Like a Street Sense vendor

Metro, there a group of guys come up the block and then coming out the Metro — you couldn’t really see their faces. People were scared — the ones in black outfits were throwing bottles, rocks and splashing paint.

I was kind of scared. One of my friends who work around the corner in the Portrait Gallery come out and told me to be careful because the Proud Boys were here.

There was Klan too. You couldn’t see their faces. I went over to Ella’s and there was a few of them there, eating.

When I walked out of Ella’s, I looked out at H Street and a whole bunch of angry people coming. They had sledge hammers, screwdrivers and crowbars. I ain’t ask them nothin’ but I was curious why they had it.

I was sitting, and then people started smashing the windows at H&M. I say to myself, “This is getting hectic. You don’t know if they gonna hit you with one of them tools.” Then it got so crowded — more people than I had seen all my years at Mardi Gras, and they start smashing all kinds of glasses — jewelry stores, CVS, Zara, Gap.

It was funny being there, me being an ex-con. It tempted me to go with the crowd and get me some things I could use and things I could get out and sell. But I did not go. I was too afraid the camera would see me and then I would be on the news and they’d say, “Man wanted for looting!”

I was so scared. I’ve finished parole now, and I ain’t never going back to that life.

The sound of the glass shattering sounded like gunshots. I thought it was gunshots. But it was the police shooting them rubber bullets down there by Gucci. So many people charging into the store — masses really — and police try to stop them but they didn’t have the power and the rioters still got in.

I saw shirts and shoes, a lot of clothes in the street but I didn’t touch them.

I was really scared—it was a big stress to me, even though I’m from the street.

Little did I know this was only the beginning.

JAMES DAVIS

Artist/Vendor

I’ve been walking these streets all morn Singing the same ole song. I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of D.C. I've been thinking of the things I can do with a Street Sense paper and two dollars tucked in my shoe. There'll be a load of compromising on the road to my horizons but I'm gonna be where the lights not shining on me like a Street Sense vendor. Selling papers to people I don't even know like a Street Sense vendor in a one-horse rodeo and app money coming on my phone...

Selling Street Sense

We need to get wheelchair basketball in more parts of D.C. This is very serious. When I go out and sell the paper, people tell me this all the time. We also need to get the mayor behind this. Please buy the paper to hear my story and other people’s stories.

I am praying my fiancé will get her visa and she will come to the United States very soon.

I hope Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Mayor Muriel Bowser hear my story.

I hope all my vendors will be on the cover of Street Sense.

I am so happy I won our February Sell-a-Thon!

I am thankful for my family for supporting me.

DANIEL

BALL

Artist/Vendor

One of my friends asked me, how long have you been selling papers for Street Sense? I said before your baby was born. Then they asked me, do you have any children? My answer was no. My friend asked, me, so do you want to get married someday, like your friend Maria? I said yes, I do. Thank you Thomas and Maria for today’s class. Good luck in the rest of the years to come.