Femme Fatale was recently awarded funds from Mayor Muriel Bowser’s , a government grant that aims to provide much-needed support for equity-impact businesses that seek to purchase commercial property in the District.��

With the grant’s help, the team was able to purchase its current retail space located in the 3400 block of Cleveland Park’s commercial corridor. Inside, you find multiple stands with miscellaneous items from different female and non-binary-owned businesses.��

Cee Smith, the chief executive officer of Femme Fatale, said the business started up as a pop-up in 2016. She said the collective would move through different neighborhoods as a pop-up before deciding to settle in Cleveland Park.��

“Essentially, we would go into the community and revitalize unused commercial space to use it as a pop-up and then move on to the next neighborhood,” Smith said. “Cleveland Park had a good neighborhood demographic and supported our needs, and it just made sense to come back and make it our permanent space.”��

According to its , the collective’s mission includes amplifying the influence of women by providing inspiration and practical support.

Smith said the team found out its current location was for sale earlier in the year. She said it made sense for the collective to pursue the goal of purchasing a space they can call its own.��

“We’ve been moving around for seven years now,” she said. “It made sense for us to take this huge next step as it was a better-supported location for, not only our business, but the community itself.”��

Intending to purchase the space, Smith said she started looking for resources and came across CPAF. She realized her business qualified to apply and decided to go through with the process.��

“It was a very grueling process. So much paperwork, so many details,” she said. “But without the grant, we would not have been able to purchase the building. So, it came exactly when we needed it. We are extremely grateful.”��

According to the CPAF’s , requirements include being a resident-owned enterprise, a small business that is at least 51% owned by an economically disadvantaged individual, or having been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias.

The program is one of many in the District providing financial opportunities to small businesses. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s , other funding opportunities include SBA’s , which assists companies with export development, and COVID-19 relief financial assistance.

Nick Rajpara, an economic development specialist at the U.S. Small Business Administration, said it is very common for small businesses to seek help from grants provided by local and federal governments, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.��

“A lot of the grants offered come mostly from local governments,” Rajpara said. “Now that we’re going back to normal operations, it is not seen as much but most businesses still seek the help.”��

According to the , small business owners continue facing challenges, such as rising inflation and supply chain disruptions, that pose a threat to their business operations.��

Rajpara said, in recent years, there’s been a growth in not only small businesses, but people launching new companies. He said there’s been a high number, particularly among women-owned businesses.��

“During the pandemic, a lot of folks launched their own enterprises or side hustles. That created a boom,” he said.����

Bob Ward, the chairman of , said in Cleveland Park there’s a diverse group of merchants on the commercial corridor that tie the community together.��

“I think there’s a great satisfaction of being able to live in a neighborhood where all your daily needs are met,” Ward said. “It makes the commercial area very important to people who live here and those visiting.”��

Mia Lily, a college student who frequently walks by the Cleveland Park area, said she believes small businesses are as essential in a community as retail chains.��

“I think they’re in some part the core of a community,” Lily said. “They create a more personal experience, you know? The owners make you feel more welcomed than what you feel at a Target, for example.”

For Femme Fatale, Smith said the future holds big things now that the collective has its own, permanent space.��

“We’re looking for different ways to expand and grow now that we have our flagship location,” she said. “We want to continue our mission of bringing customer sales and support to the women entrepreneurs of D.C.”��

There are at least 70,000 small businesses in the District, according to the Department of Small and Local Business Development. from SBA shows that almost 50% of employees in the city work in small businesses.��

The post ‘A huge step’: How a small business in Cleveland Park pushed to remain in the community first appeared on 91����.

The conservancy hosts a program series, “Race, History, and Rock Creek,” to create transparency about the park’s history. The program aims to be a starting point to better understand how the park’s past affected equity and access, according to the organization’s .����

Jeanne Braha, the executive director at Rock Creek Conservancy, said the series has received a great response from the community as it creates awareness among members.��

“[The series] has allowed people to think about how they want to make the park better for the community,” Braha said. “People also appreciated sort of putting the park in context, as it doesn’t only exist in a vacuum.”��

On Nov. 16, the conservancy hosted a panel discussion with author Rolf Diamant and Rock Creek Park Acting Superintendent Brian Joyner to discuss insights into the history and origins of the National Park Service and Rock Creek Park. The panelists provided an information session to the attendees and opened the floor to questions right after.��

Other panels included discussions on topics such as segregation in the park, the history of jazz at Carter Barron Amphitheater, and LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations in the park.

Braha said the series started as a way to keep people connected to the conservancy’s mission and work to preserve the area’s cultural resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.��

“Most people, when they think about Rock Creek, they think about the forest, hiking, and natural resources,” she said. “We want to teach people about the cultural resources and change the dynamic.”��

Eve Cruz, a resident who frequently exercises at Rock Creek Park, said she didn’t know about the program series but believes it is a good first step in educating people.��

“I think it shines a light on the history Americans need to learn more about,” Cruz said. “As an Indigenous woman myself, I am happy these conversations are happening, but there is still a lot of work to do.”��

Rock Creek was established by Congress in 1890, according to the . It is NPS’s oldest urban park.��

Karl Jacoby, a professor of history and ethnic studies at Columbia University, said the popular conception is that national parks are pristine, untouched nature, but, historically, national parks are “created wilderness.”��

“What I mean by parks creating wilderness is that, to create these ‘unpeople landscapes,’ you have to remove people,” Jacoby said. “Almost in every case of all national parks, all the people removed were Indigenous, Native communities.”��

For millennia, American Indians quarried Rock Creek until European Americans claimed title to the land in the late 1600s, according to the National Park Service . After 40 years of contact with the Europeans, the Native population in Rock Creek became scarce.

In the 20th century, the District segregated Black people in its recreation facilities. This included Rock Creek Park, as it was one of the first federally managed areas, according to a by ����

Jacoby said people need to recognize this history to understand why certain communities don’t feel welcome at national parks.��

“I think the reason that it’s jarring for people to learn this history is because we think about national parks as kind of the highest aspiration,” he said. “I think we think of our history as being a very ‘sanitized’ history.”

Lorenzo Eugenio, an Indigenous college student from the area, said he has never stepped foot in Rock Creek Park, as he doesn’t feel welcomed in the space, but appreciates the efforts the conservancy is making.��

“I think you got to recognize the history and I appreciate what they’re doing,” Eugenio said. “My people were pushed out of it for the longest time. I’m glad they’re shining a light on it among other things.”����

Maurice Federico, a resident who enjoys meditating at Rock Creek, said that, as a person of color, he is aware of the history, but he has also “made peace with the land.”��

“I found peace here once I recognized the facts and how it connected to my story,” he said. “ I hope people can find the same comfort. I hope they can reclaim what’s theirs.”��

Braha said the goal is to use Rock Creek to bring people together, as the area is a shared value in the community.��

“Historically, Rock Creek has been used to divide communities,” she said. “We want to make sure people know the past so that we don’t repeat it.”��

The conservancy hosts the program series virtually via Zoom every few months. You can register for the panels on the organization’s .��

The post Rock Creek Conservancy series highlights the ugly past of a beautiful space first appeared on 91����.

Harmful content has pushed educators to devise a plan to put a stop to disinformation.��

This podcast was reported and produced by graduate journalism students of American University’s School of Communication: Alex Angle, Daniela Lobo, Julia Mouketo, Lauren Spiers, and Nicole Wiley.

Thank you to the experts who shared their time and knowledge with the reporters of this podcast:��

American Hospital Association; Public Service Announcement

Kurt Braddock, American University School of Communication & Faculty Fellow Center for Media and Social Impact����

Andres Ilves, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Director Near East Region��

Jakub Tesar, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, Fellowships and Academic Relations Officer��

Anita Varma, The University of Texas at Austin School of Journalism and Media��

Damika Walker, PHARMD, & Chair, Immunize DC����

Valerie Wirtschafter, Brookings Institution, Fellow-Foreign Policy, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative��������

Supervising Faculty: , SOC Professor ��

The post The Fog of Disinformation: A podcast on the spread of disinformation in the age of social media first appeared on 91����.

The Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 3A and 3E co-hosted a presentation last Thursday from the D.C. Office of Planning about the draft , a set of recommendations highlighting new zoning and housing capacity on the mixed-use corridor.��

Erkin Ozberk, a senior neighborhood planner at the Office of Planning, said Wisconsin Avenue is part of the corridors the administration considers an “opportunity-rich” area, as it has amenities such as proximity to the Metro, green areas, and retail spaces.��

“This [is] a place that is desirable to live and work at,” Ozberk said. “We want to ensure that a broader range of people are able to live here and experience these amenities.”��

The effort is part of the broader , which was released back in 2019 when Mayor Muriel Bowser set the goal of producing 36,000 citywide by 2025.��

According to the project’s , the framework applies to over 100 development sites along a 1.5-mile segment, between Western Avenue and Rodman Street, along Wisconsin Avenue, envisioning equitable, mixed-use development to support the need for housing at various income levels.��

Ozberk said residents have been receptive to the recommendations since they recognize there’s a need for housing and development across the region.��

“I think people understand the challenges the District is facing in terms of housing and the role the city needs to play to make progressive changes to achieve future goals,” he said.��

The framework highlights a highly competitive retail and commercial environment evolving in the District, putting Wisconsin Avenue at a disadvantage in maintaining its position as a retail destination, becoming primarily a neighborhood-serving corridor.��

However, the administration also points out that the changing conditions present opportunities for growth in multi-family, residential buildings that can be accomplished through redevelopment.��

Thaddeus Bradley-Lewis, the chair of ANC 3A, said residents understand that development needs to occur in Ward 3, recognizing Wisconsin Avenue is one of the corridors where it might happen.��

“Most people understand we need development, we need more housing,” Bradley-Lewis said. “In order to attain those goals, they recognize development needs to happen along our corridors.”��

Bradley-Lewis has lived in the District for 20 years, moving to McLean Gardens back in 2019. When he moved to the area, he said development was occurring in neighboring Cathedral Heights, with luxury apartments opening among retail space.

In McLean Gardens, Bradley-Lewis said similar developments, and , are being integrated into the community.

“[Cathedral Commons] opened shortly before we moved into the neighborhood. Now, we have these two developments in process,” he said. “They bring a lot of landmass, a lot of housing. Especially for Ward 3.”��

During last week’s , neighbors raised concerns about what impact the proposed zoning changes might have on those who currently live in the area. Many wondered what the city would do to ensure school capacity for new and current residents, address potential traffic issues, and ensure that safety in the neighborhood is kept to standards.��

Bradley-Lewis said residents understand the city has goals to tackle the issue of housing, but they also want to have confidence the administration is putting the community’s needs first.��

“Our residents want to know that this process is being done in a holistic way,” he said. “It’s tough to have a conversation about increasing density without thinking about whether or not the city is doing ample planning of the impacts.”��

Back in September, the Historic Preservation Review Board voted to allow its members to consider the Bowser administration’s design guidelines for Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park, raising concerns among residents in the area over whether to accept change in the historic district.��

Mary Eugenia Perdomo, a new Cathedral Heights resident, said there needs to be an understanding between the Bowser administration and Ward 3 residents to reach realistic goals.��

“I think there needs to be a collaborative effort between neighbors and the city,” Perdomo said. “If there isn’t, no one will be able to reach their goals and be happy with any change that might come.”��

Perdomo said one thing she enjoys about her new home is the proximity to retail spaces in the area.��

“I think it makes a difference to have the ability to walk to the grocery store or to grab a bite at a restaurant,” she said. “I definitely would like to see more of that in this area.”��

Jimmy Walter, who has lived in the area for almost five years, said the city’s proposal for Wisconsin Avenue lacks recommendations for what he considers important factors that make a holistic community.��

“It’s all about building high-rises and adding retail space,” Walter said. “What about green spaces? Increasing schools’ capacity? Improving the Metro system? Honestly, that’s what I liked to see.”��

Bradley-Lewis said he recognizes the city has more work to do for residents to feel less hesitant towards proposed development.��

“I hope that the District does a better job in presenting a holistic vision for our ward,” he said. “We’re strategizing ways that will address issues residents have raised, but people are going to have a hard time supporting this pursuit unless they keep hearing from the District.”��

Ozberk said the Office of Planning will review and make necessary revisions to the document after the public comment period ends on Nov. 15. The office will release official guidelines for Wisconsin Avenue early next year.��

The post Residents anticipate change as D.C. presents guidance for Wisconsin Avenue. first appeared on 91����.

Cleveland Park’s home prices were up 5.7% compared to last year, with only 20 homes selling last month, realty company Redfin . Redfin also found rental prices have also increased 12.4% over the past year.��

Bob Ward, the chair of , an urbanist advocacy group, said many people want to live in the neighborhood, but prices force renters and prospective homebuyers to look elsewhere.��

“I know many people who rented in this area and want to take the next step with their families but can’t afford it,” Ward said. “So, they look at other places in the city where it’s not as expensive to live as here.”��

Ward said the rise in housing prices in the area, and nationally, comes down to something simple: supply and demand.��

“You got demand, and you’re not changing the supply equation,” he said. “Rents will go up when there are not enough places for people to live to meet the demand of people wanting to live there.”��

According to from realty company Long and Foster, the District’s housing supply remains incredibly low as demand remains high. The median price for a home in D.C. is currently at $620,000, a 2% increase from last month. In Cleveland Park, the median price is at $420,000, according to .

Jessica Lautz, the deputy chief economist and vice president of research at the National Association of Realtors, said it’s very difficult for homebuyers to find a property because of limited inventory, posing realtors and buyers with a problem.��

“A realtor’s job is becoming difficult because they need to be able to find a buyer the perfect property,” Lautz said. “The market right now makes it difficult because buyers may not be able to actually afford the home they want given the rising rates.”��

According to new from the National Association of Realtors, the number of homes sold in the United States dropped by 21% over the past year. That’s on top of an 18% decline the year before, indicating the housing market continues to slow down amid rising price tags.��

Avi Adler, the president of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors, said realtors in the area are extremely busy even though supply is lower and interest rates are higher.��

“Despite having less inventory and higher interest rates, realtors have to work as hard,” Adler said. “You still have buyers looking for homes and sellers trying to sell in a competitive market.”����

The Greater Capital Association of Realtors serves more than 11,000 realtors and affiliate members in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., according to the organization’s .��

Adler said one of the biggest factors contributing to the rise in prices is the lack of inventory, causing prospective homeowners to not venture into the current housing market.��

“There are fewer buyers in the market due to higher rates, but there are even fewer sellers,” he said. “As a result, you’re seeing in the area properties that are selling above list price.”

Last month, the D.C. Office of Planning introduced newly approved for Connecticut Avenue, a major thoroughfare for the area. The guidelines set a framework for integrating mixed-use development, with the goal of supporting housing at various income levels and household sizes.����

The guidelines are part of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s goal of constructing 36,000 new affordable housing units citywide by 2025. Almost 30,000 units have been built since the plan was announced in 2019, according to the mayor’s .

“Renters with extremely low incomes have struggled for a long time to find affordable housing. That problem has really been exacerbated in recent years,” said Andrew Aurand, the senior vice president of research at the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

According to its , the coalition pushes to achieve a racially and socially equitable public policy that ensures people with the lowest incomes have quality homes. Just this month, it released a that tracks how governments use their federal funding for rental housing in their communities.��

Aurand said affordable housing programs are not adequately funded, leaving millions of renters in desperate need of assistance.��

“The private market is going to fail those renters due to lack of funding,” he said. “They don’t adequately serve those renters because we need to put more resources into those programs.”

Members of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission for Ward 3 did not respond to requests for comment.��

Frederick Gonzalez, a college student who just moved to Cleveland Park, said he is affected by the surge in prices as a renter, even seeking help from his family to afford rent in the area.������

“Rent is crazy here,” Gonzalez said. “My parents have to help me with part of it because I just cannot do it on my own with how expensive it is.”��

The proposed from the Office of ��Planning say Cleveland Park’s population has grown at about a third of the rate compared to the rest of the District and is increasingly out of reach for a growing range of household incomes, with the demographic being overwhelmingly white and wealthy.��

Ruben Tapia, a resident who just moved out of the area, said he decided to move due to his apartment building’s increasing rent.��

“Rent keeps increasing and minimum wages do not,” Tapia said. “I earn an hourly, minimum wage and couldn’t keep up with prices. So, I decided to leave.”��

Lautz said residents can encourage state and local governments to reevaluate laws, such as density restrictions, to curb the rising issue.����

“I do think there is a role where we can encourage local governments to reevaluate local laws to build more properties,” she said. “Looking at that can be quite helpful, as well as looking at adaptive reuse.”

Adler said he hopes interest rates will come down in 2024, as this would bring a housing market where buyers and sellers would engage in larger numbers.��

“Washington D.C. is a competitive, transient market since a lot of people come in and out of the area,” he said. “Lower rates are a key factor in seeing more engagement and a more dynamic market.”����

The Office of Planning previously told 91���� that��zoning changes would be initiated in the neighborhood to encourage developments.

The post Housing prices raise concerns among Cleveland Park residents first appeared on 91����.

The Historic Preservation Review Board voted 5-0 during a last month to allow its members to consider the Bowser administration’s design guidelines for integrating high-rises into the area, which is currently lined by one and two-story buildings.��

Heba ElGawish, a senior cross-system planner with the D.C. Office of Planning, said the next steps include initiating zoning changes within Cleveland Park.��

“The housing equity report assigned the greatest production goals at approximately 2,000 affordable housing units in the area by 2025,” ElGawish said. “The next step would be to initiate these zoning changes to incentivize developments.”����

According to the , these production goals fall under Mayor Muriel Bowser’s order to address a number of housing challenges in the District.

Bob Ward, the chair of Cleveland Park Smart Growth, an advocacy group for urbanists, said many residents are skeptical of change due to the neighborhood’s historic nature.

“I think you have people who fought the good fight to make Cleveland Park a historic district,” Ward said. “They might be a little hesitant to change as a result of that.”��

According to Cleveland Park Smart Growth’s , the organization’s mission includes ensuring an economically vibrant, sustainable, and socially inclusive neighborhood in the greater Cleveland Park area.

Ward has chaired the organization since 2018. He said the advocacy group grew from a community-led effort to allow for greater density on Connecticut Avenue.��

“There are a lot of areas in the city that are attracting a lot more restaurants, retail, and exciting places,” he said. “We consider this area an opportunity-rich neighborhood that can compete with those other neighborhoods due to our schools, walkability, and metro proximity.”

The “,” crafted by the Office of Planning, seek to amend zoning regulations to allow for high-rises of up to 75 feet. Currently, the district is zoned to accommodate 40-foot-tall buildings along the area.��

During its September hearing, the Historic Preservation Review Board cautioned that its support of the guidelines does not mean the board would approve future projects, since the panel is still regulated by preservation law and needs to review each case for their own merits.��

Stephen Hansen, the executive director of Cleveland Park’s Historical Society, said the organization is not satisfied with the approved guidelines, as they contradict the Historic Preservation Board’s standards.

“We’re not satisfied with the lack of sensitivity towards historic preservation,” Hansen said. “We are not opposed to increased development, but our position is, since it is a historic district, do it right.”��

The Cleveland Park Historical Society is the neighborhood’s historic preservation organization. It was established in 1987 after the area became a national registered historic district, according to its .��

Hansen said the organization has produced its own set of design for Cleveland Park’s historic commercial corridor. In the guidelines, the organization highlights that historic preservation requires maintaining properties and places in active use, as well as accommodating improvements to sustain their viability.��

“We know there will be future development in Cleveland Park,” he said. “We just wanted it to maintain the historic character and how low-scale the neighborhood is. I hope those are protected and maintained.”��

Jill Hall, the president of the Rosedale Conservancy Board, said it is important the interests of the community are a priority when it comes to development.��

“Whatever is done, I hope it is done responsibly and with the best interest of the community in mind,” she said.��

The Rosedale Conservancy, a green space long recognized as Cleveland Park’s “village green,” is protected from development in perpetuity due to residents’ efforts to preserve the property and keep it open to the public, according to the group’s .��

Hall said the space brings the community together, as many residents consider it an urban oasis and the heart of the neighborhood.��

“The more we can do to bring people together in the community, the better,” she said. “We’re lucky that this land existed, that it was undeveloped, and that the community was able to find a way to preserve it.”��

Members of the�� Advisory Neighborhood Commission for Ward 3 did not respond to requests for comment.��

Thomas Schneider, the owner and operator of Native Roots Conservation Landscaping, said the community is very engaged in preserving historical, green spaces in the area.

“The ‘not in my backyard’ factor is very strong,” Schneider said. “So, the threat to Cleveland Park is not as strong as in other areas.”����

The administration guidelines also work to set a framework for integrating mixed-use development, with the goal of supporting the need for housing at various income levels and household sizes while sustaining a commercial corridor for residents and visitors.��

The say Cleveland Park’s population has grown at about a third of the rate of the rest of the District in the past decade and is increasingly out of reach for a growing range of household incomes, with the demographic being overwhelmingly white and wealthy.

ElGawish said the goal of implementing the new guidelines is to speed up the production of affordable housing in the area.

“Part of the update to the comprehensive plan was to look at where can we accommodate this type of growth and opportunities,” she said. “We discovered that was primarily looking at transit corridors like Connecticut Avenue.”

ElGawish said the design guidelines are the first to bridge smart growth planning with historic preservation goals, especially when it comes to housing affordability.��

“We can really look at them as setting a precedent for how historic districts and preservation can really contribute to District-wide goals of housing equity,” she said.����

Ward said change cannot happen overnight in the neighborhood, but he will be supporting a�� process that benefits the community even if it takes years.��

“At the end of the day, you got to make decisions that are best for the neighborhood,” he said. “If what they’re proposing is good for the community, then I’m going to be there to support.”��

The city is seeking the construction of 36,000 new housing units by 2025, according to the mayor’s . Almost 30,000 units have been built citywide since the plan’s announcement in 2019.

The post Cleveland Park residents concerned as city advances Connecticut Avenue design guidelines first appeared on 91����.

The temporary funding resolution enacted Saturday night brought relief to federal workers. However, many military personnel and their families say they are still scrambling, particularly if a shutdown happens in November.

After days on the cusp of a government shutdown, Congress gave itself 45 additional days to pass fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills, which does not leave much time for service members to prepare for upcoming bills.��

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., vowed many times that the House would get this year’s spending bills passed, specifically citing the needs of military personnel.

“We cannot look the men and women in our military in the eye and have them wonder why they are not going to be able to pay their bills,” McCarthy said.����

Service members are expected to report for duty whether they are paid or not.��

According to the , a nonprofit that works to connect military families with resources, more than half of the respondents to its said they generally experienced financial barriers. This includes a quarter of currently serving families who have less than $500 in emergency savings, according to about 9,000 responses from military families.��

Shannon Razsadin, the president and executive director of the organization, said this short-term budget solution is acceptable, but the continuous uncertainty for service members and their families negatively impacts their lives.

“We need to get off this hamster wheel. We need to get out of this cycle of uncertainty around pay,” Razsadin said. “It is not healthy for people to worry about when they’re going to get paid next.”��

More than 1 million military personnel and their families will feel the impact if the government shuts down in November, with thousands of active duty members overseas.

“A lot of military members live paycheck to paycheck. So, knowing it is coming can help in certain ways, but not that much,” said Kirsten Sisson, a former member of the Air Force.�� Sisson, originally from Easton, Pennsylvania, currently works as a federal visual information specialist with the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C.

Military personnel are not allowed to take leave during a shutdown, even if it was previously approved. During the last government shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019, Sisson said she had to return to work, even though she was on personal leave, and would have had to pay additional money to take her kids to daycare.��

“I had to bring all three of my kids into the Pentagon to sign my furlough paperwork while I was supposed to be on leave,” she said.

The Board of the , a nonprofit focusing on protecting and seeking out justice for military families, said the lingering potential of a November shutdown still affects military families.

“The young servicemen and women who live paycheck to paycheck would be directly impacted and unable to survive until they receive their paychecks,” the board said in an email.

Often overlooked are military families that are victims of domestic violence and abuse who rely on alimony and child support could be gravely impacted by the looming shutdown. Service members often exploit the shutdown to avoid court-ordered payments, the board’s email said.��

According to McCarthy, this stop-gap legislation takes care of 70% of the budget, and the House started work today to pass fiscal 2024 spending legislation.

The post Temporary government funding still leaves some military families worried first appeared on 91����.

The windows, created by artist Kerry James Marshall and titled “Now and Forever,” depict a group of Black protesters marching while holding signs with phrases including “No Foul Play” and “Fairness.” The cathedral unveiled the windows Saturday at a service that included poetry, hymns, and prayers.����

The windows are accompanied by an original poem written by Elizabeth Alexander, the president of the, a private foundation focused on arts, culture, and humanities.

The windows replaced previous panes that honored Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.��

“Being able to install the ‘Now and Forever’ windows helps the cathedral live into its mission of being a house of prayer for all people,” said the Rev. Leonard Hamlin Sr., the canon missioner for the cathedral.

Washington National Cathedral is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

The previous windows were a fixture of the cathedral since 1953 when the United Daughters of the Confederacy donated them to memorialize and honor Confederate leaders and soldiers. The initial call for the windows’ removal came in 2015 after the fatal ��shooting of nine Black worshippers at Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, according to the cathedral’s. The Confederate panes were removed following the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charleston, Virginia.

Hamlin said this is the right time to install the windows, as it allows the church to facilitate community conversations.

“It allows us to tell a richer and fuller story for those who are coming to visit us,” he said. “I believe it would bring the community together to think about our present condition.”

The ceremony on Saturday drew a crowd of almost 900 attendees on a particularly rainy day. Among the guests were clergy from D.C.’s historically Black churches, political figures, and leaders of social justice organizations. The speakers ranged from community members to lawmakers, including Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who read excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

Grayce Wiggins, a member of the church and regular attendee of its services, said she came to the event to witness what she considers a moment of inclusion for Black people.

“This is a full-circle moment where we get to reflect on the next generation and centuries beyond,” Wiggins said, as she took pictures of the windows. “This will be a perpetual memory on why justice and fairness are so important.”

Guy Molock, a member of the Beloved Community Church in Accokeek, Maryland, said the windows represent the struggle and injustice that continues for communities of color.

“I think it’s really important that these windows replaced what I considered to be an injustice,” Molock said, referring to the previous Confederate panes. “For me, it’s all about continuing to fight for justice and liberty for people of color.”

In 2021, the cathedral announced that Marshall agreed to create new racial-justice-themed stained-glass windows. Marshall is known for his paintings of Black figures, with many of his pieces exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. According to the cathedral’s, this was the first time Marshall worked with stained-glass as a medium.

During his brief remarks, Marshall said he hoped his artwork was the first step of many in continuing a growing conversation about the current political environment.

“I hope the themes that the windows propose continue to be a catalyst for the kind of transformation the cathedral and the nation stand for,” Marshall said. “I hope we all as members of this culture and society embody and bring forward ourselves.”��

The Rev. Randy Hollerith, the current dean of the cathedral, said it was a rare event to have the institution add new stained-glass windows. He considers this to be a significant moment to do so, as it brings the opportunity for racial reconciliation.

“Around the country, we’ve done a lot in taking down monuments and statues that represent Confederate messages,” Hollerith said. “We’re pleased to be among the ones that put something that tells a different story and allows a broader conversation.”

The cathedral said it is conducting a comprehensive iconography review with the goal that all art in the church reflects every member of the community and accounts for all stories told.

The post New National Cathedral windows shift from Confederacy theme to racial justice first appeared on 91����.

Holding big, colorful signs, more than a dozen people rallied about two hours on the 3400 block of Connecticut Avenue to protest the city’s plan to add protected bike lanes on the road. They were soon joined by a smaller group of counter protestors voicing support for the project.

The proposed bike lanes would be part of larger changes envisioned for the 2.7-mile stretch of Connecticut Avenue between Cleveland Park and Chevy Chase. According to the District’s Department of Transportation’s , the project’s goals and benefits include reducing crashes and enhancing safety for all roadway users.

Lee Mayer, the president of Save Connecticut Avenue, an organization that opposes the city’s plan, said the protest’s purpose is to spread his organization’s main message: “No bike lanes on Connecticut Avenue.”

Too Dangerous for Bikes.

“Riding a bike on Connecticut Avenue is way too dangerous,” Mayer said. “This organization is not against bike lanes. We’re just against them in this area.”

Mayer said his organization has been protesting the project since 2019, with members even starting a petition against it last year. He said bike lanes on Connecticut Avenue would not be safe for drivers, pedestrians, and even cyclists.

“Protected bike lanes aren’t protected where there are intersections and driveways,” he said. “We are even worried about cyclists, even though they don’t want to listen.”

Ron Kahn, a member of Save Connecticut Avenue, opposes the bike lane project. He said he came from his home in Chevy Chase, Md. to stand with protesters, adding that government officials are not considering the input of residents.

“We are fighting DDOT because their planning process is very flawed,” Kahn said. “They do not consider the input of citizens, especially the elderly. They just make decisions and don’t communicate.”

Sheryl Barnes, a long-time Cleveland Park resident, said the project could impact her day-to-day. She said she had to implement changes into her routine due to current construction projects going on in the area.

“I don’t shop here anymore,” Barnes said, pointing to the businesses along the crosswalk. “I live down the street, and I used to come here. Now, it’s very difficult to get parking, so I don’t do it anymore.”

Bikers Buy Stuff.

“This project has been going on for the past 4 years,” said Steve Seelig, a member of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

91����ington Area Bicyclist Association founded the “I Bike, I Buy Stuff” campaign to promote support for the bike lane project. According to its , the campaign focuses on reminding business owners on Connecticut Avenue that many of their customers are people who bike.

Standing a few feet away from the Save Connecticut Avenue members, Seelig said he came out to the area on his bike to speak out against the organization’s members. He said the implementation of a bike lane in the area will keep commuters safe, including himself.

“I’m a senior citizen! I ride my bike!” he said. “The notion that elderly people are somehow disadvantaged by having bike lanes is just a false statement. If there is not a bike lane here, I won’t be able to do it.”

Avni Gokser, a cyclist from the area and supporter of the project, said it is important to have a bike lane on a busy street like Connecticut Avenue.

“I’ve been riding in this area for almost 40 years,” Gokser said. “It is important to have a bike lane in this area.”

DDOT plans to have the concept designs for the project finalized by fall of 2o23.�� Seelig said his group will keep pushing for the project to move forward.

“This our street. We live here and we want it to be safer,” he said. “We want there to be a bike lane so everyone has a safe place to be.”

More than 100 miles of protected bike lanes now exist throughout the District, according to the mayor’s .

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