photo by 4JRCook
“Dear PoPville,
Saw this tonight on my evening stroll. It’s docked at the bridge on 31st between K and M St. NW, and was NOT there midday today (Sunday). Crazy!! Would love to know the backstory on how it got there and what’s next for it” (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
I recently retired after nearly 40 years working in hospitality in this amazing city of ours. I am planning to move overseas but would very much like to leave “a mark” behind me. I am hoping to find someone with space for a mural, as well as an artist to collaborate with.
Specifically, I would like to honor the musician, Gil Scott Heron. Gil lived and taught, recorded, and performed in DC for ten of his most influential years in this town. (more…)
3401 14th Street, NW
Thanks to Jonnel for sending from CC Liquor Store in Columbia Heights “The place has been closed for about a month now. Guy out front said renovations. Cool to know in its former glory it was a pharmacy.”
If you have a photo of a neat find from your house, place of work or neighborhood please send an email to [email protected] thanks. Please let me know where/what neighborhood you found it in too. Thanks.
“Dear PoPville,
We recently replaced the front porch of our Capitol Hill home, and in the debris underneath uncovered this old-looking booklet. It’s missing the cover, but from what I can tell is a publication highlighting the Black community – everything from African American musicians to a “toothpick artist.” From what I can tell, it’s from around 1956. (more…)
1722 14th Street, NW
From The Outrage:
“After a year of challenges that at times have felt insurmountable, The Outrage — a hub for activism located on 14th Street — will reopen the doors to their community space on July 4th, unveiling the COVID-19 Memorial Project, an art gallery and event series that will memorialize the DC area lives lost to COVID-19. (more…)
From Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s office:
“Last Monday, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) sent a letter giving the National Park Service (NPS) until August 31, 2021, to make a final decision on whether it will change the name of Melvin Hazen Park in the District of Columbia and informing NPS she will consider introducing legislation to change the name if NPS has not made a final decision by then. In February, Norton asked NPS to change the name of the park because Hazen helped demolish the African-American community in the D.C. neighborhood then known as Reno City. In response, NPS said that it needed to take more time to examine whether it has the authority to change the name, and if does have such authority, whether it should change the name.
Norton’s letter to NPS follows. (more…)
Photo by laurabl
From the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:
“Ahead of Juneteenth, on Saturday, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and a day after the House passed a bill establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a bill to authorize the establishment of a memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia to honor enslaved individuals who disembarked at the Georgetown waterfront. The commemorative work, to be established by the Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project and Tour, would honor the enslaved individuals’ presence, celebrate their contributions to history and recognize their resilience and fortitude.
“This week, we recognize Juneteenth, which marks the arrival of the news of emancipation to enslaved African Americans in Confederate-controlled Texas–two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued–the final end of slavery in the United States,” Norton said. “Juneteenth celebrates the culmination of the long struggle for freedom from bondage in the United States. This monumental event prompts us to reflect on the past and look to the future. This bill provides for the creation of a powerful marker of truth-telling and remembrance. Let us honor the personhood of these individuals, who were repeatedly assumed to have none, so that they will never be forgotten.”
Norton’s introductory statement follows. (more…)
Please enjoy some excellent street art from a deeply missed Express box I happened to find while searching my archives looking for something else. It is awesome.
Photo by Eric P.
From The Washington National Cathedral:
“Washington National Cathedral will toll its funeral bell 600 times, Thurs., June 10 at 5 p.m. ET, in memory of the 600,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19. The tolling will take one hour.”
Live stream: (more…)
via National Park Service
From the National Park Service:
“The National Park Service (NPS) today reopened Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, following a complete rehabilitation of the site and transformation of the visitor experience. New exhibits and research allow the NPS to interpret the history of the Custis and Lee families alongside that of the more than 100 enslaved people who labored on the plantation. Together, their stories reveal a more complete picture of life at Arlington House and of the people and events that changed our nation.
The rehabilitation, which began in 2018, was made possible through a $12.35 million donation by philanthropist David M. Rubenstein to the National Park Foundation.
“Our goal is to create a place of dialogue and learning. We invite visitors to be curious, to connect with the stories, and to be open to hard questions. Park rangers and volunteers will share inclusive stories about the many people and events connected to Arlington House,” Charles Cuvelier, George Washington Memorial Parkway superintendent, said. “David Rubenstein’s generous donation improved every aspect of the site, and the National Park Service is grateful for his continued support.”
A visit today reveals a layered history that has often been untold–the experience of the enslaved people of Arlington House. (more…)