Finding a Home in the Nation’s Capital

*By: Eli Alford Jr.

African Americans played an important and often overlooked role in the history of Washington D.C.. The sad duality of this historic role is plagued by the impotent voices of a subjugated population forced to live within the ironic boundaries of the District. The stories and experiences of pre-Civil Rights African Americans in Washington D.C. can be seen as a microcosm of the collective experiences of African Americans in the United States. These experiences address the struggle of a minority people who were seen as second class citizens unable to compete with the District’s white residents. Cedar Hill, the Anacostia Historic District, Langston Terrace, the Hillsdale community, and the Anacostia City Museum were instrumental in improving the social and economic conditions African Americans faced in the District and nation.

A walking tour based on the experiences of African Americans in South East Washington D.C. is an important narrative that explains the struggles overcome for housing and equal rights in the District. Many of these local D.C. changes had a profound effect on the nation as a whole. This tour will discuss multiple topics such as; the varied housing situation of displaced slaves in the District, federally funded housing opportunities in the 20th century, the racial population shift in South East Washington, and the building of the Anacostia community museum, one of the first community museums in the nation.

The African American narrative changes depending on the ward and location discussed in the district. As of 2000, Washington D.C. was the home of 343,312 black residents or 60% of the city’s population. South East Washington’s Ward 8 alone houses 70,912 of these residents. South East Washington’s shift from a predominantly white area to a majority black allowed district blacks to solidify there place as permanent residents of the city.