History of Barry Farm

A screening of the documentary: Barry Farm: Community, Land and Justice in Washington DC.

Barry Farm was once a plantation worked by enslaved people, located in southeast DC. After the Civil War, the land was purchased by formerly enslaved individuals during Reconstruction and became a thriving Black community. In the 1940s the city built a sprawling public housing complex on the site – The Barry Farm Dwellings. Uncover the poignant story of Barry Farm, a narrative deeply woven into the fabric of DC. It mirrors the intricate cycles of placement and displacement, reflecting broader societal trends in the United States. Told by generations of residents as well as DC’s leading historians, artists, musicians and analysts, this film tells the story of a community that risks being erased from the map.

The film is followed by panel discussion of the history of public housing, the experience of residents, and the false promise that public housing has created. Presented by Corey Shaw, Empower’s DC Legacy Project Director and Sabiyha Prince, one of the two directors for the film.

This program is presented in association with Undesign the Redline, an exhibit created by Designing the We that explores the history of explicit race-based exclusion, specifically in upper Northwest DC. The exhibit helps us understand why inequities in housing and wealth persist, and encourages us to ask how we can “undesign” these wrongs. Suitable for middle-school aged children and older. Undesign the Redline is on display from April 11-July 11, 2024 at the Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Find the schedule of other programs and learn more at undesigndc.org.