already provided 55,000 hot meals to community members.

This theme - the failure of Muriel Bowser to act effectively in response to the needs of Black Washingtonians and the diligence with which those same Black Washingtonians provided for one another - would become even more clear when The Uprisings began.

Protests seeking accountability for the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade began in DC within a day of the death of Mr. Floyd.

From Day 1, the response from law enforcement was one of aggression. Reports of the use of rubber bullets, tear gas and preemptive arrests came quickly from the frontlines and have continued over the last 4 months.

And, while Mayor Bowser may attribute much of that behavior to federal officials it was visibly the DC Police who trapped over a hundred peaceful protesters for 10 hours on a block on Swann St. NW after tear gassing them in clear violation of DC, federal and international law.

This made her comments at the 2020 DNC even more confusing for activists. Sitting with BLM Plaza behind her, Mayor Bowser criticized the Trump administration saying ““He [Trump] sent troops and camouflage into our

FALL 2020 Express 9

Washington D.C. Housing Guide: Employer Assisted Housing Program (EAHP) This program provides up to $5,000 matching down payment grant plus a deferred loan of $20,000 for closing costs and down payment.

In order to qualify, you ,must be a full-time DC Government employee. This program is only applicable to DC purchases only.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser pictured walking among protestors on 16th Street. On June 5th 2020, Bowser order ‘Black Lives Matter’ to be painted on 16th Street, shifting the national conversation on racial injustice toward the streets of Washington DC.

“As Muriel’s star power has gained, DC Natives, most of whom are Black, are fighting to survive.” streets. He sent tear gas into the air, and federal helicopters, too..I knew if he did this to D.C., he would do it to your city or your town. And that’s when I said, ‘Enough.’”

But what was she saying enough to? Her own actions?

Muriel Bowser had used tear gas, rubber bullets and helicopters.

Muriel Bowser had set a curfew that justified arresting hundreds.

Muriel Bowser flooded the streets with police and set up roadblocks that some nights could be found as far north as Columbia Heights.

Those were decisions she and her administration made and continue to make, independent from the White House.

Undeterred by the violence of the police, groups like Freedom Fighters DC, Concerned Citizens, and Frontline Women established themselves as organizers and defenders of protesters - providing supplies, medics and safe spaces. Many of these groups were built by DC natives with DC natives in mind

and have advanced a narrative of police abolition and reform that stems directly from DC’s unique situation of being policed not just on a local but also federal level. Protest groups and traditional advocates have created an organizing framework for the defunding and ultimate abolition of the MPD.They organized over 500 people to sign up to testify at DC police budget hearings, and protests city-wide that have continued every day for the last 112 days. Unlike Muriel, DC natives said “enough” and actually meant it.

What is abundantly clear from the last 7 months, is that Muriel Bowser’s national success as a politician - her awards, her speaking engagements, everything - has come directly from an unabashed lie - that Black DC Matters to her. If Black DC mattered, there would have been more than one testing site East of the River. But there wasn’t. If Black DC had mattered, Swann St. wouldn’t have happened. But it did. Instead of actually choosing to do the work of protecting Black communities in DC, Mayor Bowser chose the national spotlight. Leaving us to fight her and the federal government at the same time. And, that’s not something people are likely to forget come the next mayoral election.

Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) HPAP proves a maximum of $80,000 in assistance towards down payment based on family size and income level. Additional closing cost assistance available up tp $4,000. This program is only applicable to DC purchases only.

Average Cost of Rent per month in DC:

$2,204 Median Price for Single Family Homes in DC

$417,400 The Median Income of Black Residents in DC

$46,061 The Median Income for all Residents in DC

$90,695

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gogo

s fall adret gui

If the gogo had its own metro stop, how would they let you know when the next train was coming?

“Like on the sign would it say Glenmont and then “jih like close” or “iont even know”? Whatever it says I know this stop would be on the red line and would allow for transfers to the green and yellow line. The fighting spirit of black and brown Washingtonians has now morphed into the form of a ghost. 2020 has been a morbid year as the Covid-19 pandemic walked arm in arm with a marathon of policed sanctioned lynchings. Systemic problems that have haunted black and brown people across the US were awakened as white supremacy uncovered the graves they themselves dug. Long Live GoGo and the various IG live concerts during the pandemic was the ever so subtle “BOO”.

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At a time when people’s lives were being taken at the hand of something that literally left them breathless, for black and brown Washingtonians gogo during this time has been a voice and vehicle for those stuck inside and voiceless. If go-go was literally a mode of transportation it for sure would be a part of WMATA and have its own stop. In this small series I masked up and photographed an almost lifeless and sterile metro experience, but was lucky enough to catch the ghosts, spirits, and spooks that should up on the film negatives.

These spirits of go-go and more importantly black and brown D.C remind us all no matter where we are or end up our culture and presence will remain whether it is used to heal or haunt.�

- Justin Johsnon

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art profile

s fall adret gui

YESAP Speaks: Expressing Artistry in Tumultuous Times BY NAYION PERKINS

On May 25th, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin, when he held his knee on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and forty-six seconds. Video of Floyd’s last moments were recorded, and ultimately went viral through social media, sparking instant outrage. Subsequently, protests began nationwide, and the conversation on race and injustice in America was sparked once again. For many young Black Americans, Floyd’s death was the last straw. The tragic cases of Ahmaud Arbery as well as Breonna Taylor were already weighing on the minds of many. This was insult to injury. It was also nothing new. Each year, the list of black people who are murdered at the hands of the police grows. Many of those cases conclude

with officers not being held accountable for their actions. In June 2020, we saw a boiling point nationwide.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic prompting the shutdown of business and life as we know it, protestors of all ages took to the streets. Many, looking for an outlet. A way to grieve and sort through the familiar pain of losing life to a system that does not care whether you live or die.

Protests across the country have brought light to issues when many mainstream media outlets have failed to feel the pulse of the people who are demanding change. During protests, many are inclined to carry a sign to convey a message or share something they feel needs to be addressed. Within the new generation of protesters, art has become an important medium to convey messages to the masses.

Coupled with protest, the

lockdowns put in place due to COVID-19 presented challenges for many. In a world where technology rules and everyone is now working from home or attending school remotely, it was hard to ignore the movement for social justice taking place outside. Social media would ensure that was the case. And though it was good that a lot more people were forced to pay attention because of the surrounding circumstances of the world, for those who are all too familiar with the pain of being black in America, it was hard to take in all of the news without it taking a mental toll.

For DC born and raised artist YESAP, art has been a major outlet during this tumulus year. A true chance to make a statement, while also addressing the many emotions that the death of black people awakens.

“I was inside a lot obviously, and I think at one point, my screen time on my phone was like 21 hours a day. It was insane. I was like this is just not healthy, but I was just taking in all the news.”

YESAP’s sentiments are felt by many. The constant consumption of black trauma on social media is troubling, and may ultimately desensitize a generation of black youth to the death and brutality black people face in this country. Luckily for YESAP, the constant consumption translated to action.

“Everyday I was just like taking it all in; and it was really traumatic news too. I was having to process this on my own. But I also recognized that this is a time for a lot of change and I was like, I cannot just stay in the house and do this. So one day I woke up and I was like I’m going to go protest. “

Coincidentally, YESAP picked one of the most intense days of the summer protests in DC to join the fight.

The President, trying to enforce his rhetoric of law and order and curb violence and destruction to buildings and statues in the city, unleashed the national guard on protestors into the streets of DC. Many were arrested. Rubber bullets were shot into crowds, and the national guard used several tactics to separate and stifle protests of any kind.

“It felt like I was in the purge, it was very overwhelming for me.

There were loud explosive noises that were happening, and people just like running. In my mind, I was like I support people, but I can’t be out here and do this part, I had a friend get shot with rubber bullets.”

The events that took place during her first night of joining protests lead to some critical thinking. What

FALL 2020 Express 13 would be the most effective way to spread a message, support protestors, without being caught in the direct crossfires of the chaos. She found the answer around her, on the now boarded walls of DC. “I noticed there were so many boards, everywhere for blocks and blocks, and this was around the White House in D.C. I was like these are basically empty canvases essentially.”

After noticing many people’s paintings on canvases in downtown DC, she reached out to someone she saw painting about how she could participate. After submitting previous work addressing police violence to the group, they asked if she could turn in something different. This rubbed YESAP in the wrong direction. Who were they to police how she should express her grief? It was then that she decided to work alone, and spread her own message upon canvases, “There were still things that needed to be addressed. Still things happening, and the art being put up, it was nice but it was the kind of cliché unity pieces that people have been talking about for years. So I was like okay, I’m just going to do it myself.

Like, why am I asking permission from a white person to do black lives matter art or art for black lives? I saw this thing online and that was like, if you carry a ladder around nobody asks you questions. So I just grabbed the ladder from my basement and took some paints and set up a wall. This is the night before Breonna Taylor’s no knock warrant (law) was going to be passed, so I felt like the bulletin board or the plywood, would just be a way to get information to the public because I know that on my Instagram timeline, there’s a lot of people who are obviously advocating for social justice or all preaching to the choir.

Everyone that I follow is circulating the same information to each other.

And it’s like, we’re not the ones who need to see it. I mean, I understand that we might be a network, so we spread to people who do need to see it, but it was just like, this is the same information being circulated to the same kind of groups.”

“As public art, anybody who would pass the White House, or those very corporate places would see it. So I did my first mural and it was like

images of these random protestors and they’re holding up signs, and in the signs I put the number to call for the Breonna Taylor case and what to say in order for them to pass the no knock warrant law.”

“That was the first piece that I did. Part of it was kind of relieving to not attach like social media to it because it’s just like whoever sees it sees it, like, you’re not worried about that. It’s not for any kind of personal attention, but while I was out there and painting, people would stop and ask questions, which was really interesting because a lot of them actually

didn’t know what was happening in that sense, which I found interesting because just being online, you just assume that everyone is.”

With her dynamic art style, YESAP’s art gained many admirers.

Those who passed by would often take pictures to tag on Instagram or call the numbers or donate to the initiatives she highlighted within her work. On the flip side, some of the pieces did draw ire.

“One day I actually went out to paint with my mom. A group of cops came up and one had said nice art and asked if I had been working on

this before today, and I was like yeah.

Then another came up and asked a similar question and I was like okay, what is going on? And my mom actually said it looked like he was going to cry. And the officer was like, I’m sorry to have to do this, but someone reported that you had guns, I’m going to need to check your bags.

And he was just like I’m so sorry, it’s my job and I have to search for safety reasons. That kind of scared me a little bit because who would tell the police we had guns?”

Despite her brief interaction with law enforcement, YESAP found her

outlet, her way to contribute to the movement and voice her concerns.

“It was also a way for me to get my frustration out at the time, and just like leave it in that space. So that gave me the opportunity to process everything that was taking place.”

Though she was able to find a positive outlet, she still had a lot on her mind, especially in regard to Breonna Taylor.

“I haven’t posted this one yet though because it just felt weird how often I was seeing her name used in different places for different reasons.

After a while I was like, I don’t even know anymore what justice would look like for her. A lot of what people were saying was to abolish this system, abolish police, abolish just everything and for people to say arrest the cops in the same breath just seems like we’re trying to put them in the same system you’re saying is flawed. So, what’s the real solution?”

“It just became like a punchline, you know? It was just like, Hey, I’m at the beach, also arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor and just became like, do you even know what you’re saying anymore? Because it’s a contradiction. And it just kept being in the news.”

As the weeks went on in the summer, many of YESAP’s pieces were ultimately removed or painted over.

DC has tried to make a transition back into a normal state removing boards off of many of the businesses.

YESAP however; was not discouraged by the art’s removal.

“I painted it, knowing that it’s temporary. It would be seen when it was seen. I wasn’t painting it to keep it. It’s purpose was to inform, to be there in the moment for protestors.”

YESAP, like so many other black women, channeled the many emotions she felt into something that would help and ultimately uplift others. In 2020, it has been common for people to be absorbed with everything taking place, especially in the era of COVID, with our definition of what’s ‘normal’ currently being redefined. As we continue to live in America, many of the injustices that black people face will not disappear. It is important that we all find our process for grieving, and how to channel the emotions that grief brings into the change we would like to see.

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Chocolate City glossary Chocolate City: A term used to describe the city of

Cultural Capital: The accumulation of knowledge,

Displacement: The result of residents no longer

Gerrymandering: The practice of drawing the boundaries of electoral districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage over its rivals or that dilutes the voting power of members of ethnic or linguistic minority groups. Gentrification is fueled by tax incentives tied to government zoning, which can be gerrymandered depending on the desires of those in charge.

Redlining: A popular technique that began in the

Affordable Housing: Housing which is deemed affordable to those with a median household income or below as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index.

The median income in Washington DC is $90,695. The median income of Black residents in DC is $46,061.

Washington D.C. due to its predominately black population and culture. In the year 1971, 70% of the population in DC were black residents. In 2000, 61% of residents were Black. In 2020, 44% of residents in DC are black.

Each year the number decreases.

being able to afford to remain in their homes due to physical changes, as well as social character changes taking place within their neighborhood. The process of housing no longer being affordable to low income residents, forcing them to move out of their space to a more affordable situation.

Key Terms

Defining an Era

Neighborhoods that were once predominantly black have experienced a level of turnover that has resulted in the displacement of those black residents. In Washington D.C. specifically, the number of black residents has decreased yearly since 2000. Many factors play a role into these circumstances: a lack of affordable housing options, the implementation of resources that are not affordable to their surrounding communities, and so on. To understand gentrification, one must understand the many terms and circumstances that ultimately play a role into the exodus of black residents. Here we breakdown some of the essential terms.

1960’s. The process in which federal government agencies systematically deny various resources to predominately minority neighborhoods in order to curb investment into these spaces. Redlining leads to negative neighborhood ratings, making it hard for residents to receive loans toward homeownership, ultimately leading to divestment in black spaces.

Gentrification: The term originally coined by Brit-

ish-German Sociologist Ruth Glass, gentrification is the the process whereby the character of an urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, the implementation of new, more expensive housing and businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants in the process.

behaviors, and skills that a person can tap into to demonstrate one’s cultural competence and social status. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu coined the term in 1973

Racial Equity: The condition that would be achieved

if one’s racial identity no longer predicted, in a statistical sense, how one fares. When we use the term, we are thinking about racial equity as one part of racial justice; and thus we also include work to address root causes of inequities, not just their manifestation. This includes elimination of policies, practices, attitudes and cultural messages that reinforce differential outcomes by race or fail to eliminate them.

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2 9 2 8 5 3 7 4 9 3 3 6 4 5 3 7 1 8 this h montC in D ry histo November 3rd, 1964: The residents of Washington DC cast their first votes for a presidential election. DC was granted the right to vote in presidential elections thanks to the passing of the twenty-third amendment to the U.S Constitution. The amendment entitled DC to the same number of electoral votes as that of the least populous state in the election of the President and Vice President.

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