1200 U Street, NW
From a press release:
“The True Reformer Building, built in the early 1900s, was a physical manifestation of Black resistance in Washington, D.C.
Locked out of major financial institutions, a group of Black Washingtonians pooled their resources together to buy the land, contracted a Black architect to design the building, and worked with Black contractors and subcontractors to build this historic community space. It was the first building in the nation to be financed, built, and owned by the Black community after Reconstruction.
In the over 100 years of the True Reformer Building’s existence, it has served as a shapeshifter for the surrounding community, morphing to its needs. If its walls could talk, it would tell you about one of Duke Ellington’s first performances, held in its auditorium. It would tell you about Joe Louis shuffling across its floor and swiping the air during boxing practice. It would tell you about the organizations that invited their neighbors in to provide them with resources and support. It would tell you about the community meetings and celebrations that packed people within its walls.
That’s why the renovation of the True Reformer Building, which now serves as Public Welfare Foundation’s headquarters, is a critical part of the Foundation’s mission and footprint. (more…)
